Jiedushi

A military governor in imperial China who commanded regional troops and often held civil authority. Jiedushi became especially powerful during the Tang dynasty, when some governed their territories with substantial autonomy.

Fanzhen: A semi-autonomous military governorship or territory in the late Tang dynasty, often ruled by a jiedushi. These regional commands gave jiedushi the troops and administrative base behind their autonomy.
An Lushan: A Tang military governor who led a major rebellion against the dynasty beginning in 755. His career shows how a frontier jiedushi could become powerful enough to challenge the emperor.
Gao Pian: A late Tang military governor known for campaigning against Huang Chao and later losing control of his forces. His career illustrates the unstable authority of a jiedushi amid late Tang rebellions.
Civil service examination: A system of competitive examinations used to select officials for Chinese imperial governments. Exam-selected officials represented a different route to authority than command over regional troops.
Tang dynasty: A Chinese dynasty that ruled from 618 to 907, with a brief restoration in 690–705. Tang rulers created and expanded the military governorships that jiedushi commanded.
Tang frontier defense: The military organization used by the Tang dynasty to guard its borders and manage frontier regions. Frontier pressures encouraged the court to appoint commanders with authority over troops and territory.
Li Keyong: A Shatuo military leader and jiedushi who became a major power in northern China near the end of the Tang dynasty. His regional command became the foundation for a successor state after Tang fell.
Tang chancellors: Senior central-government officials who advised Tang emperors and directed imperial administration. Chancellors exercised court authority, unlike jiedushi whose power rested on regional military forces.
An Lushan Rebellion: A devastating rebellion against the Tang dynasty led by An Lushan and his successor Shi Siming from 755 to 763. An Lushan’s rebellion exposed how a jiedushi could turn regional military power against the court.
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: The Tang emperor who ruled from 712 to 756, during the dynasty’s height and the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion. His reign saw regional military governors gain influence before the rebellion began.

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