#101 - AnShi 1: Heart & Belly, Claws & Teeth

The aged Emperor Xuanzong of Tang rest uneasily on his throne as 751 brings not just the sting of defeat at Talas, but also to the far south and northeast. He and his chancellor will become increasingly reliant on the Governor-General of Dongan Protectorate, the Sogdian-Turk An Lushan. But at a time when loyalty, ethnicity, and what it means to be Chinese is increasingly strained, how much pressure can the system take before it snaps?

Time Period Covered:

751-755 CE

Major Historical Figures:

Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang)

Chancellor Li Linfu (d. 753)

Chancellor Yang Guozhong

Consort Yang Huiyuan

Crowned Prince Li Heng

An Lushan, Governor-General of the Andong Protectorate

Geshu Han, Governor-General of the Anbei Protectorate

An Qingzong (Gen. An’s eldest son and heir)

Sources Cited:

Abramson, Marc S. (2008). Ethnic Identity in Tang China.

Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta.

Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1976). “The An Lu-Shan Rebellion and the Origins of Chronic Militarism in Late T’ang China” in Essays on Tʻang Society: The Interplay of Social, Political and Economic Forces.

Twitchett, Denis. “End of the Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3.

De la Vaissière, Étienne, (tr.) James Ward (2002). Sogdian Traders: A History.

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