Zhang Xuanjing
Encyclopedia
| Xiping Jingdaogong (西平敬悼公) or Xiping Chonggong (西平沖公) |
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| Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Zhang Zhang (surname) Zhang is among the most common Chinese surnames. In the 1990 edition of Guinness Book of Records, it was listed as the world's most common surname, with over 100 million people worldwide with this surname. It was also ranked third in the People's Republic of China by the Chinese Academy of... (張; zhāng) |
| Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Xuanjing (玄靚, xuán jìng) |
| Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
Jingdao (敬悼, jìng daò) literary meaning: "respectful and fearful" |
| Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
Chong (沖, chōng) "young-ruling" |
Zhang Xuanjing (張玄靚 or 張玄靖) (350–363), courtesy name Yuan'an (元安), formally Duke Jingdao of Xiping (西平敬悼公, posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
given by Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
) or Duke Chong of Xiping (西平沖公, posthumous name used internally in Former Liang) was a ruler of 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...
state Former Liang
Former Liang
The Former Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty in China. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han Chinese...
. He became the titular ruler at the young age of five after his violent uncle Zhang Zuo
Zhang Zuo
Zhang Zuo , courtesy name Taibo , formally Prince Wei of Liang was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...
, who had seized the title from his older brother Zhang Yaoling
Zhang Yaoling
Zhang Yaoling , courtesy name Yuanshu , formally Duke Ai of Xiping, was briefly the ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang in 353 and early 354....
and subsequently killed him, was himself killed in a coup. Zhang Xuanjing was addressed as Prince Chong of (Former) Liang
The years of his rule were characterized by political instability, as he went through a progression of regents who overthrew each other -- Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan was a general and regent of the Chinese state Former Liang, during the early reign of the young prince Zhang Xuanjing.Zhang Guan was a distant relative of the ruling family of Former Liang...
(張瓘), Song Hun
Song Hun
Song Hun was a regent of the Chinese state Former Liang.During the reign of the violent and capricious Zhang Zuo, Song Hun served as a general, even though he constantly feared Zhang Zuo, because his older brother Song Xiu had previously had a conflict with Zhang Zuo...
(宋混), Song Cheng (宋澄), Zhang Yong (張邕), and finally his uncle Zhang Tianxi
Zhang Tianxi
Zhang Tianxi , original courtesy name Gongchungu , later Chungu , nickname Duhuo , formally Duke Dao of Xiping , was the last ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He was the youngest son of Zhang Jun , and he seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Xuanjing in 363...
, who eventually had him killed and took over the title in 363. During Zhang Guan's regency, he temporarily used the title Prince of Liang, but after Song Hun overthrew Zhang Guan, he again used the Jin-created title of Duke of Xiping.
Early life
Zhang Xuanjing was born in 350, during the reign of his father Zhang ChonghuaZhang Chonghua
Zhang Chonghua , courtesy name Tailin , formally Duke Jinglie of Xiping or Duke Huan of Xiping was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...
(Duke Jinglie). His mother was likely Zhang Chonghua's concubine Lady Guo
Princess Dowager Guo
Princess Dowager Guo was a princess dowager of the Chinese state Former Liang. She was Zhang Chonghua 's concubine and likely the mother of Zhang Xuanjing ....
(as he honored her as princess dowager in 363, which he would have had little reason to do if she were not his mother). He had an older brother, Zhang Yaoling
Zhang Yaoling
Zhang Yaoling , courtesy name Yuanshu , formally Duke Ai of Xiping, was briefly the ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang in 353 and early 354....
, who was his father's heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
.
In 353, Zhang Chonghua died, and Zhang Yaoling became the ruler (as Duke Ai), but actual power was in the hands of Zhang Chonghua's older brother Zhang Zuo
Zhang Zuo
Zhang Zuo , courtesy name Taibo , formally Prince Wei of Liang was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...
, who was having an affair with Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma
Princess Dowager Ma
Princess Dowager Ma was the mother of the Chinese state Former Liang's ruler Zhang Chonghua. She was a concubine of Zhang Chonghua's father Zhang Jun....
and received her support in early 354 to depose Zhang Yaoling and claim the throne himself. Later that year, when he declared independence from Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
, which Former Liang had been a titular vassal of, he created Zhang Xuanjing the Marquess of Liangwu.
In 356, the violent and capricious Zhang Zuo was overthrown and killed by the generals Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan was a general and regent of the Chinese state Former Liang, during the early reign of the young prince Zhang Xuanjing.Zhang Guan was a distant relative of the ruling family of Former Liang...
and Song Hun
Song Hun
Song Hun was a regent of the Chinese state Former Liang.During the reign of the violent and capricious Zhang Zuo, Song Hun served as a general, even though he constantly feared Zhang Zuo, because his older brother Song Xiu had previously had a conflict with Zhang Zuo...
. Initially, Song had Zhang Xuanjing claim the Jin-created title of Duke of Xiping, a title that his ancestors had carried for generations, but Zhang Guan overruled Song and had the young ruler claim the title Prince of Liang, a title that Jin had declined to grant previously. Zhang Guan served as regent.
Under the regency of Zhang Guan
Despite his having Zhang Xuanjing claim a non-Jin-created title, Zhang Guan nevertheless continued to claim that Former Liang was a Jin vassal. In 356, however, under diplomatic and implied military pressure from Former QinFormer Qin
The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...
, Zhang Guan, on Zhang Xuanjing's behalf, formally submitted to Former Qin as a vassal.
Zhang Guan governed with a heavy hand, based on his own whim. In 359, he became suspicious of Song Hun and wanted to kill him and his brother Song Cheng (宋澄), and then depose Zhang Xuanjing and take the throne himself. Song Hun received news of this, however, and started an uprising within the capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
). Song's and Zhang Guan's forces battled within the city, but eventually Song prevailed, and Zhang Guan and his brother Zhang Ju (張琚) committed suicide. Their clan was slaughtered. Song Hun became regent.
Under the regencies of Song Hun and Song Cheng
Song Hun's regency was better received, as Song emphasized faithfulness and tolerance. He also had Zhang Xuanjing disclaim the title Prince of Liang and return to the Jin-created title Duke of Xiping. The people appeared to be happy about his regency. However, turmoil came again in 361, after Song Hun died. Under Song Hun's recommendation, his brother Song Cheng became regent, but Song Cheng, not as skillful as Song Hun, was soon killed by the general Zhang Yong (張邕), and his clan was slaughtered. Zhang Yong and Zhang Xuanjing's uncle Zhang TianxiZhang Tianxi
Zhang Tianxi , original courtesy name Gongchungu , later Chungu , nickname Duhuo , formally Duke Dao of Xiping , was the last ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He was the youngest son of Zhang Jun , and he seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Xuanjing in 363...
became coregents,b ut with Zhang Yong having the bulk of power.
Under the regencies of Zhang Yong and Zhang Tianxi
After becoming regent, Zhang Yong became arrogant, sexually immoral, and dictatorial, andhe often executed officials, causing the nobles and the officials to be fearful. Zhang Tianxi's assistants Liu Su (劉肅), comparing Zhang Yong to Zhang Zuo, persuaded him that he needed to act against Zhang Yong, and later in 361, Zhang Tianxi had Liu Su and another assistant, Zhao Baiju (趙白駒) attempt to assassinate Zhang Yong, but failed. Zhang Yong then gathered his troops and attacked Zhang Tianxi, but Zhang Tianxi persuaded Zhang Yong's troops that he was avenging the Song clan and that Zhang Yong's next move was going to be to slaughtered the royal Zhang clan. Zhang's forces, hearing this, abandoned him, and Zhang Yong committed suicide. His clan was slaughtered, and Zhang Tianxi became sole regent. Zhang Tianxi ended the practice of using Emperor Min of JinEmperor Min of Jin
Emperor Min of Jin, Simplified Chinese character 晋愍帝, Traditional Chinese character 晉愍帝, Pinyin. Jìn Mǐndì, Wade-Giles Chin Min-ti , personal name Sima Ye , courtesy name Yanqi , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty and the last of the Western Jin Dynasty.Emperor Min surrendered in 316 to Liu Yao, a...
's era name Jianxing and instead started using the current era name of Jin Dynasty (at the time, Emperor Ai
Emperor Ai of Jin
Emperor Ai of Jin , personal name Sima Pi , courtesy name Qianling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen...
's Shengping), to show even greater affinity with Jin.
In 363, Princess Dowager Ma died, and Zhang Xuanjing honored Lady Guo as princess dowager. She became concerned that Zhang Tianxi was acting dictatorally, and she conspired with the high level official Zhang Qin (張欽) to kill Zhang Tianxi, but the news leaked, and Zhang Qin and other conspirators were put to death. Zhang Xuanjing became fearful and offered to yield the throne to Zhang Tianxi, but Zhang Tianxi refused. A month later, however, he had Liu Su lead soldiers into the palace to assassinate the 13-year-old Zhang Xuanjing, but claimed that Zhang Xuanjing died of an illness. Zhang Tianxi took the throne himself.
Era name
- Taishi (太始 taì shǐ) 355–356
After 356, the era name of Emperor Min of Jin
Emperor Min of Jin
Emperor Min of Jin, Simplified Chinese character 晋愍帝, Traditional Chinese character 晉愍帝, Pinyin. Jìn Mǐndì, Wade-Giles Chin Min-ti , personal name Sima Ye , courtesy name Yanqi , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty and the last of the Western Jin Dynasty.Emperor Min surrendered in 316 to Liu Yao, a...
, Jianxing, was used until 361, when Former Liang switched to using the current era names used by Jin -- therefore, Emperor Mu
Emperor Mu of Jin
Emperor Mu of Jin , personal name Sima Dan , courtesy name Pengzi , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
's Shengping in 361 and Emperor Ai
Emperor Ai of Jin
Emperor Ai of Jin , personal name Sima Pi , courtesy name Qianling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen...
's Longhe in 362-363.
Personal information
- Father
- Zhang ChonghuaZhang ChonghuaZhang Chonghua , courtesy name Tailin , formally Duke Jinglie of Xiping or Duke Huan of Xiping was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...
(Duke Jinglie)
- Zhang Chonghua
- Mother
- Likely Lady GuoPrincess Dowager GuoPrincess Dowager Guo was a princess dowager of the Chinese state Former Liang. She was Zhang Chonghua 's concubine and likely the mother of Zhang Xuanjing ....
- Likely Lady Guo