Pang Xun
Encyclopedia
Pang Xun (died October 14, 869) was the leader of a major rebellion, by soldiers from Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
), against the rule of Emperor Yizong
of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, from 868
to 869. He was eventually defeated by the Tang general Kang Chengxun
, who was assisted by the Shatuo
general Zhuye Chixin
.
Xu Prefecture had a long-standing military tradition in the middle-to-late Tang Dynasty
, and had long been the capital of Wuning Circuit (武寧), which was created to control and cut off the communications between the then-rebellious Pinglu (平盧, then-headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
) and Zhangyi (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
) Circuits. However, the soldiers from Xu Prefecture, particularly since the time of the military governor Wang Zhixing
, had become arrogant and lax in discipline, such that there were frequent mutinies against military governors (Jiedushi
) that the imperial government sent to govern Wuning. For the imperial government, the last straw apparently came in 862
, when the soldiers of the Yindao (銀刀, "silver sword") corps mutinied and expelled the imperially-commissioned military governor Wen Zhang (溫璋). The imperial government commissioned the general Wang Shi
as Wen's replacement. Wang, once he arrived at Xu Prefecture, had the soldiers that he brought from Zhongwu (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) and Yicheng (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang
, Henan
) Circuits slaughter the Yindao soldiers, killing several thousands. Then-reigning Emperor Yizong
then issued an edict rebuking the people of and disbanding Wuning Cirucuit. Xu Prefecture was put under the jurisdiction of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong
); of Wuning's other prefectures, Hao Prefecture (濠州, in modern Chuzhou
, Anhui
) was put under the jurisdiction of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
); and Su (宿州, in modern Suzhou, Anhui
) and Si (泗州, in modern Huai'an
, Jiangsu
) Prefectures were made into a new Susi Circuit, with its capital at Su Prefecture, but with a lesser status than before — not having a military governor, but only a governor (觀察使, Guanchashi).
In 863
, after a disturbance where bandits intruded into Xu Prefecture and killed a number of officials before the attack was repelled by the prefect Cao Qing (曹慶), the headquarters of Susi Circuit was moved back to Xu Prefecture, and thereafter it was known as Xusi Circuit, governing Xu, Hao, Su, and Si Prefectures, thus restoring the prior Wuning territory, but still under the lesser status of governance by a governor, rather than a military governor.
In 864
, with the southwestern parts of the Tang empire dealing with frequent Dali attacks, Emperor Yizong issued an edict recounting Xu Prefecture's military tradition and ordering the military prefect (團練使, Tuanlianshi) to recruit 3,000 men from Xu Prefecture to be stationed at Yong Prefecture (邕州, in modern Nanning
, Guangxi
) to guard against Dali attacks; the edict promised that once the troubles with Dali were over, the soldiers would be allowed to return home. Apparently, however, only 2,000 men were actually recruited, and of those, 800 were sent to Gui Prefecture (桂州, in modern Guilin
, Guangxi
), with a promise that they would be allowed to return home after three years. Pang was one of these men, and he served as an assistant to the commander, in charge of food supplies. At the end of the three years, the soldiers were hoping to return home, but the governor of Xusi, Cui Yanzeng (崔彥曾), under the advice of his officer Yin Kan (尹勘), decided to extend their stay at Gui Prefecture, because the expenses of recruiting new soldiers were considered too high. When this order reached Gui Prefecture, the Xu Prefecture soldiers were incensed.
), and the new governor of Gui had not arrived yet. The Xu Prefecture officers Xu Ji (許佶), Zhao Keli (趙可立), Yao Zhou (姚周), and Zhang Xingshi (張行實) — all of whom had previously been bandits but who had submitted to the government after being given officer commissions — took the opportunity to mutiny in fall 867
. They killed their commander Wang Zhongfu (王仲甫) and supported Pang as their leader. The mutineers pillaged the armory, seizing weapons, and began their march home; as they went, they pillaged the territory, and the local governments were unable to resist. Emperor Yizong initially sent the high-level eunuch Zhang Jingxi (張敬思) to Pang and issued a pardon for Pang and his soldiers, permitting them to return to Xu Prefecture; in response, the Xu soldiers stopped their pillaging. When they reached Hunan Circuit, they turned in their weapons and armor. They then went on ships and headed east on the Yangtze River
. Meanwhile, Emperor Yizong also ordered Cui Yanzeng to not cause the mutineers to be alarmed, so Cui issued repeated mildly-worded orders to Pang's soldiers, trying to comfort them. In response, Pang also submitted respectfully-worded reports to Cui.
While the Xu soldiers were en route down the Yangtze, however, they, particularly Xu Ji, considered their situation and concluded that their crimes were even greater than those of the Yindao — and that the only reasons why the imperial government issued a pardon were to prevent them from further pillaging or becoming bandits; they came to believe that they would be slaughtered upon return to Xu. They thus expended their wealths and made armors and weapons. When they reached Huainan Circuit, the military governor of Huainan, Linghu Tao
, provided them with food, even though Linghu's officer Li Xiang (李湘) pointed out that the Xu soldiers would eventually create further disturbances, as Linghu was only interested in preserving the peace for Huainan. Meanwhile, Pang recruited those Yindao soldiers who escaped the massacre and other bandits to add to the numbers of his soldiers.
On October 22, Pang reached Si Prefecture. The prefect Du Tao (杜慆) invited the soldiers to a feast and put on a play for entertainment. Prior to the start of the play, the acting corp leader, pursuant to custom, was addressing the guests, when the Xu soldiers believed that he was parodying them, and they seized him and threatened to kill him. However, Du had prepared for this, and after this initial action, nothing else came of this.
On October 23, Pang reached Xucheng (徐城, near Si Prefecture). Pang and Xu Ji announced to the soldiers that it was their belief that once they arrived in Xu, the soldiers would be slaughtered or at least exiled. They announced that their plan was to attack and seize Xu Prefecture and force the imperial government to allow them to keep it. The soldiers largely agreed, and Pang executed 12 people who did not; he sent messengers with the heads of the 12 to report to Cui that those 12 had encouraged a rebellion, and that he was presenting their heads as sign of submission. When Pang's messengers reached Cui, he arrested and interrogated them and found out the truth. Meanwhile, Pang submitted another petition demanding that Cui relieve Yin Kan, as well as two other key officers, Du Zhang (杜璋), and Xu Xingjian (徐行儉) of their duties, and further demanding that the returning soldiers be allowed to be stationed separately from the main corps. Cui gathered his officers and discussed how to react to this; most officers, by this point, realized Pang's intentions and advocated attacking Pang. As a result, Cui had the officer Yuan Mi (元密) lead 3,000 men to attack Pang, and also ordered the Su and Si Prefectures to cut off Pang's paths as well.
News that Yuan was heading toward them soon reached Pang's soldiers. They quickly attacked Su Prefecture and captured it on November 4. They then gathered all of the wealth in the city and announced publicly that anyone could come and take them. Thereafter, the people in the surrounding area all swarmed to Su Prefecture. Pang's soldiers then seized the strong young men among these people and forced them to join their corps, executing anyone who refused. Several thousands were quickly added to their numbers this way. When Yuan arrived on November 6 and attacked, he could not quickly capture Su Prefecture, but the mutineers were also fearful of Yuan. They thus released Zhang Jingxi and abandoned Su on the night of November 6, intending to flee on Bian River. The morning of November 7, Yuan, realizing that the mutineers had fled, gave chase, without giving his soldiers a chance to eat. When they reached the mutineers, the mutineers used the ships that they had as defense and further utilized the swamp landscape to their advantage, surprising Yuan. Yuan and most of his soldiers were killed, and the survivors surrendered to Pang. The survivors informed Pang that Xu Prefectures had virtually no defenses, and Pang thereafter resolved to attack Xu Prefecture.
On November 8, Pang began a rapid march toward Xu Prefecture. Not until that night did Cui receive news that Yuan's army was annihilated, and he immediately sent urgent requests for reinforcements to the nearby circuits. On November 9, the Xu city gates were closed, and the circuit government rounded up the strong young men in the city to shore up the defenses, but the city lacked the will to resist. Cui refused the calls for him to flee to Yanhai's capital Yan Prefecture (兗州), pointing out that it was his responsibility to die in the city. On November 10, Pang's soldiers arrived at Xu and comforted the people in the surrounding area, such that they joined the mutineers in large numbers as well. Within an hour, the outer city fell to the mutineers. Soon thereafter, the inner city fell as well. The mutineers put Cui under arrest and executed Yin, Du Zhang, and Xu Xingjian. It was said that 10,000 men joined the mutineer army that day.
The imperial government, however, rejected Pang's overtures, as when the imperial edict arrived on December 2, all it declared were the faults of Cui and the eunuch monitor Zhang Daojin (張道謹) and that they would be demoted. Pang, disappointed, arrested the eunuch delivering the edict. Meanwhile, Emperor Yizong commissioned the imperial guards general Kang Chengxun
to be the military governor of Yicheng Circuit, to oversee the operations against Pang, while commissioning two other imperial guard generals, Wang Yanquan (王晏權) and Dai Keshi (戴可師), to command two side armies to the north and south. At Kang's request, he was allowed to enlist the assistance of the Shatuo
chieftain Zhuye Chixin
, as well as those of the tribal chiefs of Tuyuhun, Tatar
, and Qibi (契苾) tribes.
Meanwhile, Pang's forces put Si Prefecture under siege, nearly capturing it. Even though Du Shenquan
the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
) and Linghu Tao both sent forces to try to lift Si's siege, both circuits' armies (commanded by Zhai Xingyue (翟行約) and Li Xiang, respectively) were crushed and annihilated by Pang's forces. While Pang's forces were unable to capture Si Prefecture, they were able to capture a number of other prefectures around the region, including Chu (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou) and He (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
). Dai tried to recapture Duliang (都梁, in modern Huai'an), where the rebels had crushed Huainan forces, before lifting Si Prefecture's siege. The rebels at Duliang feigned surrender, and then ambushed Dai. Dai's army was also crushed, and Dai was killed. LInghu, concerned that the rebels would attack Huainan next, sent messengers to Pang, offering to request imperial commission for him. Pang therefore suspended further advancements on Huainan, but continued to siege Si Prefecture. To the north, Wang was also repeatedly defeated by the rebels, and was replaced by Cao Xiang (曹翔) the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, i.e., the new name for Yanhai). He Quanhao
the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
, Hebei
), which had been ruled semi-independently from the imperial government, also sent forces to aid Cao.
By this point, except for their inability to capture Si Prefecture, Pang's forces were still essentially running into no opposition in their campaigns, but in spring 869
, Kang began approaching Xu Prefecture with about 70,000 men, and he stationed himself near the rebel stronghold at Liuzi (柳子, in modern Suzhou). Pang, faced with this huge imperial army and the fact that his own soldiers were spread thin on various campaigns, began to be fearful, and by this point the people were no longer joining him in droves. Further, his army's attacks on Hai (海州, in modern Lianyungang
, Jiangsu
) and Shou (壽州, in modern Lu'an
, Anhui
) were repelled by forces loyal to the imperial government, at heavy losses. Meanwhile, Zhuye distinguished himself in battle, and when the rebel officer Wang Hongli (王弘立), who was instrumental in their victory at Duliang, attacked one of the imperial forces' camps at Lutang (鹿塘, in modern Shangqiu
, Henan
), Zhuye's Shatuo soldiers struck back, inflicting heavy losses on Wang. Kang's main forces then attacked Liuzi, and when Yao Zhou tried to relieve Liuzi, Kang defeated him, and when he fled to Su Prefecture, Liang killed him due to their prior personal conflict.
Pang, leaving Xu and his father Pang Juzhi in charge at Xu Prefecture, departed Xu Prefecture on May 23, first attacking the Weibo troops, which had been attacking the rebel-controlled Feng County, Jiangsu
, catching Weibo forces by surprise. He crushed the Weibo forces, and Taining forces, hearing of Weibo forces' defeat, also withdrew. Pang gathered the food that the Weibo and Taining forces left, and then prepared for a major attack on Kang's main forces. He departed Feng on June 3, and called on the other rebel forces in the vicinity to join him for an attack on Kang at Liuzi on June 12. However, some Huainan soldiers that he had captured escaped and informed Kang of Pang's plans. When the rebels from Xiangcheng (襄城, in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) arrived first, Kang defeated them, and when Pang subsequently arrived, Pang's own forces collapsed without an engagement, and Kang's forces subsequently routed them. Pang fled back to Xu Prefecture. Meanwhile, Ma Ju (馬舉), who had recently replaced Linghu Tao as the military governor of Huainan, attacked the rebels sieging Si Prefecture, crushing them and lifting the siege on Si. The rebels previously sieging Si Prefecture, under Wu Jiong (吳迥), withdrew to Hao Prefecture, and Ma put it under siege.
Meanwhile, Kang advanced on Su Prefecture, which was then defended by the rebel officers Zhang Xuanren (張玄稔), Zhang Ru (張儒), and Zhang Shi (張實), and put it under siege. He could not capture it quickly, however, and Zhang Shi sent a petition to Pang, suggesting that Pang should make a surprise attack on Song (宋州, in modern Shangqiu) and Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou
, Anhui
) Prefectures, so that Kang would lift the siege on Su Prefecture. Kang, who had been concerned that Cao Xiang had since captured Feng County and was approaching Xu Prefecture, agreed.
On October 15, Zhang reached Xu Prefecture and surrounded it, but did not immediately attack it; rather, he announced to the defenders that the imperial government would not punish anyone who surrendered. The rebel soldiers began to surrender in droves. Pang Juzhi and Xu initially withdrew within into the inner city, but finding their own soldiers' morale failing, tried to fight out of the encirclement. Zhang intercepted and killed them. Several thousands of the rebels' family members were killed, and the imperial forces soon controlled the city.
Meanwhile, Kang pursued Pang, who had made a surprise attack on Song Prefecture, capturing the southern city, but with Song's prefect Zheng Chuchong (鄭處沖) defending the northern city, Pang abandoned further attempts to capture it and continued to head west, toward Bo Prefecture. By this point, though, the Shatuo forces under Zhuye Chixin had already arrived. Pang tried to head toward back to Xu Prefecture, but when he reached Qi County (蘄縣, in modern Suzhou), the local militia leader Zhang Gun (張袞) lifted the floating bridge to stop him from crossing the Huan River (渙水). The imperial forces then attacked and killed a large number of rebel soldiers, with the rest throwing themselves into the river and largely drowning. Pang died in the battle as well. Wu Jiong, for some time, held out at Hao Prefecture, but Hao Prefecture fell after another month, ending the rebellion.
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), against the rule of Emperor Yizong
Emperor Yizong of Tang
Emperor Yizong of Tang , né Li Wen , later changed to Li Cui , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Yizong was the eldest son of Emperor Xuānzong...
of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, from 868
868
Year 868 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* Ahmad ibn Tulun, a Turkish mameluk general in Arab army founds Tulunid dynasty in Egypt....
to 869. He was eventually defeated by the Tang general Kang Chengxun
Kang Chengxun
Kang Chengxun , courtesy name Jingci , formally the Duke of Fufeng , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, most well-known for his failures against Dali incursions but successes against the rebel Pang Xun .- Background :Kang Chengxun might have been born in 808...
, who was assisted by the Shatuo
Shatuo
The Shatuo were a Turkic tribe that heavily influenced northern Chinese politics from the late ninth century through the tenth century. They are noted for founding 3 of the 5 dynasties and 1 of the kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period....
general Zhuye Chixin
Li Guochang
Li Guochang , né Zhuye Chixin , courtesy name Dexing , posthumously honored by Later Tang Dynasty as Emperor Wenjing with the temple name of Xianzu , was a leader of the Shatuo Turks during the waning years of the Tang Dynasty.- Background :Zhuye Chixin's ancestors had been hereditary chiefs of...
.
Background of the Xu Prefecture soldiers
It is not known when Pang Xun was born, and little is known about his background other than that he was from Xu Prefecture and that his father Pang Juzhi (龐舉直) was still alive at the time of his eventual rebellion.Xu Prefecture had a long-standing military tradition in the middle-to-late Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, and had long been the capital of Wuning Circuit (武寧), which was created to control and cut off the communications between the then-rebellious Pinglu (平盧, then-headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) and Zhangyi (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) Circuits. However, the soldiers from Xu Prefecture, particularly since the time of the military governor Wang Zhixing
Wang Zhixing
Wang Zhixing , courtesy name Kuangjian , formally the Prince of Yanmen , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, had become arrogant and lax in discipline, such that there were frequent mutinies against military governors (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) that the imperial government sent to govern Wuning. For the imperial government, the last straw apparently came in 862
862
Year 862 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ashot I becomes the first king of Armenia's Bagratuni dynasty.* Aed Finliath is crowned High King of Ireland....
, when the soldiers of the Yindao (銀刀, "silver sword") corps mutinied and expelled the imperially-commissioned military governor Wen Zhang (溫璋). The imperial government commissioned the general Wang Shi
Wang Shi (Tang Dynasty)
Wang Shi was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, known for his campaign against Nanzhao forces to retain the control of the Annan region, and his campaign against the agrarian rebel Qiu Fu ....
as Wen's replacement. Wang, once he arrived at Xu Prefecture, had the soldiers that he brought from Zhongwu (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) and Yicheng (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) Circuits slaughter the Yindao soldiers, killing several thousands. Then-reigning Emperor Yizong
Emperor Yizong of Tang
Emperor Yizong of Tang , né Li Wen , later changed to Li Cui , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Yizong was the eldest son of Emperor Xuānzong...
then issued an edict rebuking the people of and disbanding Wuning Cirucuit. Xu Prefecture was put under the jurisdiction of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong
Jining, Shandong
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
); of Wuning's other prefectures, Hao Prefecture (濠州, in modern Chuzhou
Chuzhou
Chuzhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, Chaohu to the south, and the province of Jiangsu to the east...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) was put under the jurisdiction of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
); and Su (宿州, in modern Suzhou, Anhui
Suzhou, Anhui
-Administration:Suzhou administers five county-level divisions, including one district and four counties.*Yongqiao District *Dangshan County *Xiao County *Lingbi County *Si County...
) and Si (泗州, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) Prefectures were made into a new Susi Circuit, with its capital at Su Prefecture, but with a lesser status than before — not having a military governor, but only a governor (觀察使, Guanchashi).
In 863
863
Year 863 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Constantine I succeeds as king of Scotland ....
, after a disturbance where bandits intruded into Xu Prefecture and killed a number of officials before the attack was repelled by the prefect Cao Qing (曹慶), the headquarters of Susi Circuit was moved back to Xu Prefecture, and thereafter it was known as Xusi Circuit, governing Xu, Hao, Su, and Si Prefectures, thus restoring the prior Wuning territory, but still under the lesser status of governance by a governor, rather than a military governor.
In 864
864
Year 864 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* July 25 – Edict of Pistres: Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings....
, with the southwestern parts of the Tang empire dealing with frequent Dali attacks, Emperor Yizong issued an edict recounting Xu Prefecture's military tradition and ordering the military prefect (團練使, Tuanlianshi) to recruit 3,000 men from Xu Prefecture to be stationed at Yong Prefecture (邕州, in modern Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
) to guard against Dali attacks; the edict promised that once the troubles with Dali were over, the soldiers would be allowed to return home. Apparently, however, only 2,000 men were actually recruited, and of those, 800 were sent to Gui Prefecture (桂州, in modern Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
), with a promise that they would be allowed to return home after three years. Pang was one of these men, and he served as an assistant to the commander, in charge of food supplies. At the end of the three years, the soldiers were hoping to return home, but the governor of Xusi, Cui Yanzeng (崔彥曾), under the advice of his officer Yin Kan (尹勘), decided to extend their stay at Gui Prefecture, because the expenses of recruiting new soldiers were considered too high. When this order reached Gui Prefecture, the Xu Prefecture soldiers were incensed.
Initial uprising and journey back to Xu Prefecture
At that time, the governor of Gui District (桂管, headquartered at Gui Prefecture), Li Cong (李叢), had just left Gui District to take up his new position as governor of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, HunanHunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), and the new governor of Gui had not arrived yet. The Xu Prefecture officers Xu Ji (許佶), Zhao Keli (趙可立), Yao Zhou (姚周), and Zhang Xingshi (張行實) — all of whom had previously been bandits but who had submitted to the government after being given officer commissions — took the opportunity to mutiny in fall 867
867
Year 867 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Byzantine Empire :* September – Basil I becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire.* Macedonian dynasty is started....
. They killed their commander Wang Zhongfu (王仲甫) and supported Pang as their leader. The mutineers pillaged the armory, seizing weapons, and began their march home; as they went, they pillaged the territory, and the local governments were unable to resist. Emperor Yizong initially sent the high-level eunuch Zhang Jingxi (張敬思) to Pang and issued a pardon for Pang and his soldiers, permitting them to return to Xu Prefecture; in response, the Xu soldiers stopped their pillaging. When they reached Hunan Circuit, they turned in their weapons and armor. They then went on ships and headed east on the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. Meanwhile, Emperor Yizong also ordered Cui Yanzeng to not cause the mutineers to be alarmed, so Cui issued repeated mildly-worded orders to Pang's soldiers, trying to comfort them. In response, Pang also submitted respectfully-worded reports to Cui.
While the Xu soldiers were en route down the Yangtze, however, they, particularly Xu Ji, considered their situation and concluded that their crimes were even greater than those of the Yindao — and that the only reasons why the imperial government issued a pardon were to prevent them from further pillaging or becoming bandits; they came to believe that they would be slaughtered upon return to Xu. They thus expended their wealths and made armors and weapons. When they reached Huainan Circuit, the military governor of Huainan, Linghu Tao
Linghu Tao
Linghu Tao , courtesy name Zizhi , formally the Duke of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the leading chancellor during the last nine years of the reign of Emperor Xuānzong, but was removed from his chancellor position after Emperor Xuānzong's death, subsequently...
, provided them with food, even though Linghu's officer Li Xiang (李湘) pointed out that the Xu soldiers would eventually create further disturbances, as Linghu was only interested in preserving the peace for Huainan. Meanwhile, Pang recruited those Yindao soldiers who escaped the massacre and other bandits to add to the numbers of his soldiers.
On October 22, Pang reached Si Prefecture. The prefect Du Tao (杜慆) invited the soldiers to a feast and put on a play for entertainment. Prior to the start of the play, the acting corp leader, pursuant to custom, was addressing the guests, when the Xu soldiers believed that he was parodying them, and they seized him and threatened to kill him. However, Du had prepared for this, and after this initial action, nothing else came of this.
On October 23, Pang reached Xucheng (徐城, near Si Prefecture). Pang and Xu Ji announced to the soldiers that it was their belief that once they arrived in Xu, the soldiers would be slaughtered or at least exiled. They announced that their plan was to attack and seize Xu Prefecture and force the imperial government to allow them to keep it. The soldiers largely agreed, and Pang executed 12 people who did not; he sent messengers with the heads of the 12 to report to Cui that those 12 had encouraged a rebellion, and that he was presenting their heads as sign of submission. When Pang's messengers reached Cui, he arrested and interrogated them and found out the truth. Meanwhile, Pang submitted another petition demanding that Cui relieve Yin Kan, as well as two other key officers, Du Zhang (杜璋), and Xu Xingjian (徐行儉) of their duties, and further demanding that the returning soldiers be allowed to be stationed separately from the main corps. Cui gathered his officers and discussed how to react to this; most officers, by this point, realized Pang's intentions and advocated attacking Pang. As a result, Cui had the officer Yuan Mi (元密) lead 3,000 men to attack Pang, and also ordered the Su and Si Prefectures to cut off Pang's paths as well.
News that Yuan was heading toward them soon reached Pang's soldiers. They quickly attacked Su Prefecture and captured it on November 4. They then gathered all of the wealth in the city and announced publicly that anyone could come and take them. Thereafter, the people in the surrounding area all swarmed to Su Prefecture. Pang's soldiers then seized the strong young men among these people and forced them to join their corps, executing anyone who refused. Several thousands were quickly added to their numbers this way. When Yuan arrived on November 6 and attacked, he could not quickly capture Su Prefecture, but the mutineers were also fearful of Yuan. They thus released Zhang Jingxi and abandoned Su on the night of November 6, intending to flee on Bian River. The morning of November 7, Yuan, realizing that the mutineers had fled, gave chase, without giving his soldiers a chance to eat. When they reached the mutineers, the mutineers used the ships that they had as defense and further utilized the swamp landscape to their advantage, surprising Yuan. Yuan and most of his soldiers were killed, and the survivors surrendered to Pang. The survivors informed Pang that Xu Prefectures had virtually no defenses, and Pang thereafter resolved to attack Xu Prefecture.
On November 8, Pang began a rapid march toward Xu Prefecture. Not until that night did Cui receive news that Yuan's army was annihilated, and he immediately sent urgent requests for reinforcements to the nearby circuits. On November 9, the Xu city gates were closed, and the circuit government rounded up the strong young men in the city to shore up the defenses, but the city lacked the will to resist. Cui refused the calls for him to flee to Yanhai's capital Yan Prefecture (兗州), pointing out that it was his responsibility to die in the city. On November 10, Pang's soldiers arrived at Xu and comforted the people in the surrounding area, such that they joined the mutineers in large numbers as well. Within an hour, the outer city fell to the mutineers. Soon thereafter, the inner city fell as well. The mutineers put Cui under arrest and executed Yin, Du Zhang, and Xu Xingjian. It was said that 10,000 men joined the mutineer army that day.
Resistance against imperial forces
Pang Xun took control of the circuit headquarters, took the title of acting military governor (留後, Liuhou), and initially sought imperial commission to formally do so. He tried to get Cui Yanzhen's assistant, in Cui's role as the military prefect, Wen Tinghao (溫庭皓), to draft a petition for him requesting imperial commission, but after Wen refused, his strategist Zhou Chong (周重) drafted a petition that was arrogantly worded, in which he threatened further military action against the imperial government if the imperial government did not commission him. Initially, though, the people in Xusi Circuit and the surrounding areas believed that the imperial government would be willing to commission Pang, and therefore, a large number of people in the surrounding origins, including agrarian rebels, went to Xu Prefecture and joined Xu's forces. Pang also sent his officer Liu Xingji (劉行及) to Hao Prefecture; Li Yuan (李圓) to Si Prefecture; and Liang Pi (梁丕) to Su Prefecture, to take control of those cities. Liu and Liang were able to do so, but Du Tao ambushed and resisted Li, and dug in on his defenses, ready to resist Pang. When the eunuch Kang Daowei (康道偉) arrived to try to placate Pang and his army, Pang made a demonstration of the strength of his force, and submitted another petition through Kang. Meanwhile, though, he attacked a number of neighboring cities, capturing a number of counties.The imperial government, however, rejected Pang's overtures, as when the imperial edict arrived on December 2, all it declared were the faults of Cui and the eunuch monitor Zhang Daojin (張道謹) and that they would be demoted. Pang, disappointed, arrested the eunuch delivering the edict. Meanwhile, Emperor Yizong commissioned the imperial guards general Kang Chengxun
Kang Chengxun
Kang Chengxun , courtesy name Jingci , formally the Duke of Fufeng , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, most well-known for his failures against Dali incursions but successes against the rebel Pang Xun .- Background :Kang Chengxun might have been born in 808...
to be the military governor of Yicheng Circuit, to oversee the operations against Pang, while commissioning two other imperial guard generals, Wang Yanquan (王晏權) and Dai Keshi (戴可師), to command two side armies to the north and south. At Kang's request, he was allowed to enlist the assistance of the Shatuo
Shatuo
The Shatuo were a Turkic tribe that heavily influenced northern Chinese politics from the late ninth century through the tenth century. They are noted for founding 3 of the 5 dynasties and 1 of the kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period....
chieftain Zhuye Chixin
Li Guochang
Li Guochang , né Zhuye Chixin , courtesy name Dexing , posthumously honored by Later Tang Dynasty as Emperor Wenjing with the temple name of Xianzu , was a leader of the Shatuo Turks during the waning years of the Tang Dynasty.- Background :Zhuye Chixin's ancestors had been hereditary chiefs of...
, as well as those of the tribal chiefs of Tuyuhun, Tatar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
, and Qibi (契苾) tribes.
Meanwhile, Pang's forces put Si Prefecture under siege, nearly capturing it. Even though Du Shenquan
Du Shenquan
Du Shenquan , courtesy name Yinheng , formally Duke De of Xiangyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong.- Background :...
the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) and Linghu Tao both sent forces to try to lift Si's siege, both circuits' armies (commanded by Zhai Xingyue (翟行約) and Li Xiang, respectively) were crushed and annihilated by Pang's forces. While Pang's forces were unable to capture Si Prefecture, they were able to capture a number of other prefectures around the region, including Chu (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou) and He (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
). Dai tried to recapture Duliang (都梁, in modern Huai'an), where the rebels had crushed Huainan forces, before lifting Si Prefecture's siege. The rebels at Duliang feigned surrender, and then ambushed Dai. Dai's army was also crushed, and Dai was killed. LInghu, concerned that the rebels would attack Huainan next, sent messengers to Pang, offering to request imperial commission for him. Pang therefore suspended further advancements on Huainan, but continued to siege Si Prefecture. To the north, Wang was also repeatedly defeated by the rebels, and was replaced by Cao Xiang (曹翔) the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, i.e., the new name for Yanhai). He Quanhao
He Quanhao
He Quanhao was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Weibo Circuit as its military governor in de facto independence from the imperial government from 866 to 870 as its military governor , although he assisted the imperial government in suppressing Pang Xun's rebellion.-...
the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), which had been ruled semi-independently from the imperial government, also sent forces to aid Cao.
By this point, except for their inability to capture Si Prefecture, Pang's forces were still essentially running into no opposition in their campaigns, but in spring 869
869
Year 869 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* May 26 – An earthquake and tsunami devastate a large part of the Sanriku coast near Sendai, Japan....
, Kang began approaching Xu Prefecture with about 70,000 men, and he stationed himself near the rebel stronghold at Liuzi (柳子, in modern Suzhou). Pang, faced with this huge imperial army and the fact that his own soldiers were spread thin on various campaigns, began to be fearful, and by this point the people were no longer joining him in droves. Further, his army's attacks on Hai (海州, in modern Lianyungang
Lianyungang
Lianyungang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) and Shou (壽州, in modern Lu'an
Lu'an
Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) were repelled by forces loyal to the imperial government, at heavy losses. Meanwhile, Zhuye distinguished himself in battle, and when the rebel officer Wang Hongli (王弘立), who was instrumental in their victory at Duliang, attacked one of the imperial forces' camps at Lutang (鹿塘, in modern Shangqiu
Shangqiu
Shangqiu is a city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It borders Kaifeng to the northwest, Zhoukou to the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Anhui to the northeast and southeast respectively. An ancient city with a rich history, Shangqiu was also the first capital of the Shang...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), Zhuye's Shatuo soldiers struck back, inflicting heavy losses on Wang. Kang's main forces then attacked Liuzi, and when Yao Zhou tried to relieve Liuzi, Kang defeated him, and when he fled to Su Prefecture, Liang killed him due to their prior personal conflict.
Declaration of independence
Hearing news of Liuzi's fall and Yao Zhou's death, Pang Xun, in fear, considered gathering all remaining troops for a decisive battle with Kang Chengxun. Zhou Chong suggested that, in order to make it clear the decisiveness of the confrontation, that he formally declare independence from the Tang regime. At the advice of Zhou and the sorcerer Cao Junzhang (曹君長), on May 19, 869, Pang executed Cui Yanzeng, Zhang Daojin, and a number of Cui's aides. He also cut off the limbs of Li Xiang and the Huainan eunuch monitor Guo Houben (郭厚本), who was captured with Li Xiang, and delivered the limbs to Kang's camp to show resolve. Pang issued a declaration stating that while he did not originally want to rebel against the Tang emperor, he was doing so at this point. A further conscription drive of the men of Xu Prefecture was carried out, gathering some 30,000 men. Xu Ji and the others offered the titles of General Tiance (天冊將軍) and "Brilliance Prince of the Congregation" (大會明王) to Pang, although Pang only accepted the General Tiance title at that time.Pang, leaving Xu and his father Pang Juzhi in charge at Xu Prefecture, departed Xu Prefecture on May 23, first attacking the Weibo troops, which had been attacking the rebel-controlled Feng County, Jiangsu
Feng County, Jiangsu
Feng County, Jiangsu is a county of Jiangsu, China. It is under the administration of Xuzhou city.-References:*...
, catching Weibo forces by surprise. He crushed the Weibo forces, and Taining forces, hearing of Weibo forces' defeat, also withdrew. Pang gathered the food that the Weibo and Taining forces left, and then prepared for a major attack on Kang's main forces. He departed Feng on June 3, and called on the other rebel forces in the vicinity to join him for an attack on Kang at Liuzi on June 12. However, some Huainan soldiers that he had captured escaped and informed Kang of Pang's plans. When the rebels from Xiangcheng (襄城, in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) arrived first, Kang defeated them, and when Pang subsequently arrived, Pang's own forces collapsed without an engagement, and Kang's forces subsequently routed them. Pang fled back to Xu Prefecture. Meanwhile, Ma Ju (馬舉), who had recently replaced Linghu Tao as the military governor of Huainan, attacked the rebels sieging Si Prefecture, crushing them and lifting the siege on Si. The rebels previously sieging Si Prefecture, under Wu Jiong (吳迥), withdrew to Hao Prefecture, and Ma put it under siege.
Meanwhile, Kang advanced on Su Prefecture, which was then defended by the rebel officers Zhang Xuanren (張玄稔), Zhang Ru (張儒), and Zhang Shi (張實), and put it under siege. He could not capture it quickly, however, and Zhang Shi sent a petition to Pang, suggesting that Pang should make a surprise attack on Song (宋州, in modern Shangqiu) and Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou
Bozhou
Bozhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and the province of Henan to the north.-Administration:...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) Prefectures, so that Kang would lift the siege on Su Prefecture. Kang, who had been concerned that Cao Xiang had since captured Feng County and was approaching Xu Prefecture, agreed.
Death
Unknown to Pang Xun, Zhang Xuanren had not joined him willingly, and soon, after persuading his direct subordinates to join him, made overtures to Kang Chengxun, offering to surrender Su Prefecture to Kang. On October 11, while Zhang Ru and Zhang Shi were drinking together, Zhang Xuanren had them surrounded, proclaimed that Pang had already died, and ordered that Zhang Ru and Zhang Shi be killed. The soldiers rushed in and killed Zhang Ru and Zhang Shi. Zhang Xuanren took over sole control of the city, and the next day opened the city gates and surrendered it to Kang. Kang immediately commissioned him as an imperial officer. Subsequently, under Zhang Xuanren's suggestion, Zhang Xuanren took 30,000 of his own soldiers, along with 500 imperial army soldiers, pretended to be leading a rebel army that was fleeing Su Prefecture after the imperial forces had captured it and headed for the rebel base at Fuli (苻離), near Su Prefecture. When Fuli welcomed him, he killed the rebel commanders there and took it over, and then headed toward Xu Prefecture, preparing to use the same tactics to capture it. When he reached it, however, Pang Juzhi and Xu Ji had already received the news, and therefore put up defenses.On October 15, Zhang reached Xu Prefecture and surrounded it, but did not immediately attack it; rather, he announced to the defenders that the imperial government would not punish anyone who surrendered. The rebel soldiers began to surrender in droves. Pang Juzhi and Xu initially withdrew within into the inner city, but finding their own soldiers' morale failing, tried to fight out of the encirclement. Zhang intercepted and killed them. Several thousands of the rebels' family members were killed, and the imperial forces soon controlled the city.
Meanwhile, Kang pursued Pang, who had made a surprise attack on Song Prefecture, capturing the southern city, but with Song's prefect Zheng Chuchong (鄭處沖) defending the northern city, Pang abandoned further attempts to capture it and continued to head west, toward Bo Prefecture. By this point, though, the Shatuo forces under Zhuye Chixin had already arrived. Pang tried to head toward back to Xu Prefecture, but when he reached Qi County (蘄縣, in modern Suzhou), the local militia leader Zhang Gun (張袞) lifted the floating bridge to stop him from crossing the Huan River (渙水). The imperial forces then attacked and killed a large number of rebel soldiers, with the rest throwing themselves into the river and largely drowning. Pang died in the battle as well. Wu Jiong, for some time, held out at Hao Prefecture, but Hao Prefecture fell after another month, ending the rebellion.