Zhang Yichao
Zhang Yichao (Chinese: 張議潮 or 張義朝; pinyin: Zhāng Yìcháo; 799[1]−872[2]) was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang dynasty who was a resident of Sha Prefecture (Chinese: 沙州; pinyin: Shāzhōu, in modern Dunhuang, Gansu). When the Tibetan Empire plunged into civil war, he led a rebellion, capturing several cities and reverted the area's allegiance to the Tang dynasty. He subsequently conquered the Hexi Corridor and governed it as the military commissioner (jiedushi) of Guiyi Circuit (headquartered in modern Dunhuang) under nominal authority of the Tang emperors.
Rebellion against the Tibetans
Following the
Zhang Yichao's father, Zhang Qianyi, once held the post of commander-in-chief of the Sha Prefecture under the Tibetan Empire. In 848, Zhang secretly planned a rebellion with the other ethnic Han,
Later in the year, Zhang's launched an attack on ten other nearby prefectures with Tibetan garrisons—Gua (瓜州, in modern
As military governor of Guiyi
In 863, Zhang Yichao led a group of 7,000 Han and non-Han soldiers to capture Liang Prefecture (涼州, in modern Wuwei, Gansu).[5]
In 866, Zhang submitted a report stating that the Uyghur chieftain Pugu Jun (僕固俊) had recaptured from the Tibetan Empire Xi Prefecture, Ting Prefecture (庭州, in modern Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang), Luntai (輪台, in modern Ürümqi, Xinjiang), and Qingzhen (清鎮, modern location unknown)—apparently implying that Pugu Jun did so under his command.[5]
In 867, Zhang visited Chang'an and paid homage to Emperor Yizong of Tang. Yizong made him a general of the imperial guards and kept him at Chang'an. Yizong also commissioned Zhang's nephew Zhang Huaishen (張淮深) to serve as the acting military governor of Guiyi.[5] He died in 872, probably while residing at Chang'an.
Notes and references
- ^ The Chinese Wikipedia article on Zhang Yichao gave his birth year as 799, citing as its source the Biography of Zhang Yichao contained in the Additions to the Book of Tang (補唐書) by Luo Zhenyu; an edited excerpt, with his death age indicated as 74 (by East Asian reckoning) can be found at: http://wyw.5156edu.com/html/z5694m1509j4540.html.
- ^ Silkroad Foundation | Dunhuang Studies, retrieved Feb. 5, 2010.
- ISBN 9789888263943.
- ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 249.
- ^ a b c Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 250.
- Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 249, 250, 252.