Liu Min (劉旻) ( 895 – 954), named Liu Chong (劉崇) before 951,, also known Emperor Shizu of Northern Han by his

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

'' Shizu'' (世祖), was the founding

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

of the

Northern Han The Northern Han () was a dynastic state of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by Liu Min (), formerly known as Liu Chong (), and lasted from 951 to 979. Founding of the Northern Han The short-lived state of Later Ha ...

state during the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

imperial China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapt ...

. He was an ethnic

Shatuo The Shatuo, or the Shatuo Turks (; also transcribed as Sha-t'o, Sanskrit SartZuev Yu.A., ''"Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (Translation of Chinese composition "Tanghuyao" of 8-10th centuries)"'', Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, ...

and the younger brother of Later Han's founder

Liu Zhiyuan Liu Zhiyuan () (March 4, 895 – March 10, 948), later changed to Liu Gao (), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Later Han (), was the founding emperor of the Shatuo-led Later Han dynasty, the fourth of the Five Dynasties du ...

. Liu Chong created Northern Han in the Shatuo base in modern

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-leve ...

after his eldest son was killed in 951 by general Guo Wei, who overthrew Later Han to found the

Later Zhou Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ( ...

. In 954, Liu Chong was defeated by Guo's successor

Chai Rong Chai Rong () (27 October 921 – 27 July 959), later known as Guo Rong (), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, was the second emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty of China, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ...

in the Battle of Gaoping and died soon afterwards.

Early life

The young Liu Chong drank and gambled and was once sentenced to join the military with his face tattooed.

During Later Jin

When Liu Zhiyuan became the

military governor A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...

of Hedong (河東; roughly modern

), he named Liu Chong his chief director (都指揮使).

Formation of the Northern Han

Liu Min was the brother of

, the founder of the Later Han, which was the last of three successive Shatuo Turk dynasty. The Later Han fell in 950 with the rise of the

. Liu Min declared himself the legitimate successor of the Later Han, and formed the

(sometimes called Eastern Han) kingdom in

, the traditional power base of the Shatuo Turks.

Relations with neighbouring states

The kingdom was wedged between its two larger, more powerful neighbors, the

to the south, and the Khitan

Liao Dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...

to the north. Liu Min restored traditional ties with the Khitans, who served as protectors to the

Kingdom, allowing it to last later than any of the other kingdoms traditionally listed as one of the

Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

Family

* Father ** Liu Dian (劉琠), posthumously honored Emperor Zhangsheng with the temple name of Xianzu * Mother ** Lady An, Lady Dowager of Wu, posthumously honored Empress Zhangyi * Wife **

Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

(name unknown) * Concubine ** Consort Wang (915-971) * Children ** Liu Chengyun or Liu Yun, the Duke of Xiangyin (created 951, killed by Guo Wei 951) ** Liu Chengjun (Liu Jun) (劉承鈞), later Emperor Ruizong ** Liu Hao (劉鎬), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968 ** Liu Kai (劉鍇), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968 ** Liu Qi (劉錡), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968 ** Liu Xí (劉錫, note different tone than his brother), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968 ** Liu Xǐ (劉銑, note different tone than his brother) ** At least three more sons ** Princess, mother of Liu Ji'en and Liu Jiyuan

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * , - style="text-align: center;" , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Chong 890s births 954 deaths Year of birth uncertain Northern Han emperors 10th-century Turkic people Jin (Later Tang precursor) people born during Tang Later Tang people Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people Later Han (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Hedong Circuit Later Zhou jiedushi of Hedong Circuit People from North China Founding monarchs 9th-century Turkic people