Liu Hong (236–306),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Heji or Shuhe, was a military general and politician of the

Jin dynasty (266–420) The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...

. He was most known for his role as Inspector of

Jingzhou Jingzhou () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the 2020 census, 1,068,291 of whom resided in the built-up (''or metro' ...

between 303 and 306. After quelling the revolt of Zhang Chang, Liu Hong ushered Jingzhou into a brief period of peace and stability, making it a haven for refugees fleeing the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

and rebellions happening throughout most of China. Liu Hong was a venerated figure among the people, and traditional historians praised him as a model governor. After his death, his successors failed to match his standard of governance, leading to uprisings that would affect southern China for more than a decade.

Early life and career

Liu Hong was from Pei State, Xiang Commandery (相郡), which is around present-day

Suixi County, Anhui Suixi County () is a county in the north of Anhui Province, China, bordering Henan province to the southeast. It is under the administration of Huaibei Huaibei () is a prefecture-level city in northern Anhui Province, China. It borders Suzhou ...

. His grandfather was Liu Fu, an official under the late

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 ...

warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

and his father was Liu Jing, a minister in the

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

dynasty. During his youth, Liu Hong resided in

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), 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 ...

, where he was classmates with the future

Emperor Wu of Jin Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was the grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, ...

, Sima Yan. In 266, Sima Yan usurped the Wei throne and established the Jin dynasty. Due to their past acquaintanceship, Sima Yan appointed Liu Hong Grandee at the Gate of the Heir Apparent as a token of friendship. The ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...

'' describes Liu Hong as someone who excelled at strategy and statecraft. He served in a series of offices and was even an Army Advisor to the general

Yang Hu Yang Hu (羊祜, 221 – 27 December 278), courtesy name Shuzi, was Chinese military general and politician who lived during the Jin dynasty of China. His advocacy for plans to conquer the rival state of Eastern Wu finally persuaded Emperor Wu ...

at one point.(旣克張昌，劉弘謂侃曰：「吾昔爲羊公參軍，謂吾後當居身處。今觀卿，必繼老夫矣。」) ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 85 Eventually, Liu Hong caught the attention of the prominent minister,

Zhang Hua Zhang Hua (232–7 May 300According to Sima Zhong's biography in ''Book of Jin'', Zhang Hua was killed on the ''guisi'' day of the 4th month of the 1st year of the ''Yongkang'' era of his reign. This corresponds to 7 May 300 永康元年夏四 ...

. Zhang Hua recommended Liu Hong to serve in the northern borders of Yuzhou as General Who Guards The Northern Frontier. In the north, Liu Hong asserted his authority, and reportedly, bandit activities in the region were near to none under him. For his conduct, the people and officials praised Liu Hong, and the court awarded him the title of "Duke of Xuancheng".

Zhang Chang's rebellion

In 303, a powerful revolt led by Zhang Chang broke out in Jingzhou. The Chief Controller of Jingzhou, Sima Xin (司馬歆), requested the court for reinforcements to help against the rebels. The court appointed Liu Hong as Inspector of Jingzhou and sent him, among others, to aid Sima Xin. Liu Hong and his fellow generals camped at Wancheng, but not long after, the rebels killed Sima Xin at Fancheng. The court chose Liu Hong to be Sima Xin's replacement, granting him the offices of General Who Guards The South and Chief Controller of Jingzhou. Liu Hong marched to the provincial capital of

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 ...

, but when Zhang Chang took the city of Wancheng, he retreated to camp at Liang County (梁縣; in present-day

Ruzhou Ruzhou () is a county-level city in the west-central part of Henan province, China, and is under the administration of Pingdingshan. It was called Linru County () until 1988. It has more than 100,000 inhabitants. The Fengxue Temple of Ruzhou featur ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

). Later in the year, Zhang Chang's rebellion spread to Jiangzhou,

Xuzhou Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...

Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...

and Yuzhou. Liu Hong sent a group of generals, including

Tao Kan Tao Kan () (259 – 30 July 334According to Emperor Cheng's biography in ''Book of Jin'', Tao Kan died on the ''yimao'' day of the 6th month of the 9th year of the ''Xianhe'' era of his reign. This corresponds to 30 Jul 334 on the Julian calendar.� ...

, to attack Zhang Chang at

Jingling Tianmen () is a sub-prefecture-level city (sometimes considered a county-level city) in central Hubei Province, China. It is on the Jianghan Plain, on the west side of Wuhan (the biggest city of Central China, as well as the capital of Hubei) a ...

while sending another group consisting of Li Yang (李楊) to capture Jiangxia. Tao Kan's group defeated Zhang Chang numerous times, and after a decisive victory, they forced Zhang Chang into hiding while his army surrendered to the Jin forces. Tao Kan distinguished himself in quelling the rebellion, which made him highly regarded by Liu Hong. While Liu Hong was away, a general, Zhang Yi (張奕), was appointed by Jin to govern Xiangyang in his absence. With Zhang Chang no longer a threat, Liu Hong decided to return to Xiangyang and take control of Jingzhou. However, Zhang Yi refused to give up his position and began rallying his troops against Liu Hong. Liu Hong quickly marched to Xiangyang and beheaded Zhang Yi. He then reported the incident to the court, and the court ruled to exempt him from punishment. Liu Hong would only capture Zhang Chang in the spring of 304, after which he executed him and sent his head to the capital.

Administration of Jingzhou

Policies and reforms

One of the first problems faced by Liu Hong upon retaking Xiangyang was a shortage of officials in the local government. To rectify this issue, Liu Hong asked and received the court's consent to personally hand out appointments so he could fill the vacant offices. Liu Hong reputedly appointed his candidates based on their merits and virtue. One case was his appointment of Pi Chu (皮初). Liu Hong wanted Pi Chu to be the Administrator of Xiangyang due to his merits, but the court, noting Pi Chu's lack of influence, opted for Liu Hong's son-in-law, Xiahou Zhi (夏侯陟). Liu Hong, feeling perplexed, rhetorically asked if he would need ten sons-in-law for each commandery of Jingzhou to govern the province efficiently. He sent a petition to the court asking Pi Chu to be justly rewarded while also pointing out that, as per tradition, he and a promoted relative by marriage will not have mutual supervision over one another. The court agreed to give the appointment to Pi Chu. Liu Hong carried out several effective policies to improve the standard of living in Jingzhou. He allowed the people to fish at the lakes of Mount Xian (峴山; in present-day

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

) and Mount Fang (方山; in present-day

Chibi, Hubei Chibi () is a county-level city in southeastern Hubei province, China. Neighboring Wuhan in the north and Yueyang in the south, Chibi is called the "South Gate of Hubei". It is under the administration of Xianning prefecture-level city. Chibi was ...

), which an ancient law had previously prohibited. Then, Liu Hong abolished the categorization of alcohol into ''Qizhong'' liquor (齊中酒; for religious purposes), ''Tingshi'' liquor (聽事酒; for officials) and ''Wei'' liquor (猥酒; for peasants), permitting everyone to consume any sorts of alcohol as they please. Liu Hong heavily encouraged farming and sericulture to the people. He also lightened the severity of punishments and reduced taxes. These policies made Liu Hong a beloved figure in Jingzhou.

Assisting Luo Shang and refugees

In 304, the rebel leader,

Li Xiong Li Xiong (李雄) (274–334), courtesy name Zhongjuan (仲雋), formally Emperor Wu of Cheng (Han) (成(漢)武帝), was the first emperor of the Di-led Chinese Cheng Han dynasty and commonly regarded as its founder (although some historians ...

, ousted the Jin Inspector of Yizhou,

Luo Shang Luo Shang (died 310), courtesy name Jingzhi, also called Luo Zhong, courtesy name Jingzhen, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). In 300, the Jin court appointed him the Inspector of Yizhou and sent him to quell the rebellion ...

, out from

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

. Luo Shang relocated himself to Jiangyang, where he requested food supply from Liu Hong. Liu Hong's account-keepers advised Liu Hong to give Luo Shang only 5,000 ''hú'' ( 斛) of rice, citing the long distance between the two governors and the food shortages in Jingzhou. However, Liu Hong wanted to ensure that Luo Shang would secure Jingzhou's western borders. Instead, he sent 30,000 ''hú'' of rice to Luo Shang and ordered his general, He Song (何松), to camp at Badong and serve as Luo Shang's reserve force. At the same time, refugees were coming into Jingzhou to escape the wars and rebellions happening throughout China. These refugees often had to resort to banditry due to poverty. However, Liu Hong curbed this issue by distributing fields and seeds to the refugees. He also sought out talents among the refugees and appointed them to offices based on their capabilities. Due to his broad influence, an official of Liu Hong, Xin Ran (辛冉), recommended he break away from Jin. Liu Hong, in anger, had him executed. Among those who fled to Jingzhou were performers of the imperial music bureau. Liu Hong's subordinates suggested that they invite the performers to play music for them. However, Liu Hong quoted, "In the past, when the rites had collapsed and the music spoilt, Liu Jingsheng (

Liu Biao Liu Biao () () (151 – September 208), courtesy name Jingsheng, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for serving as the Governor of Jing Province (coveri ...

) ordered

Du Kui Du Kui ( 180–225), courtesy name Gongliang, was a musician and official who served under the warlord Liu Biao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. Life Du Kui attempted ...

to prepare court music for the

Son of Heaven Son of Heaven, or ''Tianzi'' (), was the sacred monarchical title of the Chinese sovereign. It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven. Since the Qin dynasty, the secula ...

. But once set, he iu Biaowanted it performed in his courtyard. Kui said, "To create music for the Son of Heaven only to play it for your court. I fear this was not your intention, general." How often this made me sigh. Now that dust covers our Lord, I have yet to unfold and imitate the integrity of a true minister. Though I have household performers, it is not appropriate for us to be listening to music, let alone manage it." He comforted the performers by allowing them to settle in the commanderies and counties and returned them once the situation in the imperial court was stable.

War of the Eight Princes

In 305, the Prince of Donghai,

Sima Yue Sima Yue (司馬越) (died 23 April 311According to Sima Chi's biography in the ''Book of Jin'', Sima Yue died on the ''bingzi'' day in the 3rd month of the 5th year of the ''Yongjia'' era of Emperor Huai's reign. This corresponds to 23 Apr 311 ...

, initiated a coalition to overthrow Emperor Hui of Jin's regent, the Prince of Hejian,

Sima Yong Sima Yong (司馬顒) (before 274 - late January 307), courtesy name Wenzai (文載), was a Jin dynasty imperial prince and briefly a regent for Emperor Hui. He was the seventh of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Pri ...

. The Inspector of Yuzhou, Liu Qiao, joined the war on the side of Sima Yong, so the court published an edict calling for generals, including Liu Hong, to aid Liu Qiao against the coalition. Liu Hong was worried that the war would undermine the imperial family, so he wrote letters to Sima Yue and Liu Qiao, persuading them to stop, but neither side accepted his proposal. He then wrote a petition to the Jin court to convince Sima Yong to seek peace with Sima Yue. However, Sima Yong also dismissed him. With war being inevitable, Liu Hong decided to side with Sima Yue as he was appalled by Sima Yong's controversial marshal,

Zhang Fang Zhang Fang (died February 306) was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was the powerful general of the Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong during the War of the Eight Princes who helped him in subduing the Prince of Changshan, Sima Ai ...

and believed Zhang Fang would bring about Sima Yong's downfall. Thus, Liu Hong sent an envoy to Sima Yue to convey his allegiance to him.

Chen Min's rebellion

At the end of 305, the Chancellor of Guangling, Chen Min, rebelled against Jin in the

Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, incl ...

region. Liu Hong responded by sending Tao Kan and the Administrator of Wuling, Miao Guang (苗光), to camp at Xiaokou. However, there were suspicions about Tao Kan, as he was from the same commandery as Chen Min, and the two became officials around the same time. The Interior Minister of Sui, Hu Huai, brought this matter to Liu Hong, but Liu Hong did not believe him. When Tao Kan heard about the allegations, he sent his son, Tao Hong (陶洪), and his nephew, Tao Zhen (陶臻), to explain his position. After asking the two for military advice, Liu Hong sent Tao Hong and Tao Zhen back with gifts, expressing his earnest trust in Tao Kan. When Chen Min invaded Jingzhou, Tao Kan joined with the other Jin generals in repelling him. In the end, the Jin forces thwarted Chen Min's ambitions to conquer Jingzhou. As Chen Min's forces withdrew, the Administrator of

Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...

, Wei Zhan (衞展), advised Liu Hong to kill the general Zhang Guang, who, although he had helped in defending Jingzhou, was friends with Sima Yong. Wei Zhan believed that killing Zhang Guang would show Liu Hong's loyalty to Sima Yue, but Liu Hong dismissed the suggestion. Instead, he sent a petition to the court asking them to promote Zhang Guang for his contributions.

Death and posthumous events

In 306, Liu Hong intercepted the Prince of Chengdu,

Sima Ying Sima Ying (司馬穎) (279 – December 306), courtesy name Zhangdu (章度), was a Jin Dynasty (266–420) imperial prince who served briefly as his brother Emperor Hui's regent and crown prince. He was the sixth of eight princes commonly asso ...

, from escaping to his fiefdom after Sima Yue's forces defeated him. Later, Sima Yue took Chang'an from Sima Yong and moved Emperor Hui to Luoyang. Liu Hong sent Liu Pan (劉盤) with troops to welcome the emperor back to the emperor. After Liu Pan returned from his commission, Liu Hong considered retiring due to his old age and wrote a letter to the court asking to divide his offices among his subordinates. However, before he could retire, Liu Hong died in Xiangyang. The people and officials of Jingzhou mourned Liu Hong's death as if they had lost a parent. Soon after his death, Liu Hong's former marshal, Guo Mai (郭勱), rebelled and intended to make Sima Ying the leader. However, Liu Hong's son Liu Fan (劉璠) and general Guo Shu (郭舒) campaigned against Guo Mai and killed him. Liu Hong and Liu Fan's loyalty pleased Sima Yue, who wrote a letter of gratitude to Liu Fan. The court posthumously named him "Duke of Xincheng" and "Yuan" (元). The Prince of Gaomi, Sima Lue (司馬略), succeeded Liu Hong as Inspector of Jingzhou, but Lue was not as capable as Liu Hong, and Jingzhou saw a rise in dissidents and bandits. To appease the people, the court appointed Liu Fan as the Interior Minister of Shunyang (順陽; south of present-day

Xichuan County Xichuan County () is a county in the southwest of Henan province, China, bordering the provinces of Hubei to the south and Shaanxi to the northwest. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nanyang. Xichuan has an area of a ...

). Liu Fan was just as beloved as his father, so the people living between the

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

and

Yangzi The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

rivers began moving to live under Liu Fan. However, after Sima Lue died, his successor, Shan Jian, fearful that Liu Fan would use his popularity to rebel, requested the court to move Liu Fan to Luoyang. Shan Jian was a neglectful administrator, and his decision against Liu Fan proved unpopular with the people. Eventually, uprisings sprang up in the south, the most notable being the one led by Du Tao. As the situation in the south deteriorated, the people reportedly longed for Liu Hong's governance.

Liu Hong's tomb

In March 1991, Liu Hong's tomb was discovered in

Anxiang County Anxiang County () is a county in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changde. The county is located at one of the inflows of Dongting Lake, on the north in Hunan Province and the southeast in Chang ...

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...

. Two gold

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

with tortoise-shaped knobs, one titled "Seal of the General Who Guards the South" (鎮南將軍章) and another titled "Seal of the Duke of Xuancheng" (宣城公章), were among the artefacts excavated from the tomb.

References

* Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Sima, Guang (1084). ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Hong 236 births 306 deaths Jin dynasty (266–420) generals Jin dynasty (266–420) politicians