Zhang Tianxi ( Chinese trad. 張天錫 , Exercise 天锡 , Pinyin : Zhāng Tiānxí , 346-406), the adult name Chunhu ( Chinese trad. 純 嘏 ) is the last ruler of the state of Early Liang .
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張天錫 | |||||||
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Predecessor | Zhang Xuanjing | ||||||
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Content
Biography
Young years
Zhang Tianxi was born in the year 346 - the same year when his father Zhang Jun died. Although Zhang Jun already ruled Early Liang as a de facto independent ruler, he did not want to break with the Jin Empire , although he was forced to take into account the realities - the neighborhood with the powerful "barbaric" state of Late Zhao , therefore he used the Jin title "Sipinsky the specific guna ”(西 平 郡公), and in communion with the Later Zhao - the title of the“ Liang Prince ”(凉 王) given by the Zhao rulers. Titles Zhang Jun inherited his second son Zhang Chonghua . When Zhang Chonghua died in 353, his 9-year-old son Zhang Yaolin formally ascended the throne, but real power was concentrated in the hands of Uncle Zhang Zuo . At the beginning of 354, Zhang Zuo dismissed Zhang Yaolin and sat on the throne himself, after which he officially broke with the Jin Empire, introducing the chronology in accordance with his own motto of government. In 355, generals Zhang Guan and Song Hun, who decided to return the throne Zhang Yaolin, rebelled against Zhang Zuo. Upon learning of this, Zhang Zuo killed Zhang Yaolin, but the rebel generals continued their journey to the capital Gujang , where Zhang Guan’s brother Zhang Ju and his son Zhang Song revolted when they approached. Zhang Zuo was killed, and 6-year-old Zhang Xuanjing was enthroned, with Zhang Guan as regent.
Zhang Guan announced that Early Liang was still loyal to the Jin Empire, however, Zhang Xuanzing was declared the “Liang Prince” (凉 王), although his predecessors did not receive this title from the empire, but from the northern “barbarian” states. In 356, under pressure from the State of Early Qin, Zhang Guan was forced on behalf of Zhang Xuanjing to recognize Early Qin as overlord of Early Liang. In 359, Zhang Guan decided to kill Song Hong and his brother Song Chen, remove Zhang Xuanjing and take the throne himself. Learning of this, Sun Hun raised a rebellion in the capital Gujane and won; Zhang Guan committed suicide, and Song Hun became the new regent. On the advice of Song Hong, Zhang Xuanzing rejected the title “Liang Prince” and returned to the title “Sipinsky specific gun” granted to his ancestors by the Jin empire.
Regent
In 361, Song Hun passed away, and his brother Song Cheng became regent. Soon, however, General Zhang Yong killed Song Cheng, cut out his entire clan, and became regent along with Zhang Tianxi, to whom Zhang Xuanjing was a nephew. Soon, Zhang Tianxi sent his apprentice, Liu Su, to kill Zhang Yong. The attempt failed, Zhang Yun raised troops and attacked Zhang Tianxi, but he convinced the soldiers that he had avenged the destroyed Song clan, and that Zhang Yong would cut out the ruling Zhang clan with the next step. The soldiers left Zhang Yong, and he committed suicide.
In 363, part of the courtiers organized a conspiracy against Zhang Tianxi, but the attempt failed. Zhang Xuanjing was frightened, and suggested that Zhang Tianxi himself sit on the throne, but he refused. However, a month later, on instructions from Zhang Tiansi, Liu Su and soldiers broke into the palace and killed Zhang Xuanjing. It was officially announced that Zhang Xuanjing died of a disease, and Zhang Tianxi ascended the throne.
Ruler of Early Liang
At the time of accession to the throne, Zhang Tianxi was only 17 years old, the age of his main associates (Liu Su, Zhao Baizju, etc.) also did not exceed 20 years, but despite this, Zhang Tiansi formally adopted some of them, gave them high posts and allowed manage as they please. These actions pushed a number of older, experienced military men away from him.
In 364, the ruler of Early Qin, Fu Jian, forced Zhang Tianxi to recognize the suzerainty of Early Qin, but a year later, Zhang Tianxi broke off relations with Early Qin and returned to the citizenship of the Jin Empire. Taking advantage of the weakening of Early Qin Li Yan, who ruled Longxi County , also broke with her and began to seize the territory of the surrounding territories, behaving as an independent ruler. At the beginning of 367, Zhang Tianxi personally led troops to Li Yan and conquered a number of cities from him. Frightened Li Yan returned to the early Qin citizenship and asked for help. The head of the Qin government, Wang Meng, led the troops to liberate Fuhan , who was a stronghold of Li Yan, but no one was able to gain the upper hand, and then Wang Meng offered a compromise: Zhang Tianxi could take the people of Li Yan to himself, while Wang Menn would have a territory. Zhang Tianxi agreed, and the confrontation between Early Liang and Early Qin ceased.
In the year 370, after the conquest of the state of Early Yang , Fu Jian sent ambassadors Liang Shu and Yan Fu to Zhang Tiansi, as well as the formerly taken prisoner General of Yin Ju. They received a letter from Wang Maine in which he offered to submit to the state of Qin. Frightened by the Qin military power, Zhang Tianxi apologized and re-declared himself a vassal of Early Qin. However, then, fearing a large number of Qin troops at his borders, he built an altar west of his capital and made his subordinates take an oath of loyalty to him and the Jin Empire, and also offered the famous Jin general Huan Wen to strike a joint blow at Early Qin.
In 376, Fu Jian decided to finally resolve the issue with Early Liang, and sent a 130,000-strong army against her, led by Gou Chan, but before that he again sent Liang Shu and Yan Fu with an offer to submit and come to Chang'an on an official visit. Believing that he would not be released from the Qin capital anymore, Zhang Tianxi decided to resist and killed the ambassadors. An experienced General Ma Jian was sent against the Tsin army, but he, who had long been dissatisfied with Zhang Tiansi, surrendered to the Tsints. Other armies were defeated by the Qin troops. Zhang Tianxi decided to head the troops personally, but when he tried to leave Gutsang, an uprising began there. Frightened, Zhang Tianxi returned to his capital and surrendered. Thus ended the history of the state of Early Liang.
Last years of life
Fu Jian forgave Zhang Tianxi, gave him the title of “Guiyu Hou” (歸 義 侯) and a middle-level position. In 383, Zhang Tianxi was with Fu Jiang when the Qin troops were defeated by the Jin in the battle on the Fei River, and took the opportunity to flee to the Jin Empire. In memory of the merits of his ancestors, Emperor Xiaou-di restored his title of “Sipinsky specific guna” and also gave an intermediate position, but other officials did not respect him because he lost his inheritance. Gradually, he began to weaken his mind, and he was no longer trusted in important matters. During the reign of Emperor An-di, the omnipotent regent Sima Yuanxian often called upon Zhang Tiansi to entertain him; noticing the poverty of Zhang Tianxi, Sima Yuanxian gave him the post of governor of the district. When General Huan Xuan made a coup and overthrew Sima Yuanxian, while trying to use the reputation of the Zhang family for his own purposes, he formally appointed Zhang Tianxi as governor of Liangzhou province (on whose lands Early Liang was located; the position was purely titular, since the Jin Empire had these lands time is no longer controlled).
Links
- Official biographies of Zhang Gui and his descendants in the Book of Jin ( Chinese )
- The official biographies of the rulers of Early Liang in the Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen States ( Chinese )