Liu Yan (Bosheng)

Liu Yan ( Chinese  劉 縯 , Pinyin Líu Yǎn ; † 23 AD ), court name Bosheng ( Chinese  伯升 ), was a Chinese general and led an uprising against Wang Mang , emperor of the Xin dynasty .

Life

Liu Yan was the sixth generation of Han Emperor Jing . His father Liu Qin ( 劉欽 ) was a minor civil servant from Nandun County (( 頓 令 ) and married to the daughter of a certain Fan Chong ( 樊 重 ). Liu Yan was the eldest of her three sons, the others were Liu Zhong ( 劉仲 ) and Liu Xiu . After the early death of their father, the three brothers grew up with their uncle Liu Liang ( 劉良 ). According to the Book of Han , Liu Yan swore to become the usurper in the same year that Wang Mang deposed the last emperor of the Western Han Dynasty ( Ruzi Ying ) and proclaimed himself Emperor of the Xin Dynasty (8 AD) overthrow and renew the Han Dynasty. His youngest brother Liu Xiu, on the other hand, is said to have been content with the life of a farmer.

When revolts against the emperor flared up across the empire in AD 22, Liu Yan put his plans into practice. With the help of his brothers and cousins ​​Li Tong ( 李 通 ) and Li Yi ( 李軼 ) Zhen Fu ( 甄 阜 ), he wanted to kidnap the governor of the Nanyang headquarters. The residents of his homeland joined him when they learned that Liu Xiu, known for his level-headedness, also supported his brother's project. However, when the governor learned of the conspiracy, Li Tong and Li Yi were unable to carry out the plan and barely escaped with their lives; however, their families were executed. Liu Yan responded by persuading two Lülin armies to join him, the Xinshi ( 新市 ) and the Pinglin ( 平林 兵 ) forces. Under Liu Yan's leadership, they stormed Wancheng, the capital of the Nanyang headquarters, but suffered a severe defeat. Liu Yan's brother Liu Zhong and sister Liu Yuan were killed in action; he and his brother Liu Xiu and sister Liu Boji survived. The general only managed with difficulty to hold the remnants of his troops together, but he succeeded in winning another Lülin force, the Xiajiang ( 下江 ), on his side. In AD 23, they defeated Zhen Fu, who fell on the battlefield.

After this success, some of the Lülin officers wanted to proclaim Liu Yan emperor, but a powerful opposition had already chosen their favorite: Liu Xuan , another descendant of the imperial family who had assumed the title of General Gengshi ( 更始 將軍 ). After initial reluctance, Liu Yan complied and was appointed First Minister ( Chinese  大 司徒 , Pinyin dasitu ) in gratitude .

In the same year, the counter-emperor Liu Xuan succeeded in overthrowing Wang Mang and proclaimed himself Emperor of China in his capital, Chang'an . Since his position was not yet secured, he considered Liu Yan's popularity to be a threat. In the decisive battle in Kunyang , the brothers Liu Yan and Liu Xiu had achieved a tremendous victory that had earned them great respect for the soldiers and the people. The emperor finally took Liu Ji's ( 劉 稷 ), a follower of Liu Yan's criticism , as a test of his loyalty. He threatened to execute the officer, and when Liu Yan stood up for him, Li Yi and Minister Zhu Wei ( 朱 鮪 ) opposed him and recommended that the emperor execute both of them, which the emperor did.

Liu Yan's brother Liu Xiu could only avoid execution by immediately returning from his current campaign to the imperial court and submitting. Two years later he was able to complete his brother's dream by overthrowing Emperor Gengshi and proclaiming himself Emperor of the (Eastern) Han Dynasty, as Emperor Guangwu . He bestowed the posthumous title of Prince Wu of Qi on his older brother .

Source studies

The most important source for the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty is the Book of the Later Han , which was compiled in the 5th century by the historian Fan Ye on the basis of older sources. Especially for the period of the 1st century AD he made use of the Book of Han , which was compiled in the 1st and 2nd centuries by the historian Ban Biao , his son Ban Gu and his daughter Ban Zhao .

In the 11th century, the historian Sima Guang created an extensive history work for the time from 403 BC with his summarized Zeitspiegel to aid the government . BC to 959 AD. For the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he made particular use of the Book of the Later Han .

literature

• Sima Guang : Zizhi Tongjian , vol. 38–44, edited by Bo Yang (Taipei, 1982–1989)
• Michele Pirazzoli-t'Serstevens: China at the time of the Han Dynasty - culture and history. Kohlhammer W., Stuttgart 1982. ISBN 3-170-07738-4