Ma Yin (馬殷), posthumously named Chu Wumuwang (楚武穆王), was the first ruler of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state of Chu (楚).

Rise to Power

Ma Yin fought against the rebel Yang Xingmi (楊行密), who became the king of Wu (Ten Kingdoms) (吳) under the generals Sun Ru 孫儒 and Liu Jianfeng 劉建鋒. In 896, he became military commissioner (jiedushi) of a precursor kingdom named Hunan (湖南) and in 907 he became the king of the new kingdom of Chu.

Rule

The Later Tang Dynasty confirmed his status as the Prince of Chu (Ten Kingdoms) in 927. His reign was notable for its peace and low taxes. One policy allowed commoners to pay their taxes with silk. This had the twin effects of reducing skimming of revenue by corrupt officials and facilitating the development of Hunan's silk industry.

Succession

Ma Yin was succeeded by his five sons in succession; however, discord within the Ma family led to the fall of Chu to the Southern Tang in 951.

References

Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 11, 15–16. ISBN 0-674-01212-7. 

"Chu 楚". The Ten Kingdoms. http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/rulers-chu.html. Retrieved 12 April 2005. 

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