Zhang Shicheng
| Zhang Shicheng | |||||
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| King of Dazhou | |||||
| Reign | 1354 - 1367 | ||||
| Predecessor | None, Emperor Huizong as Emperor of the Yuan dynasty | ||||
| Successor | None, the Hongwu Emperor as Emperor of the Ming dynasty | ||||
| Born | 1321 | ||||
| Died | 1367 (aged 45–46) | ||||
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| House | Zhou | ||||
| House | House | ||||
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Family name: Zhang (张) Given name: Sicheng (士诚) |
Zhang Shicheng (simplified Chinese: 张士诚; traditional Chinese: 張士誠; pinyin: Zhāng Shìchéng) （1321－1367）was one of the leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion in the late Yuan dynasty of China. Later he established the Kingdom of Dazhou with reigning name Tianyou (天佑).
Zhang Shicheng was born in what's today the city of Dafeng (), Taizhou prefecture, Jiangsu Province. He came from a family of salt shippers, and he himself started out in this trade in Northern Jiangsu, transporting both "legal" and "contraband" salt, as did his brothers Zhang Shiyi (张士義), Zhang Shide (张士德), and Zhang Shixin (张士信). By his generosity he earned the respect of other salt workers who made him their leaders when they rebelled against the oppressive government in 1353.
Zhang Sicheng with his brother soon conquered Taizhou, Xinghua and Gaoyou in 1353. In 1354 Zhang established Kingdom of Dazhou and declared himself as king with era name Tianyou (天佑). Soon afterward, on the same year Zhang controlled Yangzhou, an important center of salt trade on the Grand Canal of China, just north of the Yangtze.
In 1356 Zhang seized Suzhou, the main hub of transportation and commerce of Jiangnan (the "South of the Lower Yangtze" region), and made the city his capital. The lands he now controlled not only were one of the country's main granaries, but also produced over half of all salt in China. Zhang's regime was mostly patterned on the Yuan Dynasty model, but made use of some of the earlier traditional Chinese terminology as well.
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