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Meng Zhixiang

Meng Zhixiang (孟知祥) (874–934) was a Chinese general and later founder of the later shu kingdom, one of the Ten Kingdoms of the five dynasties and ten kingdoms period, in 934.

Service under the later tang

Meng Zhixiang was an army commander under the later tang (923–936), which was in control of northern China. He commanded the forces that overthrew the Shu Kingdom in 925, incorporating the kingdom into the later tang. Meng remained in Chengdu as the military governor, all the while plotting the overthrow of later tang authority and naming himself emperor.

Founder of the later shu

Meng Zhixiang got his chance to realize his ambitions as the later tang was going through a period of decline in the mid-930s. The later tang's relations with the Khitan had soured and in general, domestic governance within the dynasty had declined. In 934, Meng declared himself emperor, restoring the Shu Kingdom that he helped to overthrow less than a decade earlier.

Legacy

Although Meng Zhixiang did not reign long as emperor as he died the following year, his son, Meng Chang reigned very ably for three decades until the song dynasty incorporated the later shu into its domains during the process of reunifying the Chinese realm. Chengdu became a center of art and culture, especially the Amidst the Flowers Anthology and its importance in the development of ci (lyric poetry).

Last update 18-06-2012

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