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| Dingyang Khan (定楊可汗) or Dingyang Tianzi (定楊天子) | |
|---|---|
| Family name: | Liu (劉, líu) |
| Given name: | Wuzhou (武周, wǔ zhōu) |
| Posthumous name: | None |
Liu Wuzhou (劉武周; died 28 August 622?[1]) was a rebel leader who rose against the rule of the Chinese Sui dynasty late in the dynasty's history, and he took imperial style—although it was not completely clear whether the title he took was khan or tianzi. He was initially only able to take control of modern northern Shanxi and parts of central Inner Mongolia, but after Li Yuan established the Tang dynasty at Chang'an as its Emperor Gaozu in 618, he, with support from Eastern Tujue, briefly captured Li Yuan's initial power base of Taiyuan in 619, posing a major threat to Li Yuan's rule. In 620, Li Yuan's son Li Shimin (the future Emperor Taizong) counterattacked, and not only recaptured Taiyuan but further captured Liu's power base Mayi (modern Shuozhou, Shanxi), forcing Liu to flee to Eastern Tujue. When Liu subsequently tried to flee back to Mayi, Eastern Tujue executed him.
- ^ Emperor Gaozu's biography in Old Book of Tang indicate that the Göktürks killed Liu Wuzhou on a bing'shen day after the 7th month of the 3rd year of the Wu'de era. ([武德]三年...秋七月...。丙申，突厥杀刘武周于白道.) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.01. The nearest bing'shen day was in the 8th month and corresponds to 7 Sep 620 in the Julian calendar. Vol.188 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded Liu's death as occurring in the same year, but did not have a more specific date (武周谋亡归马邑，事泄，突厥杀之。). Emperor Gaozu's biography in the New Book of Tang recorded Liu's death as occurring on the bing'shen day of the 7th month of the 5th year of the Wu'de era, which corresponds to 28 August 622 in the Julian calendar. ([武德]五年...七月...丙申，突厥杀刘武周于白道。) Xin Tang Shu, vol.01.