Yangzhou massacre (760)

The Yangzhou Massacre of 760, also known as the Yangzhou carnage, refers to the brutal sack of the city of Yangzhou during the An Lushan Rebellion in Tang dynasty China. The event is infamous for its extreme violence and exceptionally high civilian death toll.

Background: The An Lushan Rebellion (755-763) was one of the most devastating rebellions in Chinese history. An Lushan, a powerful general of Turkic origin, launched a revolt against the Tang dynasty, leading to widespread chaos and warfare across the empire. After initial successes, the rebellion began to falter, and government forces gradually regained ground.

The Massacre: In 760, government forces, under the command of generals like Li Guangbi, retook Yangzhou. However, the recapture was not a clean affair. Instead, the city experienced several days of intense violence and slaughter perpetrated by the Tang troops. Motivations for the violence varied and included revenge for earlier rebel actions, looting, and perhaps simply the breakdown of order during the war. The scale of the killings is a matter of debate among historians, with estimates of the death toll ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The exact figures remain difficult, if not impossible, to verify with certainty due to the lack of contemporary, comprehensive records that survived the turmoil.

Aftermath: The massacre had a profound and lasting impact on the city of Yangzhou and the surrounding region. The event is frequently cited as an example of the brutality of war and the suffering inflicted upon civilians during periods of conflict. The massacre's legacy continues to be remembered and discussed within historical accounts of the An Lushan Rebellion and the Tang dynasty.

Historiography: Detailed accounts of the massacre are scarce, often relying on fragmented sources and later historical writings. The lack of detailed contemporary accounts makes it difficult to provide a precise account of the events and the motivations behind the extreme violence. This makes evaluating the various interpretations and estimates of the death toll challenging. Further research and analysis of historical sources are needed to better understand the Yangzhou Massacre.