Liu Zhiqian


Liu Qian or Liu Zhiqian , posthumously honored by Southern Han as Emperor Shengwu with the temple name of Daizu, was an army officer of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty's Qinghai Circuit. Liu Qian, due to his accomplishments, came to hold Lingnan East's Feng Prefecture as its prefect, and build up his army strength there, eventually, after his death, allowing his son Liu Yin to take over all of Qinghai Circuit and then for Liu Yin's younger brother Liu Yan to establish a new state of Southern Han.

Background

The traditional sources conflict about Liu Qian's family origins, but what they agreed on was that he came from what was then considered meager social station. According to the New Book of Tang, he was from Shangcai, but came to reside at Feng Prefecture due to disturbances in his home region. According to the History of the Five Dynasties, his father — referred to as Liu Ren'an — came to reside in the Lingnan region after serving as the secretary general of Chao Prefecture. According to the New History of the Five Dynasties, his father — referred to as Liu Anren — was originally from Shangcai and took refuge in the Min region, later becoming a merchant who settled down in the Lingnan region. Regardless of how he came to be in the region, he eventually became a low-level army officer in the Qinghai Circuit army. Despite his low social station, the military governor of the region, Wei Zhou, was impressed by Liu's talents, and decided to give his niece to Liu in marriage. When Wei's wife objected, Wei stated, "This man is no ordinary man. Perhaps one day my descendants could depend on him." Subsequently, Liu distinguished himself in campaigns against agrarian rebels.
In 879, the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao overrun Lingnan East's capital Guang Prefecture. After Huang abandoned it in 880, the region was left in confusion. Liu Qian took this opportunity to take control of Feng Prefecture. In 883, then-reigning Emperor Xizong commissioned Liu as the prefect of Feng and the defender of Heshui Base.

Governance of Feng Prefecture

As the prefect of Feng, it was said that Liu Qian welcomed refugees, governed appropriately, and built up his army strength. It was not long after that he built his army to the size of over 10,000 men and possessed a good number of warships, and his prefecture was pacified. When he subsequently grew ill, he summoned his sons, and stated to them:
After Liu Qian died in 894, his soldiers supported his son Liu Yin as their leader. Then-military governor of the circuit Liu Chonggui thereafter recommended Liu Yin to Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, and Emperor Zhaozong commissioned Liu Yin as the prefect of Feng to replace Liu Qian.

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