Liu Min () ( 895 – 954), named Liu Chong () before 951,, also known by his

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

as the Emperor Shizu of Northern Han, was the founding

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

of the

Northern Han dynasty The Northern Han () was a dynastic state of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by Liu Min (), formerly known as Liu Chong (), and lasted from 951 to 979. Founding of the Northern Han The short-lived state of Later Ha ...

of China during the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

. He was an ethnic Shatuo and the younger brother of the Later Han dynasty's founder

Liu Zhiyuan Liu Zhiyuan () (March 4, 895 – March 10, 948), later changed to Liu Gao (), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Later Han (), was the founding emperor of the Shatuo-led Later Han dynasty, the fourth of the Five Dynasties du ...

(Emperor Gaozu). Liu Chong created Northern Han in the Shatuo base in modern Shanxi after his eldest son was killed in 951 by general

Guo Wei Guo Wei () (10 September 904 – 22 February 954According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he died between 9am and 11 am on the ''renchen'' day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the ''Xiande'' era of his reign ...

, who overthrew Later Han dynasty to establish the

Later Zhou dynasty Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ( ...

. In 954, Liu Chong was defeated by Guo's successor Chai Rong in the Battle of Gaoping and died soon afterwards.

Early life

The young Liu Chong drank and gambled and was once sentenced to join the military with his face tattooed.

During Later Jin

When Liu Zhiyuan became the

military governor A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...

of Hedong (河東; roughly modern Shanxi), he named Liu Chong his chief director (都指揮使).

Formation of the Northern Han

Liu Min was the brother of

, the founder of the Later Han state, which was the last of three successive Shatuo Turk dynasties. The Later Han fell in 950 with the rise of the

Later Zhou Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ( ...

. Liu Min declared himself the legitimate successor of the Later Han and formed the Northern Han (sometimes called Eastern Han) kingdom in Shanxi, the traditional power base of the

Shatuo Turks The Shatuo, or the Shatuo Turks (; also transcribed as Sha-t'o, Sanskrit SartZuev Yu.A., ''"Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (Translation of Chinese composition "Tanghuyao" of 8-10th centuries)"'', Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, I ...

Relations with neighbouring states

The kingdom was wedged between its two larger, more powerful neighbors, the

to the south, and the

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan language, Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that exi ...

to the north. Liu Min restored traditional ties with the Liao, who served as protectors to the Northern Han, allowing it to last later than any of the other kingdoms traditionally listed as one of the

Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

Family

* Father ** Liu Dian (劉琠), posthumously honored Emperor Zhangsheng with the temple name of Xianzu * Mother ** Lady An, Lady Dowager of Wu, posthumously honored Empress Zhangyi * Wife ** Empress (name unknown) * Concubine ** Consort Wang (915-971) * Children ** Liu Chengyun or Liu Yun, the Duke of Xiangyin (created 951, killed by

951) ** Liu Chengjun (Liu Jun) (劉承鈞), later Emperor Ruizong ** Liu Hao (劉鎬), killed by

Liu Jiyuan Liu Jiyuan () (died in 992), also known by his regnal name Emperor Yingwu of (Northern) Han ((北)漢英武帝), was the last ruler of the Shatuo-led Chinese Northern Han dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He was the gra ...

~968 ** Liu Kai (劉鍇), killed by

~968 ** Liu Qi (劉錡), killed by

~968 ** Liu Xí (劉錫, note different tone than his brother), killed by

~968 ** Liu Xǐ (劉銑, note different tone than his brother) ** At least three more sons ** Princess, mother of

Liu Ji'en Liu Ji'en (), also known by his temple name Shaozhu (), was the third emperor of the Northern Han state during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He ruled for 60 days in 968 before being killed. Biography Liu Ji'en, the son of the foot s ...

and

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * , - style="text-align: center;" , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Chong 890s births 954 deaths Year of birth uncertain Northern Han emperors 10th-century Asian people Jin (Later Tang precursor) people Later Tang people Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people Hedong jiedushi Later Han (Five Dynasties) jiedushi Later Zhou jiedushi People from North China Founding monarchs