Li Siyuan

Who was Li Siyuan?

Li Siyuan, also known by his temple name Mingzong, was the second emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 926 until his death. He was an ethnic Shatuo originally called Miaojilie.

Adopted by the Shatuo leader Li Keyong of the Jin territory, Li Siyuan became a trusted general under both Li Keyong and Li Keyong's successor Li Cunxu, the 1st Later Tang emperor. In 926 he seized power by a coup d'état when a mutiny killed Li Cunxu, and ruled with both discipline and compassion for the next 7 years. Despite an abundance of natural disasters, his reign was markedly more peaceful than the half-century preceding it.