''Fanzhen'' (), also called ''fangzhen'' (), was a governmental system involving administration through regional governors (''

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", ...

''). The term ''fanzhen'' literally means "buffer town", and refers to the strategic settlement of troops in locations along the empire's border areas. During the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, these settlements came under the control of provincial military commissioners, otherwise known as ''jiedushi''. During the late Tang period, the phenomenon of ''fanzhen'' domination has been termed ''fanzhen geju'' (; lit. "the breakaway of and occupation of territories by ''fanzhen'') by historians. As control of these ''fanzhen'' devolved from central authority into the hands of the local leaders, they at times became powerful enough to threaten the imperial court (618–907 CE), particularly during and after the

An Lushan Rebellion The An Lushan Rebellion was an uprising against the Tang dynasty of China towards the mid-point of the dynasty (from 755 to 763), with an attempt to replace it with the Yan dynasty. The rebellion was originally led by An Lushan, a general office ...

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion. An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lushan ...

, the provincial governor and military commander who started this rebellion against the

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the early ...

, in 755 CE, went so far as to proclaim himself emperor, in 756 CE, but, was killed by his own son in the following year and Tang power was re-established by 763 CE. The An Lushan Rebellion allowed many ''jiedushi'' on the periphery of the Tang Empire to gain significant autonomy with many becoming warlords in all but name. Subsequent Tang emperors were met with lukewarm success in curtailing the power of these ''fanzhen'', in particular, the

Emperor Dezong of Tang Emperor Dezong of Tang (27 May 742According to Li Kuo's biography in the ''Old Book of Tang'', he was born on the ''guisi'' day in the 4th month of the 1st year of the Tianbao era of Tang Xuanzong's reign. This date corresponds to 27 May 742 in ...

(r. 779–805 CE) who was driven from his capital,

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

, after an unsuccessful attempt to subjugate them. The subsequent

Emperor Xianzong of Tang Emperor Xianzong of Tang (4 March to 1 April 778''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 14. – 14 February 820; r. 805 – 820), personal name Li Chun, né Li Chun (), was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Shunzong ...

(r. 805–820 CE) was able to suppress some ''fanzhen'' but at the cost of further empowering the

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

s who had come to dominate the life of the imperial court. Xianzong died in 820 CE, possibly as a result of assassination, and his successors were unable to stop the dynasty's decline. The ambitions of the ''jiedushi'', in tandem with the corruption of the imperial court eunuchs who dominated the central civil administration and even attained high military command during the late Tang, contributed to the disintegration of the Tang Empire. A brief resurgence under the emperors Wuzong and Xuānzong failed to halt the decentralization of state power, and the Tang Empire collapsed following a further series of major peasant uprisings such as the Wang Xianzhi and

Huang Chao Huang Chao (835 – July 13, 884) was a Chinese smuggler, soldier, and rebel, and is most well known for being the leader of a major rebellion that severely weakened the Tang dynasty. Huang was a Salt in Chinese history, salt smuggler before ...

rebellions. After the collapse of the Tang dynasty in 907, numerous ''fanzhen'' that did not wish to submit to the new Later Liang dynasty declared independence, thereby forming several 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 ...

during the chaotic

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 ...

. Parallels have been made between the rise of the ''fanzhen'' in Tang China and the rise of feudalism in medieval Europe following the decline of the

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lom ...

References

{{Reflist Administrative divisions of the Tang dynasty

See also

References