#101 - AnShi 1: Heart & Belly, Claws & Teeth

The History of China

Chris Stewart

History

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2016

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The aged Emperor Xuanzong of Tang rest uneasily on his throne as 751 brings not just the sting of defeat at Talas, but also to the far south and northeast. He and his chancellor will become increasingly reliant on the Governor-General of Dongan Protectorate, the Sogdian-Turk An Lushan. But at a time when loyalty, ethnicity, and what it means to be Chinese is increasingly strained, how much pressure can the system take before it snaps? Time Period Covered: 751-755 CE Major Historical Figures: Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) Chancellor Li Linfu (d. 753) Chancellor Yang Guozhong Consort Yang Huiyuan Crowned Prince Li Heng An Lushan, Governor-General of the Andong Protectorate Geshu Han, Governor-General of the Anbei Protectorate An Qingzong (Gen. An’s eldest son and heir) Sources Cited: Abramson, Marc S. (2008). Ethnic Identity in Tang China. Chamney, Lee (2012). “The An Shi Rebellion and Rejection of the Other in Tang China, 618-763.” University of Alberta. Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1976). “The An Lu-Shan Rebellion and the Origins of Chronic Militarism in Late T’ang China” in Essays on Tʻang Society: The Interplay of Social, Political and Economic Forces. Twitchett, Denis. “End of the Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3. De la Vaissière, Étienne, (tr.) James Ward (2002). Sogdian Traders: A History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast.
0:05.0	This episode is brought to you by Pepsi Max.
0:09.0	Christmas is great, but there's loads of ways to make it better
0:13.0	like sneaking some chili into the gravy for some extra oms
0:17.0	or building a playlist that will even get your none up on the table.
0:21.0	Or just cracking open an ice cold Pepsi Max. the Thomas Daly, whom you may know as the voice of the American biography
0:35.2	podcast, also produces another show, the Agora Exchange, in which he
0:39.8	interviews other like-minded podcasters, like, wouldn't you know it, me? If you'd care to hear
0:45.0	Tom and I talk about being a foreigner in China, daily life in the Middle Kingdom, a bit
0:49.3	more personal info about me and the perils of marketing Chinese history to a Western audience, I invite you to join
0:54.8	us over at episode 7 of The Exchange, which you can find on iTunes by searching for
0:59.6	Agora Podcast Network, or of course through Agora's own website the Agora Podcast Network.
1:05.0	Thanks and enjoy the show. Hello and welcome to the history of China. Episode 101, Heart and Belli, Claws and Teeth.
1:26.6	We are back today with our main narrative.
1:29.9	When last we left the Tang Empire, the aged Schwenzon still sat on the throne. But as decades of stability
1:36.2	and military adventurism had hit an unexpected speed bump in the form of the Chinese defeat
1:41.4	at the Tallas River, far to the west in Transoxiana against the
1:45.1	ascendant of Assid Caliphate.
1:47.5	It had been a defeat that, while embarrassing, had been almost casually brushed off as inconsequential at the time and by both parties.
1:55.0	Well, if Tallis was a barely registered speed bump, today the school bus that is the Tung
2:01.2	Dynasty is going to slam into the median and then
2:03.8	careen off of a sheer cliff face while bursting into flames. And just a quick note
	...

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