Shang Zhixin (; 1636 – 1680) was a warlord of the early

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, known for his role in the

Revolt of the Three Feudatories The Revolt of the Three Feudatories, () also known as the Rebellion of Wu Sangui, was a rebellion lasting from 1673 to 1681 in the early Qing dynasty of China, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722). The revolt was led by Wu San ...

. He was Prince of Pingnan (平南王, "Prince who Pacifies the South"), inheriting his position from his father Shang Kexi, who abandoned the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

and surrendered to the Qing dynasty. In 1673, Shang Kexi, on account of old age, requested the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

to allow him to retire back in his adopted homeland

Liaodong The Liaodong or Liaotung Peninsula ( zh, s=辽东半岛, t=遼東半島, p=Liáodōng Bàndǎo) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located ...

. He thus passed his position to Shang Zhixin, his eldest son. As Prince of Pingnan, he was in charge of the defence of

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

province.

Not long afterwards, the Qing court, as part of its policy of centralization, decided to abolish Pingnan Feudatory under the pretext that Shang Zhixin was "difficult to control". Shang Kexi, who was then still in Guangdong, was willing to accept this and made preparations to move his entire family back to Haicheng. However, the rebellion of the Pingxi and Jingnan feudatories, under

Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai () or Changbo (), was a Chinese military leader who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty. In Chinese folklore, Wu Sangui is r ...

and Geng Jingzhong respectively, put an end to these plans. Shang Zhixin was ordered to give military command back to his father, who was still loyal to the Qing. However, many of his men deserted to the rebel camp. From 1673 to 1676, Guangzhou held out as a Qing fortress in the midst of rebel-held territory. In early 1676, forces loyal to Shang Zhixin placed Shang Kexi under house arrest. Having gained the military command of Pingnan Feudatory, Shang Zhixin promptly joined Wu Sangui's forces. However, after Shang Kexi's death in late 1676 (and also following the surrender of rebel generals such as Wang Fuchen), Shang Zhixin changed his mind and defected back to the Qing. The Qing court ordered him to lead troops against Wu Sangui, but Shang Zhixin only made token efforts, hoping to preserve his own forces. In 1679, Kangxi stripped Shang Zhixin of much of his military powers. In 1680, with a Qing victory imminent, Shang Zhixin was arrested, brought to

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

and ordered to commit suicide. In return for killing himself, Shang Zhixin's family was spared from punishment. Shang had 36 brothers: four of them were executed during Shang Zhixin's suicide while the rest of them were allowed to live. Shang was known for his famously cruel reign. Some of his personal enemies were ripped apart by hunting dogs for opposing him. p. 52

References

* Shangshi Jiapu (The Family History of the Shang family) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shang, Zhixin Qing dynasty generals 1680 deaths Forced suicides of Chinese people Han Chinese Bordered Blue Bannermen People executed by the Qing dynasty 17th-century births Qing dynasty rebels