Gongsun Shu

Gongsun Shu ( Chinese  公孫述  /  公孙述 , Pinyin Gōngsūn Shù , W.-G. Kung-sun Shu ; Zì 子 陽  /  子 阳 , Ziyáng , Tzuyang ; † December 24, 36 in Chengdu ) was a Chinese warlord who himself was named Emperor of Southwest China during the unrest after the end of the Xin Dynasty . His rule was ended after eleven years by the Emperor Guangwu of Han .

Life

Gongsun Shu came from a family of officials who had worked at the Han Dynasty court for several generations . His father, Gongsun Ren, brought him a job in Tianshui County at a young age .

During Wang Mang's reign , Gongsun Shu was appointed administrator of Shu, a region in southwestern China, in AD 15. He stayed in that position until Wang Mang was overthrown in 23rd year. In the months that followed, Gongsun Shu joined the insurgent Generals Wang Cen and Zong Cheng, who controlled the neighboring Hanzhong Commandant .

In order to get hold of the uncontrollable General Zong Cheng, Gongsun Shu forged a document from the new Emperor Genshi . This document confirmed Gongsun Shu in office and also appointed him governor of Yi Province. In this position he took command of the troops in Yi Province and killed Zong Cheng.

Emperor Gengshi responded by sending a force led by Li Bao and Zhang Zhong against Gongsun Shu in the fall of 24. However, the generals suffered defeat and withdrew to Wudu . With this, Gongsun Shu had established himself as an independent warlord and was able to assume the title of king in the land of Shu. He immediately began to expand his sphere of influence south and west. Various neighboring tribes, including the Yuexi, submitted to him. At the same time, Gongsun Shu secured the northern and eastern borders of Hanzhong and Jiangzhou.

In the meantime, the reign of Emperor Gengshi was coming to an end. In the summer of 25 Gongsun Shu assumed the imperial title (with the dynasty name Cheng after his capital Chengdu ) and finally renounced the central government. In the fall, a descendant of the imperial family, Liu Xiu , laid claim to the successor to the Han dynasty. He made himself Emperor Guangwu and founded the Eastern Han Dynasty (after its capital Luoyang , which was east of the old capital Chang'an ).

In the years that followed, Gongsun Shu's power grew rapidly. In the year 26, his general Hou Dan took the strategically important region of Hanzhong. In the following years various local governors in the Wei He valley assured him of allegiance . Through his compatriot Ma Yuan , Gongsun Shu made contact with the warlord Wei Ao , with whom he wanted to ally himself against Emperor Guangwu. The alliance did not materialize, however, and Ma Yuan defected to Emperor Guangwu.

At the same time, resistance against Gongsun Shu arose in the south of his sphere of influence. His administrator Wen Qi came to an understanding with Emperor Guangwu and the Zangke tribe near the border also joined the Han emperor. Despite this unrest, Gongsun Shu's sphere of influence, today's Sichuan , remained stable. Its armed forces numbered several hundred thousand men. With this, Gongsun Shu was able to assert himself against the Han emperor. However, he did not pursue any expansion plans and gave insufficient support to the other warlords against Emperor Guangwu.

Emperor Guangwu defeated his rival Wei Ao in 33 who had received support from Gongsun Shu. As a result, Emperor Guangwu turned directly against Gonsun Shu in the summer of 35. He steadily lost ground and saw the Han army in winter outside his capital Chengdu. There he was able to murder their general Cen Peng by a ruse (he sent a false deserter) and put off the enemy forces.

In 36, Han general Wu Han continued the campaign against Gongsun Shu. He conquered the land of Shu and set Gongsun Shu in its capital. On December 24th, Gongsun Shu made a desperate sortie, was badly wounded, and died that night. His sphere of influence was annexed by the Emperor Guangwu and reintegrated into the Han Empire.

literature

• Rafe de Crespigny : A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD) . Brill, Leiden and Boston 2007, pp. 268-270, ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0