Han Hong

Han Hong (; 765 – January 19, 823 ), posthumous name Duke Yin of Xu (許隱公), was a general of the Tang dynasty of China, who also served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong.

Background Han Hong was born in 765, during the reign of Emperor Daizong. His family was originally from Yingchuan (潁川, in modern Xuchang, Henan), but had for generations lived at Hua Prefecture (滑州, in modern Anyang, Henan). Neither his grandfather Han Wang nor his father Han Chui was prominent, and he lost his father early in his life. He relied on his mother's clan, particularly his maternal uncle, the general Liu Xuanzuo , serving on Liu's staff. In 793, after the soldiers mutinied and expelled Liu Shining, Han left Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture and became an officer at another prefecture of Xuanwu's, Song Prefecture (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan).

In 800, Han, after he became familiar with the officers, came to understand that one of them, Liu E , had long been involved with the repeated mutinies against military governors. He gathered Liu E and 300 of Liu E's followers and executed them. It was said that after this incident, until Han left the circuit two decades later, the Xuanwu soldiers did not dare to create disturbances again. In 808, by which time Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong was emperor, Han received the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi .

In 812, after another warlord, Tian Ji'an the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), died, his relative Tian Xing seized control of Weibo from Tian Ji'an's son Tian Huaijian and submitted the circuit to imperial orders. When Li Shigu's brother and successor Li Shidao threatened to attack Tian Xing along with Wang Chengzong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) and threatened Han with this, Han threatened to attack Pinglu's Cao Prefecture (曹州, in modern Heze, Shandong) if Li Shidao attacked Weibo. Li Shidao became apprehensive and did not act against Weibo.

By this point, Han had become arrogant due to the strong army that he had. As he had never gone to the capital Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor, it was said that the imperial government did not treat him as a military governor that it could command easily. After Wang E the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) also received honorary chancellor title in 814, Han felt disgraced to be sharing the same rank as Wang and wrote the chancellor Wu Yuanheng to complain. As a result, in 815, Emperor Xianzong conferred on Han the honorary title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies) to make Han's title greater than Wang's.

By that point, imperial forces were locked in a campaign against Wu Shaoyang's son and successor Wu Yuanji, who had resisted the imperial government after failing to receive imperial sanction to succeed Wu Shaoyang after Wu Shaoyang's death in 814. Initially, Yan Shou the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei) was made the overall commander of the forces against Zhangyi, but after the chancellor Pei Du pointed out that Yan was incompetent, late in 815, Emperor Xianzong replaced Yan with Han. However, it was said that Han wanted to hold onto power personally, and therefore did not really want to see Wu Yuanji's quick destruction. To endear himself to one of the key imperial generals against Zhangyi, Li Guangyan the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, i.e. the new name for Chenxu), he found a beautiful woman and gave her to Li Guangyan as a gift, but Li Guangyan, pointing out that all of the soldiers were also away from their families, thanked Han but declined the woman, sending her back to Han. He was also created the Duke of Xu.

It was said that after Wu's destruction, Han became more fearful of the imperial government, and after Emperor Xianzong declared a campaign against Li Shidao in summer 818, Han personally commanded troops against Li Shidao and put Cao Prefecture under siege, even though he was suffering from an illness at the time. In spring 819, Han captured Pinglu's Kaocheng (考城, in modern Shangqiu, Henan). With the imperial generals repeatedly dealing Pinglu forces defeats, Li Shidao's own officer Liu Wu killed Li Shidao and surrendered.

Subsequent career At the suggestion of his son Han Gongwu , Han Hong maintained the good will of the other imperial officials and generals by sending them many gifts. (One imperial official who refused these gifts was Niu Sengru, who later received renown for declining Han's gifts.) When Emperor Xianzong died in 820 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong, Han served as regent for three days before Emperor Muzong formally took the throne. Later in the year, he was made the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) as well as its capital Hezhong Municipality. At that time, Han Hong's brother Han Chong served as the military governor of Yicheng, and Han Gongwu served as the military governor of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi), and it was said that no household was more honored than Han's. In 822, Han requested retirement based on old age, and he was recalled to Chang'an to again serve as acting Situ and Zhongshu Ling. He died around the new year 823 and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 156. New Book of Tang, vol. 158. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 235, 236, 237, 239, 240, 241.