Wang Jian (Former Shu)

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Gaozu of Former Shu ((前)蜀高祖) (847-918) is the posthumous name of the founding emperor of the Former Shu kingdom which was created from the ashes of the Later Tang Dynasty in 907. He was known as Wang Jian (王建) at birth and held the courtesy name of Guangtu (光圖).

[edit] Founding of the Former Shu

Wang Jian was named the military governor of western Sichuan in 891 by the Tang court. Over the next decade and a half, he expanded his holdings to not only include the remainder of Sichuan, but parts of neighboring provinces as well. As the Tang Dynasty collapsed in 907, Wang declared himself as the emperor of the Shu Kingdom.

[edit] Extant of Territory

Under Wang Jian, the Shu Kingdom controlled most of present-day Sichuan along with southern portions of Gansu and Shaanxi, western Hebei and all of present-day Chongqing.

[edit] Succession

Wang Jian died in 918 and was succeeded by his son, known as Wang Yan (check posthumous name). However, he was an incompetent ruler who saw the kingdom absorbed into the Later Tang Dynasty in 924.

[edit] References

Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press, 14-15. ISBN 0-674-01212-7.