The Anshi Rebellion, 755 A.D.

The Master of Demon Gorge: A Chinese History Podcast - A podcast by William Han - Thursdays

Categories:

Troubling news on the climate front keeps on coming, which makes me think of the Anshi Rebellion. Begun in 755 A.D., the uprising led by An Lushan and Shi Siming, two Sogdian (modern Afghan) men in the service of the Tang Empire, brought an end to China's golden age. Emperor Xuanzong himself became a refugee. And according to census data from the period, the war killed two-thirds of the Chinese population. Steven Pinker at Harvard deemed the Rebellion the greatest atrocity in human history. ...