Murong Shun
Encyclopedia
Murong Shun (died 635), regal title Zhugulüwugandou Khan (趉故呂烏甘豆可汗) or, in short, Gandou Khan (甘豆可汗), Tang Dynasty
noble title Prince of Xiping (西平王), was briefly a khan
of the Xianbei
/Qiang/Tibetan
state Tuyuhun. He would have been expected to be the crown prince
of his father, the Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun
, as the oldest son of his wife Princess Guanghua of Sui Dynasty
, but was bypassed, and in 635, with Tuyuhun under attack by Tang, he headed a group of nobles who surrendered to Tang and was subsequently created khan to succeed his father (who was killed in flight). However, he did not receive support from his people and was assassinated later that year. He was succeeded by his son Murong Nuohebo
(Ledou Khan).
and Sui Dynasty's Princess Guanghua, who had first married Murong Shun's uncle Murong Shifu in 596 when Murong Shifu was khan. In 597, after Murong Shifu was assassinated, Murong Fuyun became khan, and pursuant to Tuyuhun customs, married Princess Guanghua as his wife.
, who had initially married Princess Guanghua to Murong Shifu and who had later approved her marriage to Murong Fuyun, died, and was succeeded by his son Yang Guang
(as Emperor Yang). In 607, Emperor Yang started considering conquering Tuyuhun, after his official Pei Ju
convinced him that it would be easy to do so. When, on one occasion, Murong Fuyun sent Murong Shun as an emissary to Sui, Emperor Yang detained him as a hostage.
In 608 and 609, Emperor Yang launched major attacks on Tuyuhun, taking over its lands and forcing Murong Fuyun to flee. Emperor Yang instead created Murong Shun as khan and had a Tuyuhun prince, Ni Luozhou (尼洛周) the Prince of Dabao, serve as Murong Shun's assistant, hoping that Murong Shun can take over Tuyuhun. However, on the way back to Tuyuhun lands, Ni was assassinated, and Murong Shun returned to Sui, which, in later years, began collapsing as it was engulfed by agrarian rebellions.
In 618, Murong Shun was accompanying Emperor Yang at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), when Emperor Yang was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
. Murong Shun subsequently returned to the Sui capital Chang'an
, which was then under the control of the rebel general Li Yuan
the Prince of Tang, who had declared Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You
the Prince of Dai as emperor (as Emperor Gong).
as its Emperor Gaozu. As he was fighting over the supremacy of China with many other rebel rulers, he made overtures to Murong Fuyun, who had by that point taken back the Sui-seized Tuyuhun lands, asking Murong Fuyun to attack one of his rivals, Li Gui
the Emperor of Liang. Murong Fuyun agreed, and requested that Murong Shun be released to him. Emperor Gaozu agreed, and in 619 Murong Shun returned to Tuyuhun. However, the return was not a happy one for Murong Shun, who, as Princess Guanghua's oldest son, expected to be crown prince
, but in Murong Shun's long absence, Murong Fuyun had already created another son crown prince. He only created Murong Shun the Prince of Daning, and Murong Shun was not pleased.
Despite this initial alliance between Tang and Tuyuhun, peace did not last even before, and did not last after, Tang's reunification of China, which by 623 was largely complete, as Murong Fuyun, under the advice of his strategist the Prince of Tianzhu, was making several pillaging attacks on Tang every year for the rest of Emperor Gaozu's reign, which ended in 626 as he was forced to abdicate to his son Li Shimin
(as Emperor Taizong). The attacks were less frequent thereafter, but were still ongoing.
In 635, under the general Li Jing
, Tang forces made a major crippling attack on Tuyuhun, forcing Murong Fuyun to flee. The Tuyuhun nobles were resentful of the Prince of Tianzhu, and Murong Shun led them in killing the Prince of Tianzhu and then surrendering. As Murong Fuyun was killed by his subordinates during flight, Emperor Taizong created Murong Shun the dual titles of Prince of Xiping and Zhugulüwugandou Khan (or Gandou Khan in short), to succeed Murong Fuyun.
the Prince of Yan succeeded him, and managed to survive the crisis with aid from the Tang general Hou Junji
.
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...
noble title Prince of Xiping (西平王), was briefly a khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of the Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
/Qiang/Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
state Tuyuhun. He would have been expected to be the crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of his father, the Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun , formal title Busabo Khan , was a ruler of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun. He first became ruler when his brother Murong Shifu was assassinated in 597, and became one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Tuyuhun history...
, as the oldest son of his wife Princess Guanghua of Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, but was bypassed, and in 635, with Tuyuhun under attack by Tang, he headed a group of nobles who surrendered to Tang and was subsequently created khan to succeed his father (who was killed in flight). However, he did not receive support from his people and was assassinated later that year. He was succeeded by his son Murong Nuohebo
Murong Nuohebo
Murong Nuohebo , regal title Wudiyebaledou Khan or, in short, Ledou Khan , Tang Dynasty noble title Prince of Qinghai , was the last khan of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun...
(Ledou Khan).
Background
It is not known when Murong Shun was born, but it was known that he was the oldest son of the Busabo Khan Murong FuyunMurong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun , formal title Busabo Khan , was a ruler of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun. He first became ruler when his brother Murong Shifu was assassinated in 597, and became one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Tuyuhun history...
and Sui Dynasty's Princess Guanghua, who had first married Murong Shun's uncle Murong Shifu in 596 when Murong Shifu was khan. In 597, after Murong Shifu was assassinated, Murong Fuyun became khan, and pursuant to Tuyuhun customs, married Princess Guanghua as his wife.
During Sui Dynasty
In 604, Emperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, who had initially married Princess Guanghua to Murong Shifu and who had later approved her marriage to Murong Fuyun, died, and was succeeded by his son Yang Guang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
(as Emperor Yang). In 607, Emperor Yang started considering conquering Tuyuhun, after his official Pei Ju
Pei Ju
Pei Ju , courtesy name Hongda , formally Duke Jing of Anyi , was a high level official during the Chinese dynasties Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, briefly serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang...
convinced him that it would be easy to do so. When, on one occasion, Murong Fuyun sent Murong Shun as an emissary to Sui, Emperor Yang detained him as a hostage.
In 608 and 609, Emperor Yang launched major attacks on Tuyuhun, taking over its lands and forcing Murong Fuyun to flee. Emperor Yang instead created Murong Shun as khan and had a Tuyuhun prince, Ni Luozhou (尼洛周) the Prince of Dabao, serve as Murong Shun's assistant, hoping that Murong Shun can take over Tuyuhun. However, on the way back to Tuyuhun lands, Ni was assassinated, and Murong Shun returned to Sui, which, in later years, began collapsing as it was engulfed by agrarian rebellions.
In 618, Murong Shun was accompanying Emperor Yang at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), when Emperor Yang was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
. Murong Shun subsequently returned to the Sui 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...
, which was then under the control of the rebel general Li Yuan
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
the Prince of Tang, who had declared Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You
Emperor Gong of Sui
Emperor Gong of Sui , personal name Yang You , was an emperor of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Traditionally, he was considered the last emperor of the dynasty because he was the one who formally yielded the throne to the founding emperor to the succeeding Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Tang ,...
the Prince of Dai as emperor (as Emperor Gong).
During Tang Dynasty
Later in 618, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing 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...
as its Emperor Gaozu. As he was fighting over the supremacy of China with many other rebel rulers, he made overtures to Murong Fuyun, who had by that point taken back the Sui-seized Tuyuhun lands, asking Murong Fuyun to attack one of his rivals, Li Gui
Li Gui
Li Gui , courtesy name Chuze , was the emperor of a short-lived state of Liang, which he established at the end of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. He governed the parts of modern Gansu west of the Yellow River...
the Emperor of Liang. Murong Fuyun agreed, and requested that Murong Shun be released to him. Emperor Gaozu agreed, and in 619 Murong Shun returned to Tuyuhun. However, the return was not a happy one for Murong Shun, who, as Princess Guanghua's oldest son, expected to be crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, but in Murong Shun's long absence, Murong Fuyun had already created another son crown prince. He only created Murong Shun the Prince of Daning, and Murong Shun was not pleased.
Despite this initial alliance between Tang and Tuyuhun, peace did not last even before, and did not last after, Tang's reunification of China, which by 623 was largely complete, as Murong Fuyun, under the advice of his strategist the Prince of Tianzhu, was making several pillaging attacks on Tang every year for the rest of Emperor Gaozu's reign, which ended in 626 as he was forced to abdicate to his son Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
(as Emperor Taizong). The attacks were less frequent thereafter, but were still ongoing.
In 635, under the general Li Jing
Li Jing
Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
, Tang forces made a major crippling attack on Tuyuhun, forcing Murong Fuyun to flee. The Tuyuhun nobles were resentful of the Prince of Tianzhu, and Murong Shun led them in killing the Prince of Tianzhu and then surrendering. As Murong Fuyun was killed by his subordinates during flight, Emperor Taizong created Murong Shun the dual titles of Prince of Xiping and Zhugulüwugandou Khan (or Gandou Khan in short), to succeed Murong Fuyun.
Brief reign as khan
However, Murong Shun's reign was short and turbulent, as it was said that the people did not respect him due to his having served as a hostage for a long time in China, and the turbulence did not subside even though, for a time, Tang forces commanded by the general Li Daliang (李大亮) were in Tuyuhun, assisting him. Late in 635, he was assassinated. His son Murong NuoheboMurong Nuohebo
Murong Nuohebo , regal title Wudiyebaledou Khan or, in short, Ledou Khan , Tang Dynasty noble title Prince of Qinghai , was the last khan of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun...
the Prince of Yan succeeded him, and managed to survive the crisis with aid from the Tang general Hou Junji
Hou Junji
Hou Junji was a major general and chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, particularly known for his campaigns against Gaochang and Tuyuhun...
.