Liu Chong, Ruler of Northern Han: A Warlord of the Late Five Dynasties and a Historical Mirror in the Zizhi Tongjian

Brief Introduction

Liu Chong (later renamed Liu Min), courtesy name Yuanhui, was the founding monarch of Northern Han during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He was the younger brother of Liu Zhiyuan, the High Ancestor of Later Han. After the Later Han Emperor Yin, Liu Chengyou, was killed and the Later Han regime was usurped by Guo Wei to establish Later Zhou, Liu Chong proclaimed himself emperor in Bingzhou (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi) in the first year of Guangshun of Later Zhou (951 AD). The state name was Han, historically known as Northern Han. He was the only ruler of a separatist regime using "Han" as the state name at the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and the last legitimate claimant of the Five Dynasties recorded in the Zizhi Tongjian.

Core Knowledge Points

* Political Identity: Younger brother of Liu Zhiyuan, High Ancestor of Northern Han. After the fall of Later Han, he attempted to continue the Later Han legal tradition, claiming himself as the continuation of Later Han.
* Founding Process: In 951 AD, Guo Wei replaced Han to establish Zhou. Liu Chong rose in rebellion in Bingzhou. Due to insufficient military strength, he voluntarily submitted to Khitan (Liao). Emperor Taizong of Liao, Yelü Deguang, bestowed the surname Yelü and the name Enning upon him to help stabilize his regime.
* Name Change Event: After proclaiming himself emperor, Liu Chong avoided the taboo of his grandfather Liu Min (alternatively said to be avoiding the taboo of the Later Han High Ancestor), changing his name to Liu Min. This name change marked his formal establishment of the imperial position, but also reflected the chaos of patriarchal and taboo systems during the Five Dynasties.
* Diplomatic Strategy: Northern Han was weak in national power and relied long-term on Khitan military support to fight against Later Zhou and later the Northern Song. This strategy of "allying with Liao to resist Zhou" maintained the regime's survival but also made it a major obstacle for the northern expeditions of the Central Plains dynasty.

Connection with Zizhi Tongjian Content

In the Zizhi Tongjian, edited by Sima Guang, the deeds of Liu Chong are mainly concentrated in Volumes 293 to 296 (the Later Zhou Records section).

1. Legitimacy Argument: When recording Liu Chong's proclamation as emperor, the Zizhi Tongjian describes the background of his uprising in detail. Sima Guang, through the narration of Liu Chong's hostility toward Guo Wei of Later Zhou, reflected the complexity of the "legitimacy" disputes at the end of the Five Dynasties. Although Liu Chong proclaimed himself emperor, in the Tongjian system, Later Zhou was regarded as the legitimate regime inheriting the Later Han legal tradition, while Liu Chong was viewed as a separatist force.
2. War Records: The book records in detail the Battle of Gaoping (954 AD) between Liu Chong and Chai Rong, Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou. This was a key battle where Liu Chong allied with a large Khitan army to actively attack Later Zhou but was defeated by Chai Rong. The Zizhi Tongjian's description of this battle not only showcased Liu Chong's military ambition but also foreshadowed the eventual destruction of Northern Han.
3. Historical Evaluation: Sima Guang implicitly criticized Liu Chong's "reliance on Liao to boost his own weight" in his narration. After Liu Chong's death, the Tongjian recorded that his son succeeded him. Although Northern Han lasted until the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song before being destroyed, as the founder, Liu Chong's behavior of relying on foreign ethnic forces to fight against the Central Plains orthodoxy was often viewed as a representative of separatist forces from the perspective of Song historiography.

Conclusion

Liu Chong was a typical warlord in the chaotic times of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. His image in the Zizhi Tongjian is not only that of a royal family member attempting to restore Later Han but also a microcosm of the power struggle between the Central Plains regime and the Northern Khitan forces. By reading the relevant volumes of the Zizhi Tongjian, we can gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of the political landscape at the end of the Five Dynasties and the logic behind the rise and fall of the Northern Han regime.

Keywords: Northern Han, Liu Chong, Liu Min, Zizhi Tongjian, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Later Zhou, Khitan