Sui and Tang · Military Governor and Elder Brother of Wang Shenzhi

Wang Chao 王潮

Wáng Cháo

First attested AD 881; died AD 897

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Chao was a Military Governor and Elder Brother of Wang Shenzhi.

Life and dates

Death

AD 897 乾寧四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 15

Attested activity

AD 892 景福元年
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 181-182
AD 886 光啟二年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 180
AD 897 乾寧四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 15
AD 881 to AD 885 唐末
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 4

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Wang Shenzhi (王審知)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 3
Child of Ren (恁)
father 父 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 2-3

Career and standing

Quanzhou prefect 泉州刺史
AD 886 光啟二年 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 180
company commander 軍校
AD 881 to AD 885 唐末 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 4
Fujian observation commissioner 福建觀察使
AD 892 景福元年後 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 185
county clerk 縣史
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 3
Installed
Army leader
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 178

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 185
At Gushi in Guang Prefecture 光州固始
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 1, 3

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 9-10, 183

Events and relationships

Besieged and captured
AD 886 光啟二年前逾年 · Military · Commander · With Liao Yanruo (廖彥若) · At Quanzhou 泉州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 179
Enrolled
AD 881 to AD 885 唐末 · Military · Recruit · With Wang Xu (王緒)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 4
Installed as leader
Political · Leader
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 178
Seized and deposed
Political · Conspirator · With Wang Xu (王緒) · At Nan'an 南安
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 9, 12, 177

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 68Volume 68: Hereditary House of Min · 13 passages

兄潮，為縣史。 His elder brother Chao held the post of county clerk.

唐末群盜起，壽州人王緒攻陷固始，緒聞潮兄弟材勇，召置軍中，以潮為軍校。 When the Tang dynasty was collapsing and rebels swarmed the realm, a man from Shou Prefecture named Wang Xu seized Gushi. Hearing of the Chao brothers' courage and ability, Xu enrolled them in his forces and appointed Chao a company commander.

緒性猜忌，部將有材能者，多因事殺之，潮頗自懼。 Xu was suspicious by temperament and routinely found excuses to kill capable subordinates. Chao began to fear for his life.

軍次南安，潮說其前鋒將曰：「吾屬棄墳墓、妻子而為盜者，為緒所脅爾，豈其本心哉！ When the army encamped at Nan'an, Chao addressed the vanguard commander: "We left our ancestors' graves and our families behind to live as outlaws only because Xu forced us—surely that was never what we wanted!

前鋒將大悟，與潮相持而泣。 The vanguard commander was deeply moved; he and Chao clung to each other and wept.

緒已見廢，前鋒將曰：「生我者潮也。」 With Xu deposed, the vanguard commander declared, "Chao gave me life."

乃推潮為主。 They then made Chao their leader.

是時，泉州刺史廖彥若為政貪暴，泉人苦之，聞潮略地至其境，而軍行整肅，其耆老相率遮道留之，潮即引兵圍彥若，逾年克之。 Quanzhou prefect Liao Yanruo ruled with greed and cruelty, and the people hated him. When they heard that Chao's army had reached their borders and marched with discipline, elders blocked the road and begged him to stay. Chao besieged Yanruo and captured the city after more than a year.

光啟二年，福建觀察使陳巖表潮泉州刺史。 In the second year of the Guangqi era, Fujian observation commissioner Chen Yan recommended Chao for Quanzhou prefect.

潮遣審知攻暉，久不克，士卒傷死甚眾，審知請班師，潮不許。 Chao sent Shenzhi to besiege Hui, but the city held out for a long time and casualties mounted. Shenzhi asked to withdraw; Chao refused.

又請潮自臨軍，且益兵，潮報曰：「兵與將俱盡，吾當自往。」 Shenzhi then asked Chao to take command in person and send more troops. Chao answered, "When soldiers and generals are all exhausted, I shall come myself."

唐即以潮為福建觀察使，潮以審知為副使。 The Tang court promptly appointed Chao Fujian observation commissioner and made Shenzhi his deputy.

乾寧四年，潮卒，審知代立。 In the fourth year of the Qianning era, Chao died and Shenzhi took his place as leader.