The Anshi Rebellion was a civil war that took place between the end of Emperor Xuanzong and the beginning of Emperor Daizong (755–763) of the Tang Dynasty, in which the Tang generals An Lushan and Shi Siming betrayed the Tang Dynasty and established the Dayan regime to compete with the Tang Dynasty for rule. This war was a turning point in the Tang Dynasty's decline from prosperity to decline, causing huge population losses, the decline of national strength, and the beginning of the situation of division of domains and towns.
The cause of the Anshi Rebellion
The causes of the Anshi Rebellion are multifaceted, mainly including the following aspects:
- Economic contradictions: During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, although the social economy reached unprecedented prosperity, it also accelerated land annexation, resulting in the destruction of the average field system, and peasants lost their land and became displaced. The corruption and extravagance of the ruling class also increased the burden on the people and contributed to the aggravation of social contradictions.
- Class contradictions: The intensification of contradictions within the ruling class was the direct cause of the Anshi Rebellion. In the later period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he reused the traitors Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong, rejected Zhongliang, played with power, and was absurd. Yang Guozhong and An Lushan fought for power and profit, which became the fuse of the Anshi Rebellion. In addition, there is also a rift between the Northwest Jiedu Geshuhan and the Northeast Jiedu Envoy An Lushan. Internal and external mistakes made the contradictions between kings and ministers, and between civil ministers and military generals within the ruling class in the late Tang Xuanzong period increasingly acute.
- Internal contradictions: Contradictions between central and local warlord forces were the most important factors contributing to the Anshi Rebellion. Due to the destruction of the Tang Dynasty's juntian system and the prefectural military system, from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang onwards, the conscription system had to replace the prefectural military system. These recruited professional soldiers were bribed by local warlords and formed a special relationship with the generals. In addition, after the beginning of the New Century, a system of temperance was generally set up in the border defenses, and their power became more and more and more powerful, and as for "having both their land and their people, their armor, and their wealth," they formed a situation in which the tail could not be lost. By the first year of Tianbao (742), the border army had increased to 490,000, accounting for more than 85 percent of the total number of troops in the country, of which they were mainly concentrated in the northeast and northwest borders, and the three towns of Fanyang under the control of An Lushan alone reached 150,000. And the Central Army is not only insufficient in quantity, but also in poor quality. The growing power of the Jiedu envoy deepened and the contradictions with the central government deepened, and by the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), An Lushan finally raised troops against the Tang at Fanyang.
The course of the Anshi Rebellion
The process of the Anshi Rebellion can be roughly divided into the following stages:
- An Lushan Rising: On December 16, 755, An Lushan rebelled against the Tang Dynasty at Fanyang (present-day Beijing), claiming to fight against the traitor Yang Guozhong, proclaimed himself the Great Yan Emperor, and established the Great Yan regime. The rebel army led by him consisted of troops from the three towns of Hebei and the Hu people of various ethnic groups, with a strength of about 200,000 people. He quickly captured important cities such as Luoyang and Chang'an, threatening Tang rule.
- Tang court counterattack: After Emperor Xuanzong of Tang learned of the An Lushan rebellion, he appointed Feng Changqing as the envoy of Fanyang Jiedu to prepare for defense; He ordered his son Li Wan to be the marshal and Gao Xianzhi to be the deputy marshal to lead the Central Army in the Eastern Crusade. However, the Tang army repeatedly lost battles and was unable to stop the rebel attack. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang also mistakenly executed loyal and brave ministers such as Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, weakening his own strength.
- Fall of Chang'an: On July 14, 756, rebels stormed the city of Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to flee to Chengdu. On the way, the change of Ma Huangpo occurred, Yang Guozhong was killed by soldiers, and Yang Guifei was forced to hang herself. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang abdicated in Lingwu and passed the throne to his son Li Heng, Emperor Suzong of Tang.
- Ma Wei Mutiny: On July 15, 756, a soldier mutiny took place at Ma Weipo (present-day Huayin, Shaanxi). Dissatisfied with the long journey, unfavorable war, and insufficient food, the soldiers resented Yang Guozhong and Yang Guifei for bringing disaster to the country and the people, forcibly broke into Tang Xuanzong's car, and killed Yang Guozhong and other ministers. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was forced to order Yang Guifei to commit suicide at the Buddhist temple.
- Emperor Suzong's accession to the throne: On August 12, 756, at the Taiji Hall in Lingwu (present-day Lingwu, Ningxia), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang abdicated and passed the throne to his son Li Heng, Emperor Suzong of Tang. Emperor Suzong inherited the critical situation and immediately set about rectifying the military and government and restoring the authority of the central authorities. He appointed Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and other famous generals as marshals, and led foreign aid such as Hui and Tocharian to fight the rebels.
- Battle of Suiyang: Between March and May 757, an earth-shattering battle took place at Suiyang (present-day Shangqiu, Henan). History is known as the Battle of Suiyang. This is a miracle battle in which less wins more and weak wins strong. There were only more than 7,000 defenders such as Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan in Suiyang City, while there were more than 100,000 rebels outside the city. After more than two months of fierce fighting, the rebels failed to break through the city, but were defeated by Tang reinforcements. The Battle of Suiyang not only saved the Tang Dynasty from crisis, but also demonstrated the bravery and steadfastness of the Tang Dynasty's loyal subjects and people.
- Shi Siming declared himself emperor: In December 756, An Lushan was assassinated by his son An Qingxu, who inherited the Great Yan regime. But he was unpopular and was betrayed by Shi Siming. Shi Siming is the envoy of Pinglu Jiedu and a confidant of An Lushan. He led his army to attack An Qingxu, and finally killed him in August 757, proclaimed himself emperor, and changed the name of the country to Dayan.
- Emperor Suzong of Tang's counteroffensive: In September 757, Emperor Suzong of Tang, led by Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and other famous generals, set out from Lingwu and marched towards Chang'an. They successively recovered Tongguan, Chang'an, Luoyang and other places, defeated Shi Siming's army, and restored the rule of the Tang Dynasty. Shi Siming retreated to Yecheng (邺城, in present-day Linzhang, Hebei) and continued to resist.
- Shi Chaoyi rebelled: In January 758, Shi Siming's cousin Shi Chaoyi rebelled against Shi Siming in Hebei and proclaimed himself Emperor of Daqi. He occupied Fanyang, Cangzhou, Jingzhou and other places, forming a three-pronged situation with the Tang Dynasty and Dayan. He joined forces with the Tang Dynasty to attack Shi Siming, but later fought with the Tang Dynasty.
- Tang Annihilation of Dayan: In February 762, Shi Siming was assassinated by his general Li Huaixian, and the Dayan regime was overthrown. The Tang Dynasty recovered Yecheng and most of Hebei, ending a war that lasted more than six years.
- Tang Annihilation of Daqi: In February 763, the Tang Dynasty, under the command of Guo Ziyi, Li Sheng and other generals, attacked Fanyang (present-day Beijing), killed Shi Chaoyi, and eliminated the Daqi regime. At this point, the Anshi Rebellion was basically calmed.
The result of the Anshi Rebellion
The results of the Anshi Rebellion were as follows:
- Tang Dynasty lost a lot of population and greatly reduced its national strength: The Anshi Rebellion was a civil war of unprecedented scale that lasted for more than eight years, causing huge casualties and property damage. According to the "New Book of Tang and Food Goods", before the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty had 8.95 million households and a population of 52.9 million; After the Anshi Rebellion, the household registration was reduced to 2.42 million, and the population was reduced to 18.6 million. In other words, the Anshi Rebellion reduced the household registration and population of the Tang Dynasty by 73% and 65% respectively. This is the worst population loss in China's history. The Anshi Rebellion also greatly reduced the economic and military strength of the Tang Dynasty, making it impossible to maintain its original territory and order.
- Production in the north withered, and the south replaced the north as the economic center: The Anshi Rebellion mainly occurred in the northern regions, especially Hebei, Henan, Shandong and other places. These areas were originally important bases for grain, taxation, industry and commerce for the Tang Dynasty, but they were severely damaged and plundered during the war. Many farmlands are deserted, towns are abandoned, commerce is stagnant and people are displaced. Many northern people have been forced to move south in search of safety and livelihoods. In this way, the population, resources, market and other factors of the southern region have been increased and developed, gradually replacing the north as the center of China's economy.
- The formation of the problem of the division of domains and towns: The Anshi Rebellion exposed the contradictions and crises between the central and local warlords of the Tang Dynasty. In order to quell the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty had to arbitrarily divide the envoys and give them real powers such as military power, financial power, and political power. These restrictions often have their own military, financial, judicial and other systems, which are not subject to the constraints and supervision of the central government, forming a semi-independent feudal division situation. They sometimes obeyed the orders of the imperial court, and sometimes rebelled or supported the new emperor, causing political turmoil and chaos in the Tang Dynasty.
- The central government's control over the frontiers was further reduced: During the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty had many wars and conflicts with foreign tribes such as the Tubo and Hui. Tubo took the opportunity to occupy the Hexi Corridor, Qinghai and other regions, and repeatedly attacked Chang'an and Luoyang. Hui played an important supporting role within the Tang Dynasty, helping the Tang Dynasty quell the Anshi Rebellion. At the same time, however, Hui was also expanding his sphere of influence in the Western Regions and competing with Tubo for control of the countries of the Western Regions. As a result, the influence of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions and Hexi was greatly reduced, and the stability and security of the border areas were threatened.
The significance of the Anshi Rebellion
The Anshi Rebellion was an extremely important event in Chinese history, which had a profound impact on the Tang Dynasty and Chinese history, mainly reflected in the following aspects:
- Marking the turn of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline: The Anshi Rebellion was a turning point in the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline, which caused the Tang Dynasty to fall from the beginning of the century to a situation of chaos and decay. After the Anshi Rebellion, although the Tang Dynasty still existed for nearly 150 years, it had lost its original glory and prestige and could not recover to its previous level. In the late Tang Dynasty, political corruption, economic hardship, social unrest, ethnic strife and other problems emerged one after another, which eventually led to the demise of the Tang Dynasty.
- Promoted the economic and cultural development of the South: The Anshi Rebellion caused serious damage and decline in the northern region, while the southern region was relatively stable and prosperous. After many northern people moved south, they reclaimed land, developed production and created culture in the south. The southern region gradually became the economic and cultural center of China, laying the foundation for the rise of southern power in the later Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the prosperity of southern culture in the Song Dynasty.
- Accelerated national integration and cultural exchanges: The Anshi Rebellion brought people of all ethnic groups into contact, exchange, and integration in the war. Many Hu people participated in the rebellion or pacification of the Anshi Rebellion, and some of them settled in the Tang Dynasty, intermarried and assimilated with the Han people, and promoted ethnic integration. At the same time, the Anshi Rebellion also caused more conflicts and cooperation between the Tang Dynasty and foreign ethnic groups such as Tubo and Hui, deepened their understanding and influence on each other, and promoted cultural exchanges.
- Promoted historical change and social progress: The Anshi Rebellion was a major crisis in Chinese feudal society, which exposed the shortcomings of the Tang system and the sharpness of social contradictions. After the Anshi Rebellion, the rulers and thinkers of the Tang Dynasty began to reflect and reform, trying to find solutions to the problem. They carried out a series of political, economic, and military reforms, which although the results were not satisfactory, but they also provided some experience and enlightenment for later historical changes. At the same time, the Anshi Rebellion also stimulated people's thinking and criticism of social reality, and promoted the development and innovation of culture and thought. In the later period of the Anshi Rebellion, the Guwen movement represented by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, and the Xinlefu movement represented by Bai Juyi, expressed their concern for the times and their understanding of life with new styles and contents, creating a new situation in Chinese literature.
Evaluation of the Anshi Rebellion
The Anshi Rebellion was an extremely important and complex event in Chinese history, which had a profound and multifaceted impact on the Tang Dynasty and Chinese history. Therefore, the evaluation of the Anshi Rebellion is also diverse and different. From different angles and positions, the Anshi Rebellion can be evaluated as follows:
- From a political point of view: The Anshi Rebellion was a turning point in the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline, which caused the Tang Dynasty to fall from the beginning of the century to a situation of chaos and decay. The Anshi Rebellion exposed the contradictions and crises between the central and local warlords of the Tang Dynasty, leading to the formation of the problem of the division of domains and towns. The Anshi Rebellion also greatly reduced the influence of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions and Hexi, threatening the stability and security of the border areas. Therefore, from a political point of view, the Anshi Rebellion was a catastrophic event that was harmful to the Tang Dynasty.
- From an economic point of view: the Anshi Rebellion caused serious damage and decline in the northern region, while the southern region was relatively stable and prosperous. After many northern people moved south, they reclaimed land, developed production and created culture in the south. The southern region gradually became the economic and cultural center of China, laying the foundation for the rise of southern power in the later Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the prosperity of southern culture in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, from an economic point of view, the Anshi Rebellion was a transformative event that was harmful to the North and beneficial to the South.
- From a cultural point of view: the Anshi Rebellion brought people of all ethnic groups into contact with each other in the war. Many Hu people participated in the rebellion or pacification of the Anshi Rebellion, and some of them settled in the Tang Dynasty, intermarried and assimilated with the Han people, and promoted ethnic integration. At the same time, the Anshi Rebellion also caused more conflicts and cooperation between the Tang Dynasty and foreign ethnic groups such as Tubo and Hui, deepened their understanding and influence on each other, and promoted cultural exchanges. In the later period of the Anshi Rebellion, the Guwen movement represented by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, and the Xinlefu movement represented by Bai Juyi, expressed their concern for the times and their understanding of life with new styles and contents, creating a new situation in Chinese literature. Therefore, from a cultural point of view, the Anshi Rebellion is an innovative event that has a negative impact on Chinese culture but also has a positive effect.
- From a historical point of view: The Anshi Rebellion was a major crisis in Chinese feudal society, which exposed the shortcomings of the Tang system and the sharpness of social contradictions. After the Anshi Rebellion, the rulers and thinkers of the Tang Dynasty began to reflect and reform, trying to find solutions to the problem. They carried out a series of political, economic, and military reforms, which although the results were not satisfactory, but they also provided some experience and enlightenment for later historical changes. At the same time, the Anshi Rebellion also stimulated people's thinking and criticism of social reality, and promoted the development and innovation of culture and thought. Therefore, from a historical point of view, the Anshi Rebellion was a destructive but also enlightening and transformative event for the Tang Dynasty.
The conclusion of the Anshi Rebellion
To sum up, the Anshi Rebellion was a turning point in the Tang Dynasty's turn from prosperity to decline, which caused the Tang Dynasty to fall from the beginning of the century to a situation of chaos and decay. The Anshi Rebellion had a profound and multifaceted impact on the Tang Dynasty and Chinese history, both negative and positive. The Anshi Rebellion is an extremely important and complex event, which deserves our in-depth study and consideration.
There is only one poem in this situation:
The south and north of the city were full of fire, and the people fled the famine in panic. The wife sent her husband farewell from this, and looked at the end of the world with tearful eyes. The strong man sadly sang farewell to his hometown, only hoping to survive and avenge his family. I don't know what day is the return date, or the Huangquan Road. Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains are broken, and blood stains the green mountains and red rivers. Who can calm the chaotic world for me and return me to the old days?