Everything about An Lushan totally explained
| Yan Di (燕帝) or Yan Lawang (燕剌王) |
| Family name: |
Possibly originally Kang (康, kãng),
later An (安, ān) |
| Given name: |
Originally Aluoshan (阿犖山, ã luò shãng)
or Galuoshan (軋犖山, gá luò shãn),
later Lushan (祿山, lù shān) |
| Posthumous name: |
La (剌, là,
literary meaning "unthinking") |
An Lushan (ca. 703?-
January 29,
757), né
Aluoshan (阿犖山) or
Galuoshan (軋犖山),
posthumously named (by
Shi Siming)
Prince La of Yan (燕剌王), or
Iranian-
Turkish
"An Lushan" might be the
Sinicized version of the name "An Rokhan", with
Rokhan meaning "light" in
Sogdian language (related to the female name
Roxana, borne by the Bactrian lady who married
Alexander the Great).
Young time
It was said that An Lushan knew six non-
Han languages, and, after he grew older, served in the military market as an interpreter. Serving with him was
Shi Sugan (later named Shi Siming), who was one day older than he was and who became a good friend of his. In
732, when the general Zhang Shougui (張守珪) was governing You Prefecture (幽州, roughly modern
Beijing), where An was at, when An was discovered to have stolen sheep. Zhang was set to execute An by caning, when An yelled out, "Is it that you, Lord, don't wish to destroy the two barbarian tribes? Why do you want to cane An Lushan to death?" Zhang, seeing that he'd a large body and impressed by his plea, released him and had him serve as a police officer, along with Shi, and both of them were said to be capable at catching criminals. Later, Zhang promoted him to be a military officer. As Zhang believed that he was obese, he didn't dare to eat too much while in Zhang's presence, and this drew Zhang's favor. Zhang took him in and treated him like a son. At a time that wasn't recorded in history, he married a Lady Kang as his first wife, and she bore him at least one son,
An Qingxu, who, however, wasn't his oldest son. The
chancellor Zhang Jiuling, pointing out that An's death would be necessary to preserve military discipline and further believing that An had the appearance of a rebel, advocated An's death, but Emperor Xuanzong believed An to be able and didn't want to execute him, and therefore spared him but stripped him of titles, returning him to Zhang to serve under Zhang.
At Chang'an (743)
In
743, An visited Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong treated him well and allowed him to visit the palace at all times. Meanwhile, he began to inject himself into court politics -- as the official Su Xiaoyun (蘇孝韞) complained to him that the
imperial examinations that year was unfair and that Zhang Shi (張奭), the son of the deputy chief imperial censor Zhang Yi (張倚), had been given top grade despite having no abilities. An reported this to Emperor Xuanzong, who ordered a retesting before him personally. Zhang Shi wasn't able to even write one character in response to Emperor Xuanzong's reexamination. As a result, the deputy ministers of civil service, Song Yao (宋遙) and
Miao Jinqing were demoted. Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang awarded him with clothing, treasures, and food. On February 23, when An was summoned to the palace, Consort Yang, in order to please Emperor Xuanzong, had an extra-large infant wrapping made, and wrapped An in it, causing much explosion of laughter among the
ladies in waiting and eunuchs. When Emperor Xuanzong asked what was going on, Consort Yang's attendants joked that Consort Yang gave birth three days ago and was washing her baby Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong was pleased by the comical situation and rewarded both Consort Yang and An greatly. Thereafter, whenever An visited the capital, he was allowed free admittance to the palace, and there were rumors that he and Consort Yang had an affair, but Emperor Xuanzong discounted the rumors. On An's request, Emperor Xuanzong also gave him the governorship of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern
Taiyuan,
Shanxi), in addition to Pinglu and Fanyang. Two of his sons, the oldest An Qingzong (安慶宗) and An Qingxu, were given ministerial level positions, and An Qingzong was given an imperial clan member's daughter, the Lady Rongyi, in marriage.
Rebellion
Initial stage
In spring
755, however, the matters were beginning to come to a head. When An Lushan submitted a petition to have 32 non-Han generals under him replace Han generals, Emperor Xuanzong immediately agreed, despite stern arguments from Yang Guozhong and his fellow chancellor
Wei Jiansu that this was a sign of impending rebellion. Yang and Wei then suggested that An be promoted to be chancellor, and that his three commands be divided between his three deputies; Emperor Xuanzong initially agreed, but after the edict was drafted, Emperor Xuanzong tabled it and instead sent the eunuch Fu Qiulin (輔璆琳) to send fresh fruits to An and to observe him -- upon which An bribed Fu into submitting a favorable report. Yang, however, persisted in his reports against Yang, including having the mayor of Jingzhao arrest An's friend Li Chao (李超) and others and executing them secretly. An Qingzong, who was then at Chang'an, reported this to An Lushan, causing An Lushan to be even more apprehensive. Subsequent events -- including An's refusal to attend the funeral of an imperial prince in summer 755 and his offer to send a large number of horses to Chang'an in fall 755, began to cause Emperor Xuanzong to start suspecting An. He also discovered that Fu had received An's bribes, and therefore had Fu killed, instead sending another eunuch, Feng Shenwei (馮神威) to Fanyang to again summon An. An refused. claiming that he'd received a secret edict from Emperor Xuanzong to advance on Chang'an to remove Yang. The imperial officials were all apprehensive, because An had the strongest troops of the realm at the time, except for Yang, who believed that An could be suppressed easily. Emperor Xuanzong, meanwhile, commissioned the general
Feng Changqing as the military governor of Fanyang and Pinglu, intending to have him replace An after An's rebellion is defeated, and sent Feng to the eastern capital
Luoyang to build up the defense there; another general,
Gao Xianzhi, was ordered to command a secondary defense at Shan Commandery (陝郡, roughly modern
Sanmenxia,
Henan). He also executed An Qingzong and An's first wife Lady Kang, and forced An Qingzong's wife Lady Rongyi to commit suicide. An Lushan crossed the
Yellow River, quickly capturing Chenliu (陳留, roughly modern
Kaifeng,
Henan) and Yingyang (滎陽, roughly modern
Zhengzhou,
Henan) Commanderies. He then approached Luoyang, where he encountered an ill-prepared army commanded by Feng, defeating Feng quickly and forcing Feng to flee and concede Luoyang to him. Feng joined forces with Gao and urged a retreat to
Tong Pass; Gao agreed, and they took up defensive position there, and An didn't proceed quickly, but remained at Luoyang, planning to declare himself emperor there. (Soon, due to accusations of the
eunuch Bian Lingcheng (邊令誠), Emperor Xuanzong executed Feng and Gao and replaced Gao with Geshu Han.) Some Tangs official north of the Yellow River resisted An under the leadership of
Yan Zhenqing, the governor of Pingyuan Commandery (平原, roughly modern
Dezhou,
Shandong).), An Lushan declared himself emperor at Luoyang, establishing a new state of
Yan, making Zhang Tongru and the surrendered Tang official Daxi Xun (達奚珣) his chancellors. He created An Qingxu the Prince of Jin and another son, An Qinghe (安慶和), the Prince of Zheng.
Meanwhile, the Tang generals
Guo Ziyi and
Li Guangbi had fought their way into An's territory north of the Yellow River, cutting off the communication between Luoyang and Fanyang, causing much fear in An's troops. An considered withdrawing north of the Yellow River to secure the territory, but meanwhile, suspicions had begun to rise between Yang Guozhong and Geshu, each believing that the other had designs on himself, and at Yang's urging, Emperor Xuanzong ordered Geshu to attack the Yan general Cui Qianyou, who was then stationed at Shan Commandery -- despite urging by Geshu, Guo, and Li Guangbi that the proper strategy was to secure Tong Pass and let Guo and Li Guangbi capture the Yan territory to the north. Geshu, with Emperor Xuanzong repeatedly ordering him to attack, was forced to do so, and was defeated by Cui. Geshu's subordinate Huoba Guiren (火拔歸仁) seized him and surrendered to Yan forces. Subsequently, An induced Geshu to write letters to several Tang generals, urging them to surrender, but they all refused.
Meanwhile, An favored his son An Qing'en (安慶恩), the son of his second wife Lady Duan (who might have carried the title of
empress by this point). An considered letting An Qing'en be his crown prince, instead of An Qingxu, who was otherwise considered in order to receive that honor. An Qingxu often feared that An Lushan would put him to death. He, Yan, and Li Zhu'er therefore plotted. On the night of
January 29,
757,
Children
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