Huang Chao

Huang Chao (835 – July 13, 884) was a wealthy Chinese salt trader and soldier. He is best remembered for starting the Huang Chao Rebellion, which shook the Tang dynasty. In 878, he declared himself emperor and created a new Qi dynasty.

Before his rebellion, Huang Chao worked for many years as a salt trader. He later joined another rebel named Wang Xianzhi but then split away to lead his own group. His army moved south and captured the important city of Guangzhou.

In 881, Huang Chao's forces took the Tang capital, Chang'an, forcing the Emperor Xizong of Tang to run away. Huang Chao ruled there for almost four years. However, he was finally defeated by Tang forces led by a leader named Li Keyong, a Shatuo chieftain, in 883. After losing many battles, Huang Chao disappeared. Some stories say he was killed by his own nephew, while others suggest he escaped safely with his family.

Background

The Tang dynasty, which began in 618 A.D., was getting weaker over time. Even though it had some victories, like beating a group in Mongolia, it was struggling. A big problem came with a rebellion led by a man named Huang Chao between 874 and 884. This rebellion really hurt the Tang dynasty.

Huang Chao came from a family that made money by trading salt without government permission. He was good with a sword and could ride and shoot arrows. Because he was rich, he gathered people who were in trouble to help him. He tried to do well in government tests but failed, so he decided to fight against the government instead.

As Emperor of Qi

In 881, Huang Chao entered the Tang palace in Chang'an and declared himself emperor of a new state called Qi. He made his wife, Lady Cao, the empress and appointed some people as leaders in his government. Huang asked Tang officials to work for him, but those who refused were removed.

Tang forces, led by Li Keyong, eventually fought against Huang’s army. In 883, Huang could no longer defend Chang'an and had to leave the city and flee eastward. Later, Huang was killed by his own nephew, Lin Yan, who then tried to surrender to another leader named Shi Pu. However, Lin Yan was also killed on his way to Shi Pu’s camp.

Poetry

Huang Chao wrote some poems that were very expressive, even when talking about strong feelings like anger. One of his lines was, "The capital's full of golden armored soldiers." This poem described his plans for rebellion. Later, this phrase was used as the Chinese name for the 2006 film Curse of the Golden Flower. The Hongwu Emperor, who started the Ming dynasty many years later, also wrote a poem that was quite similar.