AN LU-SHAN (742)

Original name K´ANG imperial name HSIUNG WU, canonized as YEN LA WANG.


He was a Chinese general of Iranian and Turkish descent, in AD 755 attempted to found a dynasty to replace the T´ang dynasty (ruled 618-907).


An Lu-shan was born into a powerful group of Eastern Turks in Mongolia. During his adolescence his family took refuge in China, and he joined the army there. He fought for some years in southern Manchuria, received his first independent command in 742, and by 752 was serving as military governor of three provinces. Engaging in a power struggle with a court rival, he marched on the eastern Chinese capital of Lo-yang in 755 and proclaimed himself emperor of the Great Yen dynasty in 756. His forces then routed the T´ang army and captured Ch´ang-an, the imperial capital.


In 763, six years after his murder by a eunuch slave, the rebelion he had begun was finally suppressed.