Yan (An–Shi)

Yan (Chinese: 燕; pinyin: Yān), also known as the Great Yan (Chinese: 大燕; pinyin: Dà Yān), was a dynastic state of China established in 756 by the former Tang general An Lushan, after he rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state collapsed in 763 with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate Shi Chaoyi (son of Shi Siming), who was the last person to claim the title as emperor of Yan.

Yan 燕
756–763
Map showing the An Lushan Rebellion
Capital	Luoyang (756–757) Yecheng (757–759) Fanyang (759) Luoyang (759–762)
Common languages	Chinese
Religion	Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 756–757	An Lushan, 1st
• 757–759	An Qingxu, 2nd
• 759–761	Shi Siming, 3rd
• 761–763	Shi Chaoyi, 4th
Historical era	An Lushan Rebellion
• An Lushan's self-declaration as emperor	February 5 756
• Shi Chaoyi's suicide	763
Currency	Chinese coin, Chinese cash
Preceded by Succeeded by Tang dynasty Tang dynasty
Today part of	China

Rulers of Yan

Great Yan (燕; 756–763)

Personal name	Reign[1]	Era name
An Lushan (安祿山)	5 February 756 – 29 January 757   (11 months and 24 days)[2]	Shèngwǔ (聖武) 756–758
An Qingxu (安慶緒)	30 January 757 – 10 April 759   (2 years, 2 months and 11 days)[2]	Xiànchū (現初) 757 Tiānchéng (天成) 757–759
Shi Siming (史思明)	9 May 759 – 18 April 761   (1 year, 11 months and 9 days)[2]	Shùntiān (順天) 759 (?)
Shi Chaoyi (史朝義)	April 761 – February 763 (1 year and 10 months)	Xiǎnshèng (顯聖) 761–763

An Lushan (10 February 703 – 29 January 757, age 54)^[3][4] ruled a Jiedushi under Xuanzong and rebelled on 16 December 755. He proclaimed emperor in Luoyang, the eastern capital. He then captured Chang'an, the western capital, on July 756. An Lushan was likely of Göktürk origins. His rebellion led to one of the bloodiest wars in human history. He was murdered by his son.^[5]

An Qingxu, son of An Lushan, succeeded his father. He was murdered by rebels.^[6][4]

Shi Siming (703–761, age 58), a lieutenant under An Lushan, succeeded An Qingxu. He was murdered by his son.^[7][4]

Shi Chaoyi, son of Shi Siming, succeeded his father. He committed suicide after losing Luoyang to Li Huaixian.^[8][4]

References

1. Moule 1957.
2. des Rotours 1962, pp. xxv–xxvii
3. Moule 1957, pp. 54–62 (birth and death dates).
4. Levy 1960, pp. 75–95ff
5. Twitchett 1979, pp. 452–484, 561–571; Xiong 2009, p. 40.
6. Xiong 2009, p. 40.
7. Xiong 2009, p. 451.
8. Xiong 2009, pp. 448–449.

Sources

• Liu Xu (劉昫) (1960) [945]. Biography of An Lu-shan. Old Book of Tang. Translated by Howard S. Levy.
• Moule, Arthur C. (1957). The Rulers of China, 221 BC–AD 1949. London: Routledge. OCLC 223359908.
• Yao Ju-n̂eng (姚汝能) (1962) [8th century]. Histoire de Ngan Lou-chan. Translated by Robert des Rotours [in French].
• Twitchett, Denis; Fairbank, John K., eds. (1979). The Cambridge History of China 3: Sui and T'ang China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-21446-9.
• Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2009). Historical Dictionary of Medieval China. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6053-7.