Wang Chao

Wang Chao (April 10, 846 – January 2, 898), courtesy name Xinchen was a warlord of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who controlled Fujian Circuit (福建道, headquartered in modern Fuzhou, Fujian), eventually establishing the base of power for his family members to later establish the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Min. Background Wang Chao was born in 846, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. His fifth-generation ancestor Wang Ye served as the magistrate of Gushi County (固始, in modern Xinyang, Henan), and because the people loved him, he settled his family in Gushi. The family subsequently became known for their family business. Wang Chao himself served as a government worker at the Gushi County government. His father's name was Wang Nin, and his mother was a Lady Dong. He had two younger brothers, Wang Shengui and Wang Shenzhi. Service under Wang Xu In 881, with the Tang state overrun by agrarian rebellions, Wang Xu and his brother-in-law Liu Xingquan, who were from Shou Prefecture (壽州, in modern Lu'an, Anhui), started a rebellion of their own and seized Shou, and then Guang (光州, in modern Xinyang), which Gushi County belonged to. Wang obtained a commission from the nearby warlord Qin Zongquan the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) as the prefect of Guang Prefecture. He forced the local men to serve in his army, and among the men he took into his army were Wang Chao and his brothers Wang Shengui and Wang Shenzhi. He made Wang Chao his discipline officer and favored Wang Chao. Later on, however, Qin turned against the Tang imperial government and was on the cusp of claiming imperial title himself. He ordered Wang Xu to pay taxes to him. When Wang Xu was unable to do so, he launched an army to attack Wang. Wang Xu, in fear, gathered 5,000 soldiers from Guang and Shou Prefectures and forced the people to cross the Yangtze River to the south. By spring 885, Wang had continued south and captured Ting (汀洲, in modern Longyan, Fujian) and Zhang (漳州, in modern Zhangzhou, Fujian) Prefectures, but was not able to hold either for long.