Early life

The young Liu Chong drank and gambled and was once sentenced to join the military with his face tattooed.

During Later Jin

When Liu Zhiyuan became the military governor of Hedong (河東; roughly modern Shanxi), he named Liu Chong his chief director (都指揮使).

Formation of the Northern Han

Liu Min was the brother of Liu Zhiyuan, the founder of the Later Han state, which was the last of three successive Shatuo Turk dynasties. The Later Han fell in 950 with the rise of the Later Zhou. Liu Min declared himself the legitimate successor of the Later Han and formed the Northern Han (sometimes called Eastern Han) kingdom in Shanxi, the traditional power base of the Shatuo Turks.

Relations with neighbouring states

The kingdom was wedged between its two larger, more powerful neighbors, the Later Zhou to the south, and the Liao dynasty to the north. Liu Min restored traditional ties with the Liao, who served as protectors to the Northern Han, allowing it to last later than any of the other kingdoms traditionally listed as one of the Ten Kingdoms.

Family

• Father

　• Liu Dian (劉琠), posthumously honored Emperor Zhangsheng with the temple name of Xianzu

• Mother

　• Lady An, Lady Dowager of Wu, posthumously honored Empress Zhangyi

• Wife

　• Empress (name unknown)

• Concubine

　• Consort Wang (915-971)

• Children

　• Liu Chengyun or Liu Yun, the Duke of Xiangyin (created 951, killed by Guo Wei 951)

　• Liu Chengjun (Liu Jun) (劉承鈞), later Emperor Ruizong

　• Liu Hao (劉鎬), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968

　• Liu Kai (劉鍇), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968

　• Liu Qi (劉錡), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968

　• Liu Xí (劉錫, note different tone than his brother), killed by Liu Jiyuan ~968

　• Liu Xǐ (劉銑, note different tone than his brother)

　• At least three more sons

　• Princess, mother of Liu Ji'en and Liu Jiyuan

生平

劉崇年輕時喜歡飲酒賭博，曾經於臉上刺青從軍。他初隸河東軍。後唐長興年間，遷魏州軍校。劉知遠於後晉任河東節度使時，他擔任步軍都指揮使。歷任麟州刺史、河東馬步軍都指揮使兼三城巡檢使、泗州防禦使。劉知遠建後漢之後，任太原尹，北京留守、同平章事。後漢隱帝劉承祐在位時任河東節度使（位於太原），鎮守河東地區。加檢校太師、兼侍中。乾祐二年（949年），加中書令。招兵買馬、割據一方，朝命多不稟行。

後漢乾祐三年（950年），樞密使郭威為劉承祐逼反，進軍後漢都城大梁（今河南開封），劉承祐逃亡中為下屬郭允明所殺，郭威遂控制朝政。劉崇此時原欲舉兵南下，但聽到郭威計畫迎立劉崇之長子武寧節度使劉贇為帝，遂打消此意。然而不久郭威被黃旗加身後自登帝位，建立後周，改元廣順，並殺劉贇，當時為951年。因此劉崇隨即亦在太原（今山西省太原市）登帝位，延續後漢，改名劉旻，仍維持乾祐年號，稱乾祐四年。後世把劉崇稱帝後的政權稱作北漢。

北漢地小民貧，據有並、汾等十二州，又以興復後漢為業，遂以重幣向遼國乞援，與遼國約為父子之國，由劉旻稱遼帝為叔，而自稱姪皇帝；遼國則封劉旻為大漢神武皇帝。北漢因遼國的援助，而與後周進行了不少戰爭，但仍勝少敗多。曾與契丹軍合攻潞州。境內賦役繁重，百姓甚苦。北漢乾祐七年（954年），趁郭威去世之際，聯合遼國南攻後周，然為後周世宗柴榮率軍敗於高平，劉旻穿著農人的衣服隨百餘騎逃走，途中一度迷路，劉旻年老力衰，差點無法支撐回到太原。

經此一役，北漢元氣大傷，無力南下，而劉旻亦憂憤成疾，不久至同年十一月，去世，廟號世祖，一作惠宗。次子劉承鈞繼位。

家庭

后妃

• 皇后某氏

• 王氏（915年—971年），贈太惠妃

子女

子

• 湘陰公 劉贇

• 睿宗 劉鈞

• 劉鎬

• 劉錡

• 劉錫

• 劉鍇

• 劉銑

• 失名

• 失名

女

• 有史可查者僅一人

• 劉氏，下嫁薛釗、何某，生子劉繼恩、劉繼忠、劉繼元。

延伸閱讀