An Lushan

An Lushan was a Tang dynasty general of Sogdian and Turkic ancestry who launched a major rebellion against the dynasty in 755 and died in 757.

Tang dynasty: A Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 618 to 907, noted for its political power and cultural influence. An Lushan rose within its military system and rebelled against its court.
An Lushan Rebellion: A civil war that began in 755 when An Lushan rebelled against the Tang dynasty and continued after his death. This conflict was the campaign An Lushan initiated and briefly led.
Shi Siming: A rebel general who continued the war against the Tang after An Lushan's death. Shi Siming became the rebellion's leading commander and later ruler of Yan.
Tang dynasty decline: The gradual weakening of Tang central authority before the dynasty's fall in 907. The rebellion accelerated political and military changes that weakened the dynasty.
Sogdians: An Iranian-speaking people of Central Asia whose merchants and communities linked China with western Eurasia. An Lushan's Sogdian ancestry connected him to communities active along the Tang frontier.
Jiedushi: A Tang regional military governor with authority over troops and, increasingly, civil and fiscal affairs. An Lushan's jiedushi commands concentrated the forces that made his revolt possible.
An Qingxu: An Lushan's son, who succeeded him as ruler of Yan after arranging his father's death. An Qingxu's palace coup ended An Lushan's personal rule in 757.
Huang Chao Rebellion: A large-scale uprising that severely weakened the Tang dynasty in the late ninth century. It provides a later comparison for how rebellion could erode Tang rule.
Tang dynasty military system: The institutions, commands, and forces through which the Tang state organized its armies. Frontier command appointments gave An Lushan the troops and authority needed to challenge the court.
Luoyang: A major Chinese city that served as a capital and political center in several dynastic periods. An Lushan captured Luoyang and established his rebel regime there.

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