Zhao Kuangning (趙匡凝)

Overview

Zhao Kuangning was a Military Commissioner and Warlord.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Guangyi	光儀	Guāngyí

Life and dates

Death

Killed · Authority Xu Wen (徐溫) · At Hailing 海陵
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 83
Killed at Hailing · Responsible Person Id Xu Wen (徐溫)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 169, 171

Attested activity

AD 908 開平二年十一月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 228, 230
AD 901 天復元年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 221
AD 905 Taizu's Xiangyang campaign
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 23, passages 6, 8
AD 905 二年八月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 22, passages 13, 15
AD 888 to AD 905 光啟四年至天祐二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 143, 160
AD 924 同光二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 31, passage 83

Show 8 more source-backed claims

AD 907 唐之末
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 16
AD 880 to AD 907 唐末
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 66
AD 901 to AD 905 天復中 to next year after
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 24, passages 18-19
AD 906 天祐三年六月甲申
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 22, passage 18
AD 907 天祐末
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 156
AD 905 to AD 907 太祖攻匡凝
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 75
AD 898 後從氏叔琮攻趙匡凝，下鄧州
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 22, passage 5
AD 905 趙匡凝之失荊、襄
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 80

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Zhao Kuangming (趙匡明)
younger brother 弟
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 80; New History of the Five Dynasties 23, passage 8; Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 155, 173; New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 67; New History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 16
Child of Zhao Dexin (趙德諲)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 142; New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passages 61, 66

Kinship Role brothers · Count 2
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 156
Kinship Role wife and children · Count 2
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 22, passage 15
brothers of one family 一門昆仲
Kinship Role brothers · Quantity plural
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230

Key source chapters

Career and standing

military commissioner of Jing-Xiang 荊襄節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 67
Xiangzhou military commissioner 襄州節度使
Confirmed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 147
Loyalty and Righteousness military commissioner 忠義節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 221
Xiang commander 襄帥
Held · At Xiangyang 襄陽
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 24, passage 18
Banished
Exile · At Hailing 海陵 · Authority Yang Wo (渥)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 83
Stripped of offices and titles
AD 905 天祐二年八月 · Authority the Founder (太祖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 161

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passages 68, 74
At Cai Prefecture 蔡州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 60
At Caizhou 蔡州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 141
At Guangling 廣陵 · Relation Fled to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passages 75, 77
At thousand li of rivers and mountains 千里江山 · Relation Held then lost
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230
At Xiangyang / Jing-Xiang 荊襄 · Relation Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 67

Learning and skills

Skill learning / scholarship 學問 · Level fond
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 69

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Yang Xingmi (楊行密)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passages 78-79
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Zhu Quanzhong (硃全忠)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 74
Speech · Speaker · Mode direct-speech Speaker Zhao Kuangning (趙匡凝) · With Yang Wo (楊渥)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 170
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Yang Wo (渥)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 82
Speech · Speaker · Mode direct-speech Speaker Zhao Kuangning (趙匡凝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 158

Events and relationships

Abandoned Xiangyang and fled after defeat by Yang Shihou
Military · Defeated commander · With Yang Shihou (楊師厚)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 23, passages 6-7
Defeated and fled
Military · Defender · At Xiangyang 襄陽
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 22, passage 15
Defeated
Military · Victor · With Lei Yiangong (雷彥恭) · At Jingnan 荊南
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 16
Fled to Wu
Travel · Fugitive
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 17
Fled to Yangzhou
Military · Defeated party · At Yangzhou 揚州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 24, passage 19
Fled to
Military · Defeated · With Yang Xingmi (楊行密)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 75

Show 5 more source-backed claims

Installed self
Military · Commander
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 66
Lost domain
Political · Ruler · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230
Lost prefecture
AD 898 攻趙匡凝，下鄧州 · Military · Defender · At Deng prefecture 鄧州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 22, passage 5
Lost
AD 905 趙匡凝之失荊、襄 · Military · Loser · At Jingzhou and Xiangzhou 荊、襄
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 80
Relation Ally of · Person Lei Yiangong (雷彥恭)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 221

Assessments and attributes

Assessment imposing, upright, severe; fond of learning; combined sternness with kindness · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 69
Assessment with his brothers held a thousand li of rivers and mountains but lost the frontier walls and could not sustain the burden—compared to Liu Biao's sons · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230
grand in bearing, fastidious in dress, and used large mirrors
Appearance and habit
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 149-150
very imposing bearing
Physical description
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 69
Item several thousand scrolls 數千卷 · Relation Collected; later seized from his residence
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 172
Item several thousand volumes of books 書數千卷 · Relation Collected
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 69

Source notes

with brother alone among circuits continued tribute to Tang without cease
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 41, passage 68

References in the histories

Search passages

History

49 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 17Volume 17 Book of Later Liang 17: Biographies 7: Cheng Rui, Du Hong, Tian Yun, Zhao Kuangning, Zhang Ji, Lei Man · 20 passages

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趙匡凝， Next was Zhao Kuangning,

〈（《新唐書》：匡凝字光儀。）〉 (The 《New Book of Tang》 gives his style as Guangyi.)〉

匡凝以父功為唐州刺史兼七州馬步軍都校。 Kuangning became Tang prefect inspector and overall commander of seven prefectures' horse and foot through his father's merit.

及德諲卒，匡凝自為襄州留後，朝廷即以旄鉞授之。 When Dexin died Kuangning made himself acting commissioner and received the court commission.

匡凝氣貌甚偉，好自修飾，每整衣冠，必使人持巨鑒前後照之。 Tall and vain, he had great mirrors held before and behind him whenever he dressed.

光化初，匡凝以太祖有清口之敗，密附於淮夷，太祖遣氏叔琮率師伐之。 Early in Guanghua, after the Founder's defeat at Qingkou, Kuangning secretly sided with the Huai rebels and the Founder sent Shi Shucong against him.

俄而康懷英攻下鄧州，匡凝懼，遣使乞盟，太祖許之，自是附庸於太祖。 Kang Huaiying took Deng; Kuangning sued for peace, the Founder agreed, and he became a vassal.

及成汭敗於鄂州，匡凝表其弟匡明為荊南留後。 After Cheng Rui fell at Ezhou, Kuangning had his brother Kuangming made acting Jingnan commissioner.

是時唐室微弱，諸道常賦多不上供，惟匡凝昆仲雖強據江山，然盡忠帝室，貢賦不絕。 While Tang weakened and most circuits withheld tribute, the Zhao brothers still sent loyal levies from their strongholds.

太祖將期受禪，以匡凝兄弟並據藩鎮，乃遣使先諭旨焉。 As the Founder prepared to take the throne, he sent envoys ahead to the Zhao brothers holding the frontier commands.

匡凝對使者流涕，答以受國恩深，豈敢隨時妄有他誌。 Kuangning wept before the envoy and said the state's grace was too deep for him to change sides with the times.

八月，太祖親領大軍南征，仍請削匡凝在身官爵。 Month 8 the Founder marched south in person and had Kuangning stripped of rank.

及師厚濟江，匡凝以兵數萬逆戰，大為師厚所敗，匡凝乃燔其舟，單舸急棹，沿漢而遁於金陵。 Shihou crossed the river; Kuangning met him with tens of thousands, was routed, burned his fleet, and fled alone up the Han to Jinling.

〈（《新唐書》云：師厚由陰穀伐木為梁，匡凝以兵二萬瀕江戰，大敗，乃燔州，單舸夜奔揚州。 (The 《New Book of Tang》 says Shihou bridged Yin Valley, Kuangning lost twenty thousand along the river, burned the prefecture, and fled by night to Yangzhou.

《歐陽史》云：行密厚遇匡凝，其後行密死，楊渥稍不禮之。 Ouyang's 《History》 says Xingmi treated Kuangning well, but after Xingmi's death Yang Wo grew rude to him.

渥方宴食青梅，匡凝顧渥曰：「勿多食，發小兒熱。」 At a feast Wo ate green plums; Kuangning warned, "Do not eat too many—they bring fever in children."

諸將以為慢，渥遣匡凝海陵，後為徐溫所殺。）〉 Officers took it as insult; Wo exiled him to Hailing, where Xu Wen later killed him.)〉

初，匡凝好聚書，及敗，楊師厚獲數千卷於第，悉以來獻。 Kuangning had loved books; after his defeat Shihou seized thousands of scrolls from his house and presented them to the Founder.

〈（《新唐書》：滿以天復元年卒，子彥威自立，弟彥恭結忠義節度使趙匡凝以逐彥威。）〉 (The New Tang History says: Man died in Tianfu 1; his son Yanwei established himself; Yanwei's younger brother Yiangong joined Loyalty and Righteousness military commissioner Zhao Kuangning to drive out Yanwei.)

匡凝一門昆仲，千里江山，失守藩垣，不克負荷，斯乃劉景升之子之徒歟！ The Kuangning brothers held a thousand li yet lost their domain and could not sustain it—were they not Liu Biao's sons reborn?

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 22Volume 22 Book of Later Liang 22: Biographies 12: Yang Shihou, Niu Cunjie, Wang Tan · 3 passages

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二年八月，太祖討趙匡凝於襄陽，命師厚統前軍以進，趙匡凝嚴兵以備。 In the eighth month of year 2 the Founder attacked Zhao Kuangning at Xiangyang and put Shihou at the head of the advance; Kuangning drew up in full strength.

一戰，趙匡凝敗散，攜妻子沿漢遁去。 One engagement broke Kuangning's army; he fled down the Han with his family.

〈（《舊唐書》：天祐三年六月甲申，敕：「襄州近因趙匡凝作帥，請別立忠義軍額，既非往製，固是縱權，忠義軍額宜停廢，依舊為山南東道節度使。」）〉 (The 《Old Book of Tang》 records that on jiashen in the sixth month of Tianyou 3 an edict declared: "Because Zhao Kuangning lately became commander at Xiangzhou and sought a separate Loyal and Righteous Army commission—neither the former institution nor anything but usurped authority—the Loyal and Righteous Army title should be abolished and Xiang restored to the Shannan East Circuit military commissioner.")

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 24Volume 24 Book of Later Liang 24: Biographies 14: Li Ting, Lu Ceng, Sun Zhi, Zhang Jun, Zhang Yan, Du Xunhe, Luo Yin, Chou Yin, Duan Shen · 2 passages

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未幾，襄帥趙匡凝復奏為掌記，入為左補闕。 Soon Xiang commander Zhao Kuangning again named him chief recorder; he entered court as Left Supplementation Censor.

又明年，太祖為元帥，以襄陽貳於己，率兵擊破之，趙匡凝奔揚州，太祖復署珽為天平軍掌書記。 The next year, as commander-in-chief, the Founder attacked disloyal Xiangyang, broke it, and drove Zhao Kuangning to Yangzhou; he again made Ting secretary of the Tianping army.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

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〈（《五代會要》：太常禮院奏：「李茂貞封冊之命，宜準故襄州節度使趙匡凝之例施行。 (The 《Institutions of the Five Dynasties》 says the sacrifice office memorialized, "For Li Maozhen's enfeoffment patent, Zhao Kuangning's precedent should be followed.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 2 passages

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天祐末，節度使趙匡凝昆季深禮遇之，師授保養之道。 At the end of Tianyou the Zhao brothers, military commissioners of the region, honored him deeply and studied the arts of nurturing life under him.

梁攻襄陽，匡凝兄弟棄鎮奔蜀，寂偕行。 When Liang attacked Xiangyang, the Kuangning brothers abandoned their post and fled to Shu, and Ji went with them.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 136Volume 136: Biographies of Usurpers 3: Wang Jian, Meng Zhixiang · 1 passage

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趙匡凝之失荊、襄也，弟匡明以其幹奔蜀，建因得夔、峽、忠、萬等州。 When Zhao Kuangning lost Jingzhou and Xiangzhou, his younger brother Kuangming fled to Shu with his staff. Wang Jian thereby gained Kuizhou, Xiazhou, Zhongzhou, Wanzhou, and others.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 22Volume 22 Later Liang Biographies 2: Kang Huaiying, Liu Xun, Niu Cunjie, Zhang Guiba, Wang Zhongshi, Xu Huaiyu · 1 passage

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後從氏叔琮攻趙匡凝，下鄧州。 Later he followed Shi Shucong against Zhao Kuangning and captured Deng prefecture.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 23Volume 23 Later Liang Biographies 3: Yang Shihou, Wang Jingren, He Gui, Wang Tan, Ma Sixun, Wang Qianyu, Xie Yanzhang · 3 passages

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太祖攻趙匡凝於襄陽，遣師厚為先鋒。 Taizu of Liang struck Zhao Kuangning at Xiangyang and put Shihou in the van.

師厚取谷城西童山木為浮橋，渡漢水，擊匡凝，敗之，匡凝棄城走。 Shihou felled timber on Tong Mountain west of the valley city, bridged the Han, smashed Kuangning, and drove him from the city.

師厚進攻荊南，又走匡凝弟匡明，功為多，拜山南東道節度使、同中書門下平章事。 Shihou pushed into Jingnan and routed Kuangning’s brother Kuangming; for that he was made military governor of Shannan East Circuit and co-equal grand councilor.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 41Volume 41 Miscellaneous Biographies 21: Lu Guangchou, Tan Quanbo, Lei Man, Zhong Chuan, Zhao Kuangning · 14 passages

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趙匡凝 Zhao Kuangning

趙匡凝，字光儀，蔡州人也。 Zhao Kuangning, styled Guangyi, came from Cai Prefecture.

德諲卒，子匡凝自立。 Dexin died, and Kuangning seized power for himself.

是時，成汭死，雷彥恭襲取荊南，匡凝遣其弟匡明逐彥恭，太祖表匡凝荊襄節度使，以匡明為荊南留後。 Cheng Ru was dead and Lei Yan’gong had taken Jingnan. Kuangning sent his brother Kuangming to expel him. Zhu Wen made Kuangning commissioner of Jing-Xiang and Kuangming acting governor of Jingnan.

是時，唐衰，藩鎮不復奉朝廷，獨匡凝兄弟貢賦不絕。 Tang was failing and the warlords had stopped paying the court—only the Kuangning brothers still sent tribute without fail.

匡凝為人氣貌甚偉，性方嚴，喜自修飾，頗好學問，聚書數千卷，為政有威惠。 Kuangning was tall and stern, fastidious about his dress, fond of books, and kept libraries in the thousands. He ruled with iron and with mercy.

晉王李克用遣人以書幣假道於匡凝，以聘於楊行密，求歸儼等。 Li Keyong of Jin sent envoys with letters and gifts to ask passage through Kuangning’s lands and an audience with Yang Xingmi, seeking Yan and his men back.

是時，梁已破兗、鄆，遣氏叔琮、康懷英等攻匡凝，叔琮取泌、隨二州，懷英取鄧州，匡凝懼，請盟，乃止。 Liang had already taken Yan and Yun. Zhu Wen sent Shi Shuzong and Kang Huaiying against Kuangning. Shuzong seized Bi and Sui; Huaiying took Deng. Kuangning sued for peace, and the assault stopped.

太祖弒昭宗，將謀代唐，畏匡凝兄弟不從，遣使告之，匡凝對使者流涕答曰：「受唐恩深，不敢妄有佗誌。」 When Zhu Wen killed Zhaozong and moved to take the throne, he feared the Kuangning brothers would refuse him. He sent word ahead. Kuangning wept before the envoys and said: “Tang’s kindness to me runs deep. I dare not dream of any other allegiance.”

太祖遣楊師厚攻之，太祖以兵殿漢北，匡凝戰敗，以輕舟奔於楊行密。 Zhu Wen sent Yang Shihou against him and marched in person on the Han north. Kuangning broke, took a light boat, and fled to Yang Xingmi.

匡凝至廣陵，行密見之，戲曰：「君在鎮時，輕車重馬，歲輸於梁，今敗乃歸我乎？」 At Guangling Yang Xingmi greeted him with a jest: “In your own domain you sent light carts and heavy horses every year to Liang. Broken now, you run to me?”