Zhang Guangcheng (張光晟)

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhang Guangcheng as a general, military officer, official, and rebel. This record brings together 19 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhang Guangcheng	張光晟	Zhang Guangcheng
Given	Guangcheng	光晟
Surname	Zhang	張
Personal name	Zhang Guangcheng	張光晟	Zhāng Guāngchéng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiutangshu:131:s0029

Roles

General
Military Officer
Official
Rebel

Life and dates

Death

Manner: executed
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0061

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 天寶末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 755 · End: AD 756
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0030
Source Date: Text: 建中元年 · Western Year: AD 780
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0048
Source Date: Text: 建中四年 · Western Year: AD 783
Explicit event contextual date · jiutangshu:131:s0054, jiutangshu:131:s0006

Career and standing

Label: Protector-General of Chanyu / 單於都護 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0045

Places and affiliations

Place: Zhouzhi in Jingzhao / 京兆盩厔
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0029

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0034, jiutangshu:131:s0035

Events and relationships

Kind: massacre · Role: commander · Action: killed · Other Person Id: Tumidu (突董) · Place: Zhenwu / 振武
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0050
Relation: sworn-brother-of · Person Id: Wang Silu (王思禮)
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0041

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: offered sincere allegiance in peril · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiutangshu:131:s0220

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 131Volume 127 Biographies 77: Yao Lingyan, Zhang Guangcheng, Yuan Xiu, Qiao Lin, Zhang She, Jiang Zhen, Hong Jinglun, Peng Yan · 19 passages

Open chapter

張光晟，京兆盩厔人，起於行間。 Zhang Guangcheng was a native of Zhouzhi in Jingzhao; he rose from the ranks.

天寶末，哥舒翰兵敗潼關，大將王思禮所乘馬中流矢而斃，光晟時在騎卒之中，因下，以馬授思禮。 At the end of the Tianbao era, when Geshu Han was defeated at Tong Pass, the horse of Grand General Wang Sil encountered a stray arrow midstream and collapsed. Guangcheng was then among the mounted soldiers; he dismounted and gave his horse to Sil.

光晟時隸雲京麾下，因間進曰：「光晟素有德於王司空，比不言諸，恥以舊恩受賞。 Guangcheng was then under Yunjing's command; he privately said: "I once did a kindness for Vice Minister Wang and have not spoken of it, ashamed to receive reward for an old favor.

今使君憂迫，光晟請奉命一見司空，則使君之難可解。」 Now that my lord is in distress, let Guangcheng beg leave to see the Vice Minister once—then your lordship's difficulty can be resolved."

光晟遂陳潼關之事，思禮大喜，因執其手感泣曰：「吾有今日，子之力也。 Guangcheng then recounted the affair at Tong Pass. Sil rejoiced greatly, took his hand, and wept: "That I have this day is your doing.

光晟遂述雲京之屈，思禮曰：「雲京比涉謗言，過亦不細，今為故人，特舍之矣。」 Guangcheng then explained Yunjing's grievance. Sil said: "Yunjing's recent involvement in slander was no small fault, but for your sake as an old friend I shall specially overlook it."

即日擢光晟為兵馬使，賚田宅、縑帛甚厚，累奏特進，試太常少卿，委以心腹。 That same day he promoted Guangcheng to headquarters commander of troops, gave him fields, mansions, and silks in great quantity, repeatedly memorialized for his extraordinary advancement, appointed him provisional Vice Minister of Ceremonies, and entrusted him as a confidant.

及雲京為河東節度使，又奏光晟為代州刺史。 When Yunjing became military governor of Hedong, he again memorialized to make Guangcheng prefect of Dai.

光晟既受命，至鎮，威令甚行。 Once Guangcheng had received his commission and reached his post, his authority and commands were sternly enforced.

光晟訝其裝橐頗多，潛令驛吏以長錐刺之，則皆輦歸所誘致京師婦人也。 Guangcheng was surprised that their baggage was so ample; he secretly ordered relay clerks to pierce the loads with long awls, and in every case they found women whom the Uighurs had lured to the capital.

遂給突董及所領徒悉令赴宴，酒酣，光晟伏甲盡拘而殺之，死者千余人，唯留二胡歸國復命。 He then invited Tumidu and all his followers to a banquet; when the wine had gone deep he concealed armed men who seized and killed them all—more than a thousand dead. Only two barbarians were left alive and sent home to report.