Li Yantu
Encyclopedia
Li Yantu (d. 913) was a ruler of Qian Prefecture (虔州, in modern Ganzhou
, Jiangxi
) from 912
to 913
, early in the Chinese
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
.
Nearly nothing is known about Li Yantu's personal background, including where or when he was born. In 912
, when Li Qiu
, who had seized control of Qian Prefecture after assassinating the prior ruler Lu Yanchang
and subsequently was given the title of defender of Qian by Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, died, Li Yantu took over by himself and apparently took the title of defender of Qian as well. (It is not clear from the extant historical records whether he received official sanction from Later Liang Dynasty
and/or its rival Wu
, to whom Lu had previously submitted.) After Li Yantu's seizure of power, the senior officer Tan Quanbo
, a long-time strategist for Lu Yanchang's father Lu Guangchou
, whom Li Qiu had considered killing, claimed to be seriously ill and retired from military service. Upon hearing of Tan's illness, Liu Yan the military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou
, Guangdong
), nominally a Later Liang vassal, attacked Shao Prefecture (韶州, in modern Shaoguan
, Guangdong
), which had been part of the domain of the Qian Prefecture rulers since Lu Guangchou's time. Liao Shuang (廖爽) the prefect of Shao, whom Lu Yanchang had commissioned, abandoned Shao and fled to Chu
, ending Qian rulers' control of Shao.
In 913, Li Yantu died. The people of the prefecture supported Tan to succeed him.
Ganzhou
Ganzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong .-History:...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) from 912
912
Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :...
to 913
913
Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :...
, early in the Chinese
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...
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
.
Nearly nothing is known about Li Yantu's personal background, including where or when he was born. In 912
912
Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :...
, when Li Qiu
Li Qiu
Li Qiu was an army officer who ruled Qian Prefecture briefly after assassinating the previously ruler Lu Yanchang in 911, early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. He died shortly after taking over Lu's position.-Brief rule of Qian Prefecture:Little is known about Li Qiu's...
, who had seized control of Qian Prefecture after assassinating the prior ruler Lu Yanchang
Lu Yanchang
Lu Yanchang was a ruler of the Qian Prefecture region early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period...
and subsequently was given the title of defender of Qian by Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, died, Li Yantu took over by himself and apparently took the title of defender of Qian as well. (It is not clear from the extant historical records whether he received official sanction from Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
and/or its rival Wu
Wu (Ten Kingdoms)
Wu , also referred to as Huainan , Hongnong , Southern Wu , or Yang Wu , was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China which was in existence between the years of 907 and 937. Its capital was Jiangdu Municipality...
, to whom Lu had previously submitted.) After Li Yantu's seizure of power, the senior officer Tan Quanbo
Tan Quanbo
Tan Quanbo was a ruler of Qian Prefecture from 913 to 918, early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. He was a long-time strategist of Lu Guangchou, who ruled Qian Prefecture for 25 years, and after several transitional rulers after Lu's death was supported by the people to...
, a long-time strategist for Lu Yanchang's father Lu Guangchou
Lu Guangchou
Lu Guangchou was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and who nominally submitted to both the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty and Later Liang's rival Wu after the end of Tang, who controlled the Qian Prefecture region from 885 to his death in 910.- Background and seizure of Qian...
, whom Li Qiu had considered killing, claimed to be seriously ill and retired from military service. Upon hearing of Tan's illness, Liu Yan the military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
), nominally a Later Liang vassal, attacked Shao Prefecture (韶州, in modern Shaoguan
Shaoguan
Shaoguan , historically known as Shaokwan and Shao-chow, is a prefecture-level city in the north of Southern China's Guangdong province...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
), which had been part of the domain of the Qian Prefecture rulers since Lu Guangchou's time. Liao Shuang (廖爽) the prefect of Shao, whom Lu Yanchang had commissioned, abandoned Shao and fled to Chu
Chu (Ten Kingdoms)
Chǔ was a kingdom in southern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period . It existed from 907 to 951.-Founding:Ma Yin was named regional governor by the Tang court in 896 after fighting against a rebel named Yang Xingmi. He declared himself as the Prince of Chu with the fall of the...
, ending Qian rulers' control of Shao.
In 913, Li Yantu died. The people of the prefecture supported Tan to succeed him.