Chiefdom of Bozhou


The Chiefdom of Bozhou, ruled by the Yang clan, was an autonomous Tusi chiefdom established by Yang Duan during the Tang dynasty. After he conquered the Bozhou Prefecture from the Nanzhao Kingdom, Yang Duan was recognized as the hereditary ruler of the region by the Tang court in 876.
The Yang clan ruled Bozhou for more than seven centuries, surviving several dynastic changes in China, until its last ruler Yang Yinglong rebelled against the Ming dynasty in 1589. It took more than a decade for the Ming to suppress the rebellion, and the Bozhou Tusi was defeated and abolished in 1600.
Bozhou, Sizhou, Shuidong and Shuixi were called "Four Great Native Chiefdom in Guizhou" by Chinese. "Liangguang Cen and Huang, Sizhou and Bozhou Tian and Yang", an idiom current among Southwestern Mandarin speakers, proved that the Yang clan was once one of the most powerful clans in Southwestern China.

History

The Chiefdom of Bozhou was established in 876 when the first chieftain Yang Duan occupied Bozhou in southwest China. It lasted for about 725 years over 29 generations through the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The main fortress of Bozhou was Hailongtun, constructed in 1257. About 17,000 Bozhou soldiers who were led by the 29th Chieftain Yang Yinglong fought against the 240,000 Ming Dynasty for 114 days. In the end the Tusi force was defeated and Yang Yinglong was killed. The Ming Dynasty burned down Hailongtun, and put an end to the 725 years rule of the Yang Family.

List of Bozhou Chieftains

Below are Bozhou chieftains
No.NameChineseReignNotes
1Yang Duan楊端876–?
2Yang Munan楊牧南?–?son of Yang Duan
3Yang Bushe楊部射?–?son of Yang Munan
4Yang Sangong楊三公?–?son of Yang Bushe
5Yang Shi楊實?–?son of Yang Sangong
6Yang Zhao楊昭?–?son of Yang Shi
7Yang Guiqian楊貴遷?–1052adoptive son of Yang Shi
descendant of Yang Duan
8Yang Guangzhen楊光震?–?son of Yang Guiqian
9Yang Wenguang楊文廣?–?son of Yang Guangzhen
10Yang Weicong楊惟聰?–1125son of Yang Wenguang
11Yang Xuan楊選1125–1155son of Yang Weicong
12Yang Zhen楊軫?–?son of Yang Xuan
-Yang Shi楊軾?–?co-ruler of Yang Zhen
son of Yang Xuan
13Yang Can楊粲1201–1233adoptive son of Yang Zhen
son of Yang Shi
14Yang Jie楊价1233–1243son of Yang Can
15Yang Wen楊文1243–1265son of Yang Jie
16Yang Bangxian楊邦憲1265–1281son of Yang Wen
17Yang Hanying楊漢英1281–1316son of Yang Bangxian
18Yang Jiazhen楊嘉貞?–?son of Yang Hanying
19Yang Zhongyan楊忠彥?–?son of Yang Jiazhen
20Yang Yuanding楊元鼎?–1370son of Yang Zhongyan
21Yang Keng楊鏗1370–1399descendant of Yang Bangxian
22Yang Sheng楊昇1399–1441son of Yang Keng
23Yang Jiong楊炯1341–1442grandson of Yang Sheng
24Yang Gang楊綱1442–1449son of Yang Sheng
uncle of Yang Jiong
25Yang Hui楊輝1449–1474son of Yang Gang
26Yang Ai楊愛1474–1497son of Yang Hui
27Yang Bin楊斌1497–1520son of Yang Ai
28Yang Xiang楊相1520–1543son of Yang Bin
29Yang Lie楊烈1543–1571son of Yang Xiang
30Yang Yinglong楊應龍1571–1595son of Yang Lie
31Yang Chaodong楊朝棟1595–1600son of Yang Yinglong