On This Day
908 – Emperor Zhu Wen of Later Liang has Li Zhu, the last Tang Dynasty emperor, poisoned.
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (後梁太祖), personal name Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠) (852–912), né Zhu Wen (朱溫), name later changed to Zhu Huang (朱晃), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, “the third Zhu”), was a Jiedushi (military governor) and warlord who in 907 overthrew the Tang dynasty and established the Later Liang as its emperor, ushering in the era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The last two Tang emperors, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang and Emperor Ai of Tang, who “ruled” as his puppets from 903 to 907, were both murdered by him.
Zhu Wen initially served as a general under the rebel Huang Chao, but wisely defected to the weakened Tang dynasty in 882. Taking advantage of the total chaos in the wake of Huang Chao’s defeat, Zhu Wen was able to conquer much of central China after destroying warlords like Qin Zongquan, Shi Pu, Zhu Xuan, and Zhu Jin, although most of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei remained outside his reach, controlled by rival states Qi, Jin, and Yan respectively. Most of his later campaigns were directed at the Shatuo-ruled Jin state (later to become the Later Tang) based in Shanxi, but they mostly ended in failure due to the resourcefulness of the Jin leaders, Li Keyong and his son Li Cunxu. Due to his emphasis on unifying the north Taizu was not able to make any inroads into southern China, which came to be controlled by about seven different states, although the rulers in the south largely were nominally submissive to him with the exception of Yang Wu and Former Shu.
An outstanding micromanager, Zhu Wen used a combination of strict enforcement, ruthless violence and solicitation to ensure his officers stayed loyal to him. Zhu Wen was also a notorious sexual predator who raped not only the wives of his officers Yang Chongben and Zhang Quanyi, but also his own daughters-in-law. Zhu Wen’s reign came to an end in 912 when he was murdered in his palace by his son Zhu Yougui, whom he begot with a prostitute.
Born On This Day
1633 – Mary Beale, British artist (d. 1699)
Mary Beale (née Cradock; late March 1633 – 8 October 1699) was one of the most successful professional female Baroque-era portrait painters of the late 17th century due to her perseverance of her business. Praised by Richard Gibson and court painter Peter Lely, she is considered as successful as Joan Carlile.[citation needed] Joan Carlile was also an English portrait painter, who was one of the first women to practise painting professionally. Mary Beale managed to be the financial provider for her family through her professional portrait business. Her book Observations, though never officially published, was one of the first instructional books ever written by a woman, and boldly announced her authority on painting. Mary Beale stood apart from other women due to her outspokenness and successful business that allowed her to be the breadwinner of the family.
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- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 22 October 22, 2024Picture of the day The picturesque Manarola village is one of 5 villages in the Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy. The village is situated in a sheltered cove in the rugged coastline. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for October 21 October 21, 2024Picture of the day Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), female with her young. In Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. This is a subspecies of the Asian elephant.
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