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Tian Chengsi
Tian Chengsi (705 – March 4, 779), noble title Prince of Yanmen, was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He served as a military general in the Chinese Yan rebel state. who later submitted to and became a general of the Tang dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled. As was in the case of several other Yan generals who submitted to Tang but who had substantial army and territorial holdings, Tian was allowed to retain his command and territory, semi-independent from the Tang imperial government structure. Among these generals, he was particularly defiant of the Tang imperial government.
Tian Chengsi was born in 705, during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. His family was from Ping Prefecture (平州, roughly modern Qinhuangdao, Hebei), and his ancestors, for several generations, had served in the military. His grandfather Tian Jing (田璟) and father Tian Shouyi (田守義) both had reputations for upholding justice in the region. Late in the reign of Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong, Tian Chengsi served as a forward commanding officer under the general An Lushan, the military governor (jiedushi) of Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing), and particularly impressed An with his ability to maintain strict military discipline. For his contributions in campaigns against the Khitan and the Xi tribes, he was promoted several times, eventually to be a general under An.
An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule in late 755 and, on his campaign south to attack the Tang eastern capital Luoyang, had Tian, along with An Zhongzhi and Zhang Xiaozhong, serve as his forward commanders. An's forces quickly captured Luoyang, and he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan there. In 757, after An Lushan had been assassinated and succeeded by his son An Qingxu, Tian continued to serve under An Qingxu and commanded a campaign to capture the key Tang city of Nanyang (南陽, in modern Nanyang, Henan) and then to attack south further, but while he trapped the Tang commander Lu Jiong (魯炅) in Nanyang, he was not able to capture the city quickly, and after Lu eventually fought his way out of the siege and fled to Xiangyang, Tian abandoned the campaign as well and returned to Luoyang.
In fall 757, a joint Tang and Huige army commanded by Li Chu the Prince of Chu (the son of Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an, forcing An Qingxu to flee north of the Yellow River. At that time, Tian was attacking the Tang general Lai Tian (來瑱) at Yingchuan (潁川, in modern Xuchang, Henan), and upon hearing the news, he initially offered to surrender to the Tang general Guo Ziyi, but after Guo did not react immediately, Tian changed his mind and fled north as well with another Yan general, Wu Lingxun (武令珣) to join An Qingxu at Yecheng.
In fall 758, Tang forces closed in on Yecheng. An Qingxu had himself, Tian, and Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐) command the Yan army to fight against the converging Tang forces, but Tang forces defeated them, forcing them to withdraw within the city to defend against the siege. It was only in 759, when Shi Siming fought an inconclusive battle near Yecheng that forced Tang forces to withdraw, that the siege on Yecheng was lifted. Shi then killed An Qingxu and took over the Yan throne himself, and Tian continued to serve under Shi. Shi soon advanced south with Tian as a forward commander and recaptured Luoyang. In winter 760, as part of a campaign to capture Tang territory, Shi sent Tian to the Huaixi region (淮西, i.e., modern southern Henan), but little is known about how successful the campaign was.
Shi Siming was himself assassinated by his son Shi Chaoyi in 761, and Shi Chaoyi took the throne. After a Tang and Huige joint force again recaptured Luoyang in fall 762, Tian withdrew his force and joined Shi Chaoyi at Wei Prefecture (衛州, roughly modern Puyang, Henan) to fight against the Tang forces commanded by Pugu Huai'en, but Pugu defeated them, forcing them to further flee north. Yan generals began to desert Shi Chaoyi en masse, but for some time, Tian did not, and by the time around new year 762, he was under siege in Mo Prefecture (莫州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei) with Shi Chaoyi. He proposed to Shi Chaoyi that Shi Chaoyi head to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., the headquarters of Fanyang Circuit) to seek reinforcements, and that he would stay and defend Mo Prefecture. Shi Chaoyi agreed, but as soon as Shi Chaoyi left Mo Prefecture, Tian turned against him and surrendered Mo Prefecture to Tang, presenting Shi Chaoyi's empress dowager, empress, and children to Tang. Shi Chaoyi, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide in flight.
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Tian Chengsi
Tian Chengsi (705 – March 4, 779), noble title Prince of Yanmen, was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He served as a military general in the Chinese Yan rebel state. who later submitted to and became a general of the Tang dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled. As was in the case of several other Yan generals who submitted to Tang but who had substantial army and territorial holdings, Tian was allowed to retain his command and territory, semi-independent from the Tang imperial government structure. Among these generals, he was particularly defiant of the Tang imperial government.
Tian Chengsi was born in 705, during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. His family was from Ping Prefecture (平州, roughly modern Qinhuangdao, Hebei), and his ancestors, for several generations, had served in the military. His grandfather Tian Jing (田璟) and father Tian Shouyi (田守義) both had reputations for upholding justice in the region. Late in the reign of Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong, Tian Chengsi served as a forward commanding officer under the general An Lushan, the military governor (jiedushi) of Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing), and particularly impressed An with his ability to maintain strict military discipline. For his contributions in campaigns against the Khitan and the Xi tribes, he was promoted several times, eventually to be a general under An.
An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule in late 755 and, on his campaign south to attack the Tang eastern capital Luoyang, had Tian, along with An Zhongzhi and Zhang Xiaozhong, serve as his forward commanders. An's forces quickly captured Luoyang, and he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan there. In 757, after An Lushan had been assassinated and succeeded by his son An Qingxu, Tian continued to serve under An Qingxu and commanded a campaign to capture the key Tang city of Nanyang (南陽, in modern Nanyang, Henan) and then to attack south further, but while he trapped the Tang commander Lu Jiong (魯炅) in Nanyang, he was not able to capture the city quickly, and after Lu eventually fought his way out of the siege and fled to Xiangyang, Tian abandoned the campaign as well and returned to Luoyang.
In fall 757, a joint Tang and Huige army commanded by Li Chu the Prince of Chu (the son of Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an, forcing An Qingxu to flee north of the Yellow River. At that time, Tian was attacking the Tang general Lai Tian (來瑱) at Yingchuan (潁川, in modern Xuchang, Henan), and upon hearing the news, he initially offered to surrender to the Tang general Guo Ziyi, but after Guo did not react immediately, Tian changed his mind and fled north as well with another Yan general, Wu Lingxun (武令珣) to join An Qingxu at Yecheng.
In fall 758, Tang forces closed in on Yecheng. An Qingxu had himself, Tian, and Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐) command the Yan army to fight against the converging Tang forces, but Tang forces defeated them, forcing them to withdraw within the city to defend against the siege. It was only in 759, when Shi Siming fought an inconclusive battle near Yecheng that forced Tang forces to withdraw, that the siege on Yecheng was lifted. Shi then killed An Qingxu and took over the Yan throne himself, and Tian continued to serve under Shi. Shi soon advanced south with Tian as a forward commander and recaptured Luoyang. In winter 760, as part of a campaign to capture Tang territory, Shi sent Tian to the Huaixi region (淮西, i.e., modern southern Henan), but little is known about how successful the campaign was.
Shi Siming was himself assassinated by his son Shi Chaoyi in 761, and Shi Chaoyi took the throne. After a Tang and Huige joint force again recaptured Luoyang in fall 762, Tian withdrew his force and joined Shi Chaoyi at Wei Prefecture (衛州, roughly modern Puyang, Henan) to fight against the Tang forces commanded by Pugu Huai'en, but Pugu defeated them, forcing them to further flee north. Yan generals began to desert Shi Chaoyi en masse, but for some time, Tian did not, and by the time around new year 762, he was under siege in Mo Prefecture (莫州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei) with Shi Chaoyi. He proposed to Shi Chaoyi that Shi Chaoyi head to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., the headquarters of Fanyang Circuit) to seek reinforcements, and that he would stay and defend Mo Prefecture. Shi Chaoyi agreed, but as soon as Shi Chaoyi left Mo Prefecture, Tian turned against him and surrendered Mo Prefecture to Tang, presenting Shi Chaoyi's empress dowager, empress, and children to Tang. Shi Chaoyi, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide in flight.