Wang Chuzhi
Wang Chuzhi (862–923), courtesy name Yunming, was a Chinese warlord who controlled Yiwu near modern Baoding in Hebei during the late Tang and early Five Dynasties period. He served as Yiwu’s military governor from 900, taking over after his nephew Wang Gao fled when attacked. In 910, he and the neighboring warlord Wang Rong, prince of Zhao, broke away from the Later Liang and ruled Yiwu and nearby Chengde as independent powers. He was finally overthrown in 921 by his adoptive son Wang Du.
Born in 862, his family came from Chang’an and had long served in the Shence Armies. His uncle Wang Zong was a powerful general and a wealthy merchant. Wang Chuzhi followed his cousin Wang Chucun to Yiwu in 879 when Chucun was made Yiwu’s military governor. He adopted a boy named Liu Yunlang, who became Wang Du, his favored heir.
In 900, Yiwu faced a major attack by Zhu Quanzhong’s forces. The previous commander, Wang Gao, insisted on an immediate strike, ignoring Wang Chuzhi’s advice to wear the enemy down. The attack failed badly; Gao fled, and Yiwu’s soldiers supported Wang Chuzhi to take control. He made peace with Zhu and submitted to him; Emperor Zhaozong then appointed him Yiwu’s governor.
In 901, Wang Chuzhi helped with Zhu’s campaign against Li Keyong’s Hedong, and the siege of Taiyuan failed due to rain and disease. In 904, Emperor Zhaozong granted him the title Taibao, and after Zhu Quanzhong ended the Tang dynasty and founded Later Liang, he was named Prince of Beiping.
Yiwu and nearby Wushun did not pay taxes but sent tributes to Zhu. In 910 Zhu seized Shen and Ji prefectures, and Wang Rong broke away to form Zhao. Li Cunxu of Jin aided Zhao; Wang Chuzhi supported Jin, and together they defeated Later Liang in 911–912. You Prefecture fell in 912, and Liu Shouguang of Yan was captured in 913. By 918, Wang Chuzhi sent about 10,000 soldiers to Li Cunxu’s campaign against Later Liang, which ended in a costly stalemate.
In 921 Wang Rong was killed in a mutiny, and Wang Deming took Chengde. Li Cunxu campaigned against Zhang Wenli; Wang Chuzhi feared Li Cunxu would take Yiwu and sought Khitan help through his son Wang Yu. His deputy, Wang Du, who had become acting governor, plotted against him, killed Wang Chuzhi’s male descendants and close associates, and took power with Li Cunxu’s blessing.
Wang Chuzhi died on February 6, 923, either in anger or at Wang Du’s hands.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:13 (CET).