26 Facts About Ma Yin

Ma Yin, courtesy name Batu, known by his posthumous name as the King Wumu of Chu, was a Chinese military general and politician who became the founding ruler of the Chinese Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Ma Yin was the only monarch who carried the title of "king" in his dynasty.

Ma Yin initially took control of the Changsha region in 896 after the death of his predecessor Liu Jianfeng, and subsequently increased his territorial hold to roughly modern Hunan and northeastern Guangxi, which became the territory of Ma Chu.

Ma Yin was born in 853, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.

Ma Yin was known to be from Yanling, but all that is known about his ancestors is that his great-grandfather was named Ma Yun, his grandfather was named Ma Zheng, and his father was named Ma Yuanfeng.

Ma Yin's family claimed ancestry from the great Han dynasty general Ma Yuan.

Ma Yin had at least two younger brothers, Ma Cong and Ma Cun.

At one point, when Zhongwu Circuit stationed an army at Cai Prefecture to defend against the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, Ma Yin served in the Zhongwu army stationed at Cai, under the officers Sun Ru and Liu Jianfeng.

Ma Yin took all of the army available to him and headed for Xuanshe's capital Xuan Prefecture.

Ma Yin was forced to send Liu and Ma out to raid the nearby regions for food.

Ma Yin thus issued an order to Ma to return to Tan Prefecture, offering to support him as Liu's successor.

When Ma Yin took over command of Wu'an, he was apprehensive of the strengths of both Yang Xingmi and Cheng Rui the military governor of Jingnan Circuit, and he considered giving them gold and silk to appease them.

Ma Yin's strategist Gao Yu pointed out that Cheng was not as strong as he looked, while Yang was a sworn enemy who could never be appeased through gifts.

Thereafter, Ma requested and received permission from Emperor Taizu to establish tea trade offices at Bian Prefecture, Jiangling, Xiang Prefecture, Tang Prefecture, Ying, and Fu Prefecture, for the purpose of selling Chu tea and purchasing silk and horses, with part of the tea offered to the Later Liang imperial government as tribute.

Also in 910, Pang Juzhao the military governor of Ningyuan Circuit, and Liu Changlu the defender of Gao Prefecture, who had just recently repelled an attack by Liu Ma Yin but believed that they had no strength to stand against Liu Ma Yin long term, wrote to Ma, offering their territory to him.

Ma Yin had Yao serve as the prefect of Ningyuan's capital Rong Prefecture to defend the territory, and subsequently had him made the deputy military governor of Ningyuan.

However, in 911, when Liu Ma Yin attacked again, Yao judged the situation untenable despite a relief force commanded by Xu.

Ma Yin therefore took the people of Rong Prefecture and returned to Chu proper, allowing Liu Yin to take over Rong and Gao Prefectures.

Also in 913, Liu Yin's brother and successor Liu Yan requested that Ma Yin give a daughter to him in marriage.

Ma Yin, hearing of the Later Tang victory, sent Ma Xifan to Daliang to pay tribute to Emperor Zhuangzong.

When Ma subsequently blamed Wang for not further destroying Jingnan, Wang responded:.

Ma Yin's oldest son, Ma Xizhen, was born of his wife, but his favorite son was his second son Ma Xisheng, who was born of his favorite concubine Consort Yuan.

Ma Yin hated Ma Xisheng and Consort Yuan from this point on.

In 929, with Ma Xisheng repeatedly requesting it, Ma Yin ordered Gao into retirement.

When Ma Yin heard this, he cried bitterly, but did not punish Ma Xisheng.

Ma Yin left instructions that his sons were to pass the throne to their younger brothers, and further ordered that anyone who spoke against this succession principle be put to death.