The An Lushan rebellion
A revolt breaks the Tang state and may have killed tens of millions.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 8 years
- Known to
- ± 1 year
- Era
- Post-Classical, Holocene
A frontier general revolts in 755, takes both capitals, and the Tang recover only after eight years and with Uyghur help. Census figures fall from around 53 million to under 17 million — mostly a collapse of registration rather than deaths, but the mortality was still enormous, and some historians rank it among the deadliest events in history. Central authority never recovers; military governors become effectively independent.