Qin Zongquan
| Qin Zongquan | |||||
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| Reign | 885 – 888/889 | ||||
| Born | Unknown | ||||
| Died | April 1, 889 | ||||
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Qin Zongquan (秦宗權) (died April 1, 889) was a warlord of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and later a claimant to the imperial throne, in competition with Emperor Xizong of Tang and, later, Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong, with his capital at Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian, Henan). At Qin's prime, he controlled most of modern Henan and parts of modern Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu, but he was eventually repeatedly defeated by the Tang general Zhu Quanzhong. His subordinates turned against him and delivered him to the Tang capital Chang'an, where he was executed.
It is not known when Qin Zongquan was born. His family was from Cai Prefecture, which, at the start of his known career, was part of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan), and Qin served as an officer at Zhongwu's capital Xu Prefecture (許州). In late 880, when the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao was poised to cross the Huai River north to attack the center of Tang Dynasty territory, then-military governor (Jiedushi) of Zhongwu, Xue Neng (薛能), sent Qin to try to contain Huang's advance. However, Xue was then killed in a mutiny led by Zhou Ji. Hearing of Xue's death, Qin expelled the prefect of Cai Prefecture and seized it. When Emperor Xizong subsequently commissioned Zhou as Zhongwu's military governor, Zhou made Qin the prefect of Cai Prefecture.
Subsequently, Huang captured the Tang imperial capital Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu. Huang established a new state of Qi as its emperor. Zhou initially submitted to Huang, but by summer 881 had been persuaded by the Tang eunuch general Yang Fuguang into redeclaring allegiance to Tang. Yang also persuaded Qin to send forces to participate in the campaign against Huang, and Qin sent 3,000 men, under the command of his officer Wang Shu (王淑) to join Yang's army. (Finding Wang insubordinate, however, Yang executed Wang and seized his troops.) Under Yang's suggestion, later in the year, Emperor Xizong created a new Fengguo Circuit out of Cai Prefecture and made Qin its defender (防禦使, Fangyushi). At a later point, Emperor Xizong gave Qin the greater title of military governor.
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