Li Keju (李可舉; died 885 CE) was a warlord late in the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
dynasty
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 ...
, who controlled Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
) from 876 to 885.
Background
It is not known when Li Keju was born. His father
Li Maoxun was ethnically
Huigu
The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰴𐰕:𐰆𐰍𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Toquz Oγuz budun, Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that ...
, of the Abusi () tribe. In 875, Li Maoxun, then an officer of Lulong Circuit, overthrew then-military governor (''
Jiedushi
The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", " legate" ...
'')
Zhang Gongsu in a mutiny and took over control of the circuit, and was subsequently commissioned by
Emperor Xizong to be military governor. In 876, Li Maoxun requested retirement and recommended Li Keju to succeed him. Emperor Xizong permitted Li Maoxun to retire. He made Li Keju acting military governor, and full military governor later in the year.
As military governor
In 878, when
Li Keyong
Li Keyong () (October 24, 856 – February 24, 908) was a Chinese military general and politician of Shatuo ethnicity, and from January 896 a Prince of Jin (, ''Jin Wang''), which would become an independent state after the fall of the Tang dyn ...
the son of the
Shatuo chieftain
Li Guochang (who was then the Tang-commissioned military governor of Zhenwu Circuit (振武, headquartered in modern
Hohhot,
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
) rebelled and seized Datong Circuit (大同, headquartered in modern
Datong,
Shanxi), and was subsequently joined in rebellion by his father Li Guochang, Li Keju was one of generals whose army that Emperor Xizong ordered to mobilize against Li Guochang and Li Keyong, along with Li Jun () the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern
Changzhi
Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Adminis ...
,
Shanxi), the
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 ...
chieftains
Helian Duo Helian Duo (赫連鐸) (died 894) was an ethnically-Tuyuhun warlord in late Tang Dynasty. He had a long-running enmity with the Shatuo chieftain Li Keyong, and was killed by Li Keyong in 894.
Background and initial campaign against Li Keyong
Lit ...
and Bai Yicheng (), and Sage () chieftain Mi Haiwan (). When Li Keju subsequently launched his attack against Li Keyong, Li Keyong stationed himself at Xiongwu Base (雄武軍, in modern
Chengde
Chengde, formerly known as Jehol and Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated about 225 km northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0 ...
) to defend against Li Keju, leaving his officer Gao Wenji () at Shuo Prefecture (朔州, in modern
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a pop ...
,
Shanxi)—but the new Tang-commissioned military governor of Datong, Li Zhuo (), then persuaded Gao to surrender Shuo to him. When Li Keyong subsequently returned to Shuo to try to take it, Li Keju had his officer Han Xuanshao () intercept Li Keyong, crushing Li Keyong's army and killing some 7,000 soldiers, before again defeating Li Keyong at Xiongwu Base. When Li Guochang was subsequently defeated by Li Zhuo and Helian, Li Guochang and Li Keyong were forced to abandon Datong Circuit and flee to the Dada () tribes. For his contributions, Li Keju was bestowed the honorary
chancellor title of ''Shizhong'' ().
In 882, Li Keyong tried to return to Datong Circuit, and he engaged both Helian (who had been made the military governor of Datong by that point) and Li Keju, defeating both, although he was subsequently repelled by
Zheng Congdang Zheng Congdang (鄭從讜) (died 887?''New Book of Tang''vol. 63.), courtesy name Zhengqiu (正求), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, twice serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong.
Background and early caree ...
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern
Taiyuan,
Shanxi) and forced to return north.
[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 255.]
Death
By 885, Li Keyong, who had again become a Tang subject and made major contributions in Tang's defeat of the agrarian rebel
Huang Chao, was the military governor of Hedong and controlled several nearby circuits as well. He was also an ally to
Wang Chucun
Wang Chucun () (831–895) was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) in late Tang. He was one of the main contributors in Tang's eventual defeat of the agrarian ...
the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern
Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0 ...
). Both Li Keju and
Wang Rong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern
Shijiazhuang,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0 ...
) were fearful of Li Keyong's growing strength, and therefore formed a pact to conquer Yiwu and divide its territory. They also persuaded Helian to attack Li Keyong to occupy him so that he could not save Li Chucun. In spring 885, they launched the attack, with Li Keju sending 60,000 soldiers under his officer
Li Quanzhong to attack Yi Prefecture (易州, in modern Baoding), one of Yiwu's two prefectures, while Wang Rong attacked Wuji (無極, in modern Shijiazhuang).
[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 256.]
Initially, the Lulong attack was successful, as Li Quanzhong's subordinate
Liu Rengong Liu Rengong () (died 914) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) from 895 (when his one-time lord Li Keyong conquered Lulong and left him in charge of it) to 90 ...
captured Yi by digging a tunnel into it. However, Li Keyong, despite Helian's attack, came to Yiwu's aid himself and repelled the Chengde attack at Wuji and Xincheng (新城, in modern Shijuazhuang), forcing the Chengde forces to withdraw. Meanwhile, the Lulong forces had become overly confident after capturing Yi. Wang Chucun sent 3,000 soldiers disguised as sheep (by wearing sheepskin) at night to approach Yi. The Lulong soldiers, believing that they were sheep, opened the city gates to seize them. Wang Chucun then attacked, defeating Li Quanzhong and recapturing Yi.
[
Li Quanzhong, believing that Li Keju would punish him for this defeat, decided to turn against Li Keju. He gathered his remaining troops and attacked Lulong's capital You Prefecture (). Li Keju could not resist the attack. He took his family onto a tower and burned it to commit suicide. Li Quanzhong took over the circuit as acting military governor.][
]
Notes and references
* '' Old Book of Tang'', vol. 180.
* '' New Book of Tang'', vol. 212.
* ''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 ...
'', vols. 252
Year 252 ( CCLII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Trebonianus and Volusianus (or, less frequently, year 1005 '' Ab urb ...
, 253
__NOTOC__
Year 253 ( CCLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Claudius (or, less frequently, year 100 ...
, 254
Year 254 ( CCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1007 ''Ab urbe ...
, 256
Year 256 ( CCLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Claudius and Glabrio (or, less frequently, year 1009 ''Ab urbe condi ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Keju
9th-century births
885 deaths
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Lulong Circuit
Uyghur people
Suicides in the Tang dynasty
Suicides by self-immolation
People from North China