Duan Yanmo
Encyclopedia
Duan Yanmo (d. July 17, 882) was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who, from 880 to 882, controlled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
) in conjunction with the eunuch Zhu Jingmei
, but later had a fallout with Zhu and was killed by Zhu.
, the Book of Tang
or the New Book of Tang
. What is known is that he was an army officer from Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining
, Shandong
) who participated in the operations against the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
early in the reign of Emperor Xizong
. In 879, the imperial government commissioned him to replace Cao Quanzhen (曹全晸) as the commander of the operations against Huang west of the Yangtze River
— while Cao was pursuing Huang in the aftermaths of a major defeat Cao and Liu Jurong (劉巨容) the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
) had just dealt Huang — which led to Cao's termination of the pursuit, allowing Huang and Huang's major general Shang Rang
to escape.
, who was also the military governor of Jingnan, having fled prior to Cao's and Liu's defeat of Huang Chao, there was no military governor around to govern Jingnan Circuit. The eunuch monitor of the army in the region, Yang Fuguang
, put Song Hao (宋浩), an officer from Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) in charge of the circuit until the imperial government could commission a replacement. The imperial government subsequently confirmed Song's temporary commission. This drew anger from Duan Yanmo, who considered himself superior to Song. The conflict came to a head in 880 when, in violation of an order that Song issued that soldiers were not to cut down trees on the streets of the circuit capital Jiangling Municipality (江陵), some of Duan's soldiers did so, and Song whipped them on the back. Duan viewed this as an insult, and he intruded into Song's headquarters and killed Song and Song's two sons. Yang then submitted a report stating that Song was overly cruel and that was why the soldiers killed him. (According to Yang's biography in the New Book of Tang, Yang encouraged Duan's actions since Song was disrespectful to Yang as well.) Emperor Xizong then issued an edict making Duan the prefect of Lang Prefecture (朗州, in modern Changde
, Hunan
) while making the imperial official Zheng Shaoye (鄭紹業) the new military governor. However, it appeared that Duan did not report to Lang Prefecture, for it was said that Zheng, in fear of Duan's control of Jingnan, did not report to Jingnan for some half a year. Subsequently, when Huang captured the imperial capital Chang'an
around the new year 881 and forced Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu
, Emperor Xizong recalled Zheng and made Duan the military governor of Jingnan.
, soon developed an adversarial relationship. Zhu selected 3,000 elite soldiers and called them the Zhongyong Army, putting it under his own command. Duan, in anger, decided that he wanted to kill Zhu. However, Zhu took preemptive action in summer 882 and attacked Duan, killing him. Zhu initially made the deputy mayor of Jiangling, Li Sui (李燧), acting military governor, and then, when Emperor Xizong commissioned Zheng again but Zheng hesitated to report to Jingnan, put the officer Chen Ru
in charge.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
who, from 880 to 882, controlled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) in conjunction with the eunuch Zhu Jingmei
Zhu Jingmei
Zhu Jingmei was an eunuch late in the Tang Dynasty who, after killing Duan Yanmo the military governor of Jingnan Circuit , became the effective ruling authority for the circuit due to his command of the elite Zhongyong Army...
, but later had a fallout with Zhu and was killed by Zhu.
Background
Not much is known about Duan Yanmo's background, as he did not have a biography in either of the official histories of the Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, the Book of Tang
Book of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
or the New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
. What is known is that he was an army officer from Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining
Jining, Shandong
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) who participated in the operations against the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
early in the reign of Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
. In 879, the imperial government commissioned him to replace Cao Quanzhen (曹全晸) as the commander of the operations against Huang west of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
— while Cao was pursuing Huang in the aftermaths of a major defeat Cao and Liu Jurong (劉巨容) the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) had just dealt Huang — which led to Cao's termination of the pursuit, allowing Huang and Huang's major general Shang Rang
Shang Rang
Shang Rang was a major follower of Huang Chao, an agrarian rebel leader against the rule of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, and carried prominent titles after Huang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. As Huang neared defeat in 884, Shang turned against him and submitted to the...
to escape.
Control of Jingnan
Meanwhile, with Liu Jurong having returned to Shannan East after defeating Huang, and with the overall commander of the operations, the former chancellor Wang DuoWang Duo
Wang Duo , is a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and poet in Ming Dynasty.Wang was born in Mengjin in the Henan province. His style name was 'Juesi' or 'Juezhi' and his sobriquets were 'Songqiao', 'Chi'an', or 'Yantan Yusou'...
, who was also the military governor of Jingnan, having fled prior to Cao's and Liu's defeat of Huang Chao, there was no military governor around to govern Jingnan Circuit. The eunuch monitor of the army in the region, Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang , formally Duke Zhongsu of Hongnong , was an eunuch general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who was considered a major contributor to the Tang cause in finally defeating Huang Chao's rebellion.- Background :...
, put Song Hao (宋浩), an officer from Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) in charge of the circuit until the imperial government could commission a replacement. The imperial government subsequently confirmed Song's temporary commission. This drew anger from Duan Yanmo, who considered himself superior to Song. The conflict came to a head in 880 when, in violation of an order that Song issued that soldiers were not to cut down trees on the streets of the circuit capital Jiangling Municipality (江陵), some of Duan's soldiers did so, and Song whipped them on the back. Duan viewed this as an insult, and he intruded into Song's headquarters and killed Song and Song's two sons. Yang then submitted a report stating that Song was overly cruel and that was why the soldiers killed him. (According to Yang's biography in the New Book of Tang, Yang encouraged Duan's actions since Song was disrespectful to Yang as well.) Emperor Xizong then issued an edict making Duan the prefect of Lang Prefecture (朗州, in modern Changde
Changde
Changde is a city in the north of Hunan Province, China, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts .-History:...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) while making the imperial official Zheng Shaoye (鄭紹業) the new military governor. However, it appeared that Duan did not report to Lang Prefecture, for it was said that Zheng, in fear of Duan's control of Jingnan, did not report to Jingnan for some half a year. Subsequently, when Huang captured the imperial capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
around the new year 881 and forced Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Emperor Xizong recalled Zheng and made Duan the military governor of Jingnan.
Death
Duan Yanmo and the new eunuch monitor, Zhu JingmeiZhu Jingmei
Zhu Jingmei was an eunuch late in the Tang Dynasty who, after killing Duan Yanmo the military governor of Jingnan Circuit , became the effective ruling authority for the circuit due to his command of the elite Zhongyong Army...
, soon developed an adversarial relationship. Zhu selected 3,000 elite soldiers and called them the Zhongyong Army, putting it under his own command. Duan, in anger, decided that he wanted to kill Zhu. However, Zhu took preemptive action in summer 882 and attacked Duan, killing him. Zhu initially made the deputy mayor of Jiangling, Li Sui (李燧), acting military governor, and then, when Emperor Xizong commissioned Zheng again but Zheng hesitated to report to Jingnan, put the officer Chen Ru
Chen Ru
Chen Ru was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Jingnan Circuit from 882 to 885, most of that time as its military governor...
in charge.