Li Daliang (李大亮; 586–4 January 645
) was a Chinese military general and politician during the early
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
, noted for his benevolence and virtue.
During the Sui dynasty
Li Daliang was from
Jingyang, close to
Daxing, the
Sui dynasty capital (which would become Chang'an, the Tang dynasty capital after 618). His great-grandfather Li Yan () had been a Minister of Revenue () during
Northern Wei,
and his father Li Chongjie () was a local commander-in-chief () in the Sui dynasty. Li Daliang was talented in both the books and martial arts at an early age. In 617, he was serving under general Pang Yu () near the eastern capital
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
, when he was defeated and captured by rebels under
Li Mi. The other 100 plus captives were all executed, but Li Daliang was somehow spared by the rebel general Zhang Bi (), who befriended him.
Under Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Li Yuan)
In 618, Li Daliang joined
Li Yuan
Emperor Gaozu of Tang (7 April 566 – 25 June 635, born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude) was the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-da ...
(posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu) who founded the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
. He was appointed
county magistrate
County magistrate ( or ) sometimes called local magistrate, in imperial China was the official in charge of the '' xian'', or county, the lowest level of central government. The magistrate was the official who had face-to-face relations with th ...
of Tumen (土門, roughly modern
Fuping County, Shaanxi), which was then ravished by famine and bandits. Li Daliang sold his horses to aid the poor and needy, encouraged farming, and led his soldiers to eradicate bandits. When Li Yuan's son
Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...
passed through the area, he was very impressed with what he saw and heard, so he rewarded Li Daliang with horses and fabrics. Once, knowing that he couldn't resist an incursion by a large
Göktürks force numbering more than 1,000 men, Li Daliang went to the enemy camp by himself on a horse. He spoke at length about the risks and rewards, and persuaded the Göktürks to submit. He slaughtered his horse, feasted with the tribesmen, and returned to Tumen on foot. The Tang emperor was very pleased by his accomplishment, and promoted Li Daliang to Adjutant of Area Command () in
Jin Prefecture.
[
In 620, Li Daliang participated in the campaign against warlord ]Wang Shichong
Wang Shichong (; 567– August 621), courtesy name Xingman (行滿), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Sui dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state ...
, leading an army towards Xiangyang
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...
defended by Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Honglie (). He captured over 10 cities, and killed Wang Shichong's general Guo Da'an (). For his success, Li Yuan appointed him governor of An Prefecture
Anzhou or An Prefecture was a '' zhou'' (prefecture) in imperial China, centering on modern Anlu, Hubei, China. It existed (intermittently) from 550 until 1119, when the Song dynasty renamed it De'an Prefecture.
Geography
The administrative reg ...
.[
In 623, Li Daliang was named Pacification Commissioner () and sent with an army to Guǎng Prefecture to pacify the area. On his way, he was in ]Jiujiang
Jiujiang (), formerly transliterated Kiukiang or Kew Keang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city ...
when Fu Gongshi rebelled against Tang. Li Daliang immediately led his men towards Hong Prefecture Hongzhou or Hong Prefecture () was a '' zhou'' (prefecture) in modern Jiangxi, China, seated in modern Nanchang. It existed (intermittently) from 589 to 1165.
Geography
The administrative region of Hongzhou in the Tang dynasty falls within modern ...
, defended by Fu Gongshi's general Zhang Shan'an (). With their armies on opposite sides of the Gan River
The Gan River (, Gan: Kōm-kong) runs north through the western part of Jiangxi before flowing into Lake Poyang and thus the Yangtze River. The Xiang-Gan uplands separate it from the Xiang River of neighboring eastern Hunan.
Two similarly sized ...
, Li Daliang talked to Zhang Shan'an and tried to induce him to surrender. Zhang Shan'an said he was pressured by his soldiers into rebelling, and he wasn't sure whether he would be punished if he surrendered. Li Daliang said, "Commander-in-Chief Zhang, if you plan to surrender, then we are family." He alone crossed the river on his horse, took Zhang Shan'an's hands and gained his trust. Zhang Shan'an agreed to surrender, and went to Li Daliang's camp with more than 10 cavalrymen. Li Daliang asked the cavalrymen to stay outside while he led Zhang Shan'an inside. After chatting for a while, Li Daliang ordered his soldiers to detain Zhang Shan'an, as the cavalrymen outside fled.
After a while, Zhang Shan'an's soldiers arrived and demanded Li Daliang return their general. Li Daliang had someone tell them that Zhang Shan'an didn't want to return because he was serious about surrendering. Zhang Shan'an's soldiers thought they were betrayed and deserted, so they all scattered. Li Daliang led his men to capture many of them. Zhang Shan'an was delivered to Chang'an (and eventually killed). In February 624, Li Daliang led his soldiers to You Prefecture (猷州; around modern Xuancheng
Xuancheng () is a city in the southeast of Anhui province. Archeological digs suggest that the city has been settled for over 4,000 years, and has been under formal administration since the Qin dynasty. Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage ...
), where Fu Gongshi had laid a siege. He defeated Fu Gongshi to save You Prefecture.[ After Fu Gongshi was killed soon after, the emperor rewarded Li Daliang with hundreds of maidservants, but Li Daliang set them all free, saying:][
When Li Yuan heard of this, he gasped in admiration, but resent him another 20 girls. Afterwards Li Daling served as Commander-in-Chief () of Yue Prefecture.][
]
Under Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin)
Li Shimin (posthumously known as Emperor Taizong) became the Tang emperor in 626. The following year Li Daliang was assigned to Jiaozhou. When he left his post in Yue Prefecture, he left behind hundreds of volumes of his writing as he felt they would help his successors. Later he returned to the capital to serve as Chief Minister of the Court of the Imperial Treasury (), before being sent out to Liang Prefecture in the western parts of the empire as Commander-in-Chief. In 629, an emperor's messenger arrived and noticed a magnificent eagle in Li's possession. To ingratiate himself to Li, he advised Li to present it to the emperor as a gift. Li Daliang then secretly wrote a letter to the emperor, which said:[
The emperor praised Li Daguang's loyalty and honesty, and wrote this reply: "What is there for me to worry about if I have ministers like you!" He also endowed Li Daliang with a foreign vase in his personal possession, as well as the historical text ''Annals of Han'' () written by ]Xun Yue
Xun Yue (148–209), courtesy name Zhongyu, was an official, historian and Confucianism, Confucian scholar of the Eastern Han dynasty of China. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan, Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (穎川郡; aroun ...
in the Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
.[
In 630, ]Illig Qaghan
Illig Qaghan (Old Turkic: ; ), born Ashina Duobi (), posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, ...
was captured as the Göktürk tribesmen scattered in the Yiwu region (around modern Hami City
Hami (Kumul) is a prefecture-level city in Eastern Xinjiang, China. It is well known as the home of sweet Hami melons. In early 2016, the former Hami county-level city was merged with Hami Prefecture to form the Hami prefecture-level city with ...
, Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
). Li Shimin appointed Li Daliang Pacification Commissioner of the Xibei Circuit () to induce the surrenders of the Turkic chieftains. Li Shimin had wanted to win over chieftains by providing them with food, cloth and titles, with the plan of resettling them south of the Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...
. Li Daliang opposed the idea, and wrote a memorial in which he said,[
Li Shimin listened to his advice and left the Göktürks outside of Tang's border.][
In 634, Li Daliang was sent to Jiannan Circuit as an Inspection Commissioner (). He attacked corruption and promoted good government, earning the approval of the common people.][
Later that year, Li Shimin decided to carry out a major campaign against the hostile western neighbor ]Tuyuhun
Tuyuhun (; LHC: *''tʰɑʔ-jok-guənʔ''; Wade-Giles: ''T'u-yühun''), also known as Henan () and Azha (; ), was a dynastic kingdom established by the nomadic peoples related to the Xianbei in the Qilian Mountains and upper Yellow River valle ...
. Li Daliang was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Hedong Circuit __NOTOC__
Hedong (, unless otherwise noted) may refer to these places in China:
Districts
* Hedong District, Sanya, in Sanya, Hainan
* Hedong District, Linyi, in Linyi, Shandong
*Hedong District, Tianjin, in Tianjin
Subdistricts
* Hedong Subdistri ...
under general Li Jing. The force led by Li Jing, Li Daliang, and general Xue Wanjun () which headed northwest defeated the Tuyuhun main army the following year, as Li Daliang captured more than 20 nobles and more than 50,000 livestock animals[ in a battle near Mount Shuhun (蜀渾山; probably around modern ]Gonghe County
Gonghe County (; ), also known as Kungho, is a county of Qinghai Province, China under the administration of Hainan Prefecture. The seat of Gonghe County is in the town of Qabqa.
Demographics
In 2006, 55% of the population were Tibetans, with ...
, Qinghai
Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
). The Tuyuhun khan Murong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun () (597–635), regnal name Busabo Khan (), was a ruler of the Xianbei-led dynastic state of Tuyuhun. He first became ruler when his brother Murong Shifu was assassinated in 597, and became one of the longest-ruling monarchs of Tuyuhun ...
fled (and was killed in flight), and his son Murong Shun Murong Shun (慕容順) (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 (title), khan of the Xianbei state T ...
surrendered. Li Shimin created Murong Shun a khan to succeed his father and pulled the main Tang army out of Tuyuhun, but Li Daliang with a few thousand men were temporarily left behind to support Murong Shun—who was unpopular with his people—until Murong Shun's assassination a few months after. For his merits in this campaign, Li Daliang received a sumptuous gift including 150 maidservants from the emperor, but he gave everything to his relatives.[
At some point Li Daliang was appointed General-in-Chief of the ]Right Guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...
() in the capital Chang'an. In winter 641, the Göktürks under Qilibi Khan
Qilibi Khan ( Chinese: 俟力苾可汗, (Pinyin): qílìbì kěhàn, ( Wade-Giles): ch'i-li-pi k'o-han, Middle Chinese: (Guangyun) , died 647), personal name Ashina Simo (阿史那思摩), Chinese name Li Simo (李思摩), full regal title Yiminish ...
(a vassal of the Tang resettled in the Ordos Loop) were attacked by Xueyantuo
The Xueyantuo were an ancient Tiele tribe and khaganate in Northeast Asia who were at one point vassals of the Göktürks, later aligning with the Tang dynasty against the Eastern Göktürks.
Names Xue
''Xue'' 薛 appeared earlier as ''Xi ...
people under Zhenzhu Khan Zhenzhu may refer to:
* Zhenzhu Khan (died 645), khagan of Xueyantuo
*Zhenzhu Yabgu (died 659), claimant to the throne of Western Turkic Khaganate
*Zhenzhu Subdistrict, Zhen'an District, Dandong, Liaoning, China
*Zhen Zhu, a variety of the ornament ...
, and Li Shimin sent Li Daliang and other generals to aid Qilibi Khan, with Li Shiji
Li Shiji (594?The ''Old Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 75 at the time of his death, while the ''New Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 85 at the time of his death. Compare ''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 67 with ''New Book of Tang ...
in overall command. A few months later, the Tang army dealt a major blow to the Xueyantuo troops, which fled back to their territory.
In May 643, Li Shimin created his son Li Zhi Li Zhi may refer to:
*Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–683), named Li Zhi, Emperor of China
*Li Ye (mathematician) (1192–1279), Chinese mathematician and scholar, birth name Li Zhi
*Li Zhi (philosopher) (1527–1602), Chinese philosopher from the M ...
his crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wi ...
, and Li Daliang was appointed Right Defense Guard Commander for the Crown Prince () while retaining his post with the Imperial Guards. In September 643, Li Daliang was also appointed Minister of Works (). With three concurrent appointments, Li Daliang worked even harder to guard both the emperor's and the crown prince's palaces, often sleeping upright for entire nights when his soldiers were on duty.[ Li Shimin would say: “When you, sir, are on duty, I can sleep soundly through the night.” Fang Xuanling, the ]grand councilor
The grand chancellor (''zaixiang, tsai-hsiang''), also translated as counselor-in-chief, chancellor, chief councillor, chief minister, imperial chancellor, lieutenant chancellor and prime minister, was the highest-ranking executive official in th ...
, also praised Li Daliang greatly, even comparing him to the virtuous Han dynasty ministers Wang Ling () and Zhou Bo
Zhou Bo (died 169 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Wu of Jiang, was a Chinese military general and politician who served as a chancellor of the early Western Han dynasty.
Life
Zhou Bo's ancestral home was in Juan County (; present-day Yuanya ...
.[
It was around this time Li Daliang reencountered Zhang Bi, the general who spared his life in the Sui dynasty, by chance on the street. With tears in his eyes, he held Zhang Bi's hands and humbly offered him all his money. Zhang Bi refused. Li Daliang then told the emperor how indebted he was to Zhang Bi, and the emperor promoted Zhang Bi from a Palace Construction Aide () to Commander-in-Chief of ]Dai Prefecture
Dai Prefecture, also known by its Chinese name Daizhou, was a prefecture (''zhou'') of imperial China in what is now northern Shanxi. It existed intermittently from AD585 to 1912. Its eponymous seat Daizhou was located at Shangguan in Dai Coun ...
as a result. Li Daliang was praised for remembering and repaying the kindness he had received.[
In November 644, as Li Shimin prepared to lead an army against ]Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...
, he went to Luoyang and appointed Li Daliang vice-governor of the capital Chang'an, under governor Fang Xuanling who had spoken highly of him.[ But soon Li Daming fell ill. When Li Shimin heard of it, he personally prepared medicine and ordered it delivered to him by the relay system, but Li Daliang's symptoms did not improve. On his deathbed, Li Daliang wrote a petition to the emperor, advising him to abandon the campaign against Goguryeo and instead focus on properly managing the Chang'an area.][ (The ]first campaign in the Goguryeo–Tang War
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
in 645 turned out to be a failure.)
When news of his death reached Li Shimin, the emperor broke down and cried. Imperial sessions were suspended for three days, and Li Daliang received the posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments ...
"Yi" (懿; meaning "virtuous") as well as many posthumous titles. Li Daliang had lived simply so that when he died there was no jade or pearl at home to put in his coffin as was the tradition. Instead, he was buried with only rice and cloth. In fact, Li Daliang had spent a lot of money giving proper burials to relatives without offspring. He had also helped raise so many orphans, that 15 people not his own children mourned him like their father during the funeral. Li Daliang was buried in Zhao Mausoleum,[ where Li Shimin would later also be buried.
]
Notes and references
*
*
*{{cite book, title=Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...
''(資治通鑑)'', trans-title=Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government, last=Sima Guang
Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
, language=zh, year=1086, ref={{harvid, ''Zizhi Tongjian''
586 births
645 deaths
People from Jingyang County
Tang dynasty generals from Shaanxi
Tang dynasty politicians from Shaanxi