Tan Quanbo
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Tan Quanbo (譚全播) (857 - died 918?[1][2][3] or 950[4]) was a ruler of Qian Prefecture (虔州, in modern Ganzhou, Jiangxi) from 913 to 918, early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He was a long-time strategist of Lu Guangchou, who ruled Qian Prefecture for 25 years, and after several transitional rulers after Lu's death was supported by the people to govern the prefecture. In 918, he was defeated by Wu forces, which took over Qian. He died shortly after.
Tan Quanbo was born in 857 in Nankang (南康, in modern Ganzhou, Jiangxi). It was said that Tan was brave and intelligent in his youth, but he was more impressed with Lu Guangchou, who was also from Nankang. In the late Tang dynasty, when the southern parts of the Tang realm were overrun by agrarian rebels, Tan encouraged Lu to start a rebellion as well, and Lu did so. When the group of rebels that they gathered wanted to support Tan as their leader instead, Tan yielded the leadership position to Lu, and further threatened to execute those who would not follow Lu's orders, bringing the rebels in line.[5]
In 885, Lu captured Qian Prefecture. He took the title of prefect and made Tan his chief strategist.[6]
Under governance of Lu Guangchou
In 902, Lu Guangchou made an attack south to enlarge his territory. He first captured Shao Prefecture (韶州, in modern Shaoguan, Guangdong), and he had his son Lu Yanchang take control of it. He then put Chao Prefecture (潮州, in modern Chaozhou, Guangdong) under siege, but was then repelled by Liu Yin the acting military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Liu Yin then, despite his brother Liu Yan's opposition, attacked Shao Prefecture. Tan Quanbo laid an ambush for the Qinghai troops and defeated them, allowing Lu Guangchou to retain Shao. Despite the victory, Tan did not take credit and instead praised the other officers involved, causing Lu to trust him further.[7]
In 910 (by which time Tang had fallen and the realm had been divided into a number of rival states, including Later Liang and Wu, both of which Lu nominally submitted to), Lu fell ill, and he wanted to yield his position to Tan. Tan declined. When Lu subsequently died, and Lu Yanchang arrived from Shao to mourn his father, Tan supported Lu Yanchang to succeed Lu Guangchou. Subsequently, both Wu's prince Yang Longyan and Later Liang's Emperor Taizu confirmed the succession. Tan continued to serve under Lu Yanchang.[8]