Guo Wei
| Guo Wei | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor Taizu of (Later) Zhou (more...) | |||||||||||||||||
an illustration from Sancai Tuhui (1609)
|
|||||||||||||||||
| 1st emperor of Later Zhou | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 13 February 951 – 22 February 954 | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Chai Rong (Emperor Shizong), nephew of 1st wife | ||||||||||||||||
| Born |
10 September 904 modern Longyao County, Hebei |
||||||||||||||||
| Died | 22 February 954 (aged 49) modern Kaifeng, Henan |
||||||||||||||||
| Burial | in modern Xinzheng, Henan 34°32′17.95″N 113°41′55.90″E / 34.5383194°N 113.6988611°E | ||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
|
||||||||||||||||
| Issue Among others |
Daughter (m. Zhang Yongde) | ||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Father | Guo Jian (郭簡) | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Lady Wang (王氏) | ||||||||||||||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
|
Surname: Guō () Given name: Wēi () Courtesy name: Wénzhòng () |
|
| Era dates | |
| Guǎngshùn (), began on 13 February 951 Year 1: 9 February 951 – 29 January 952 Year 2: 30 January 952 – 17 January 953 Year 3: 18 January 953 – 5 February 954 Xiǎndé () Year 1: 6 February 954 – 26 January 955 |
|
| Posthumous name | |
| Emperor Shèngshén Gōngsù Wénwǔ Xiào () | |
| Temple name | |
| Tàizǔ (; "Grand Progenitor") |
| Guo Wei | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Guō Wēi |
| Wade–Giles | Kuo1 Wei1 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | Gwok3 Wai1 |
| Southern Min | |
| Hokkien POJ | Kok Ui |
Guo Wei (郭威) (10 September 904 – 22 February 954), also known by his temple name Taizu (太祖), was the founding emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Zhou during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 951 until his death.
Nicknamed "Sparrow Guo" (郭雀兒) for a sparrow-shaped tattoo on his neck, he rose to high position in the Later Han as an assistant military commissioner. He founded the Later Zhou in 951.
When Guo Wei was born in 904 in Yaoshan (堯山; in modern Longyao County, Hebei), the Tang Dynasty had disintegrated into regions controlled by warlords fighting amongst one other. Guo was just a toddler when his family moved to Taiyuan (in modern Shanxi), as his father Guo Jian (郭簡) became the prefect (刺史) of Shunzhou (順州, modern Shunyi District, Beijing), serving the Taiyuan-based warlord Li Keyong. Shortly afterwards, Guo Jian was killed by warlord Liu Rengong's forces which conquered Shunzhou, and before Guo Wei's deciduous teeth fell off his mother Lady Wang (王氏) also died. Orphaned, the young boy was raised by a distant relative Lady Han (韓氏).
Guo Wei grew up into a muscular young man interested more in warfare than agriculture. He was also fond of drinking and gambling and frequently participated in brawls. When he was around 17, to escape arrest he went to live with an acquaintance Gentleman Chang (常氏) in Huguan close to Luzhou (潞州, modern Changzhi, Shanxi), shortly before joining the army of Luzhou's interim regent (留後) Li Jitao. Li Jitao was serving Jin, ruled by Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, but actually plotting to defect to the Later Liang, Jin's archenemy. He was therefore more interested in recruiting brave and talented soldiers than enforcing the law, so when an inebriated Guo stabbed a menacing marketplace butcher to death following an argument, he let Guo walk free, eventually summoning Guo back to serve him.
...
Wikipedia