Chen Youding
Chen Youding (陳友定 1330-1368), was a Yuan dynasty military leader who quelled various uprisings at the end of Yuan Dynasty (including the Ispah rebellion). He was finally promoted to the highest official in Fujian because of his military leadership and talent. He was executed by Zhu Yuanzhang after being defeated by Zhu's forces.[1][2][3][4][5]
Name
He was also called 陈有定 also spelled Chen Youding. He was given the name Guo An 國安 or An Guo 安国 meaning 'peaceful country'. He was also called Yongqing (永卿).
Birthplace
He was a native of Yujian, Fuqing County (福清县玉涧), Fuzhou, Fujian at the end of Yuan Dynasty. When he was a teenager, he moved to Qingliu County, Tingzhou Prefecture to work as a farmer, and then joined the Yuan Dynasty government army. He was described as a tall, brave and strong man.
Influence and contributions
Chen Youding was an ethnic Chinese general who joined the Mongol Yuan dynasty, he was also one of the rare talented military generals serving the Mongolian government at that time. These characteristics made him famous in the history of China. The Yuan Shi 《元史》wrote about him in the 'Biography of Loyalty and Righteousness'《忠义传》.[4] Jie Jin (解縉) of the Ming Dynasty praised him for "always doing his best" (「始終盡節」),[6] and Wang Pei also praised him as one of the three loyal leaders in Fujian (福建三忠之一).[7]
References
- 郭造卿,《陳友定傳》
- 福州市志,方志出版社,1998.12,ISBN 7-80122-400-0
- 福清市志,厦门大学出版社出版,1994年4月,ISBN 7-5615-0840-9
- 《元史·忠義傳》
- 《明太祖實錄》
- 解縉,《月山叢談》
- 王逄《集》中写道:「閩有三忠,謂福建平章陳友定、僉樞白帖穆爾子壽、漳州達魯花赤叠裏迷失子初也。」