1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, I'm Eves and you're listening to This 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a podcast where we bring you 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: a slice of history every day. Today is December. The 5 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: day was December five. Chinese general and Lucian proclaimed himself emperor, 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: marking the beginning of the and Lucian Rebellion against the 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: Tong dynasty. The rebellion resulted in the establishment of the 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: short lived Yin dynasty and a devastating number of deaths, 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: though the exact toll is difficult to estimate. The Tong 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: dynasty came to power in China in six Arts and 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: culture flourished in the dynasty, and it has been considered 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: a golden age in Chinese history. But in the middle 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: of the eighth century, the Tong dynasty was involved in 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: several wars, so a lot of troops were dying and 15 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: the Tong court was losing money. And Lucian was a 16 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: military commander, likely of Turkic and Saddian or Iranian descent. 17 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: He gained prominence leading raiding parties against Kitan armies and 18 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: other forces that threatened China. After he was defeated in 19 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: one expedition, in the seven thirties, he was disgraced and 20 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: supposed to be executed, but he was just stripped of 21 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: his rank and titles, but they were soon restored and 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: and Lushan proceeded to rise in rank. By seven forty two, 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: he had become military governor of the province of Kuenglu 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: on the northeastern frontier, and Lucian often went to Chang'an, 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: the Tang capital, and he gained the favor of Emperor 26 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: Shuin Song, the emperor's consort Yan Guifei, and Chancellor Lee 27 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: li Fu, and and Lushan continued to gain military power. 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: By seven forty seven, he was given the honorary title 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,639 Speaker 1: of Chief death the Imperial Censor, and by seven fifty 30 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: one he was regional military commander of three garrisons in 31 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: the north with more than one and fifty thousand troops. 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: Because he was in such good favor with the emperor, 33 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: he avoided a lot of criticism, and he took advantage 34 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: of the Tong dynasty's weaknesses and his good graces with 35 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: the emperor to plan a rebellion. In seven fifty two, 36 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: Chancellor Lee lin Fu, who had gained dictatorial power, died. 37 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: Yan Gu jong Yan Guifay's cousin replaced Lee Lin Fou 38 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: as chancellor. Conflict broke out between yong Gujong and and Lushan, 39 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: and the next few years were marked by a power 40 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: struggle as they tried to establish more military power on 41 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: the frontier and political power in the court. At the 42 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: same time, China was suffering from military defeats and natural disasters, 43 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: and Lushan decided to use force under the guise that 44 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: emperorshian Zong had commanded him to get rid of yong 45 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: Gujong and Lushan marched on Luo Yang, the eastern capital 46 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: of Tang China. Because and Lushan treated captured local officials decently, 47 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: many joined his campaign and his ranks grew. He captured 48 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: lu Yang And on December sixteenth, seven fifty five, and 49 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: Lushan declared himself emperor in northern China and established the 50 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: rival yin dynasty. He was defeated by the Tang army 51 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: in the Battle of yang Chu in seven fifty six, 52 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: but he was more successful at Changan. He captured the 53 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: city and sent the emperor's southwest into exile with his 54 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: court and household. The emperor's guards killed Yang Gujong, whom 55 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: they blamed for all the conflict, as well as Yang 56 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: Gui Fei. Shunzong abdicated in favor of the Crown Prince Lihang, 57 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: who was proclaimed Emperor Suzong. Suzong appointed generals to deal 58 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: with the rebellion, and imperial forces managed to recapture Chang'an 59 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: in lu Yang. The rebellion continued, but and Lushan was 60 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: murdered by his son in seven fifty seven. Rebellion declined 61 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: as its leaders died in soldiers in generals defected to 62 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: the Tong army. It ended in seven sixty three, eight 63 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: years after it began. The rebellion lasted through the reign 64 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: of three Tang emperors. The rebellion weakened the centralized bureaucracy 65 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: of the Tong dynasty, as the dynasty pardoned many rebels 66 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: and allowed some to command their own garrisons. The Tong 67 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: government also lost a lot of control over the Western regions, 68 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: a strategically important area in Central Asia. The economy and 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: intellectual culture of the Tong dynasty also took a hit. 70 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: The latter half of the Tong dynasty was marked by 71 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: war lordism, and the dynasty ended in nine oh seven, 72 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: a period of political turbulence known as the Five Dynasties 73 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: and Ten Kingdoms followed the fall of the Tong dynasty. 74 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Jeffcote, and hopefully you know a little more 75 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If you have 76 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: any insight on an accident or pronunciation spoken in the 77 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: show today, you can feel free to send us a 78 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: kind note on social media at t d i h 79 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: C podcast. Our email address is this day at I 80 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks for listening. We'll see you 81 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: again tomorrow with another episode. For more podcasts from I 82 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 83 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite ship.