Yevgeny Prigozhin of Wagner PMC became a historic figure, after going on riot of 23 June 2023. From now on, his name shall forever be on the list of war commanders who rioted against their Tzars, Kings and Emperors. 

A famous Kazakh Orientalist and expert in China, Mr. Adil Kaukenov, found Prigozhin’s historic predecessor from the history of China, General An Lushan, who, in quest for justice, commanded his troops to march on the capital city of the Tang Empire. Mr. Kaukenov writes about General Lushan, as follows:

Mercenaries Again

“…China, throughout its 5,000- year history, offers a broad variety of events, that may constitute analogues to developments in our modern history. In this particular case, many Chinese observers, while discussing Prigozhin’s march on Moscow, made references to the General An Lushan’s Riot. The General commanded mercenaries, who went out on riot against the Tang Dynasty.

An Lushan was an omnipotent war commander, who was in charge of frontier provinces in the North of China. Under his command, there was a solid fist comprise of all sorts of weathered mercenaries with extensive experience from countless cross-border encounters.

For a long period of time, An Lushan enjoyed popularity and respect among the rulers of China. He would pay numerous visits to the capital city, where he, if to use modern language, had extensive business interests lobbied by top levels of statehood. 

Splore in the Court

One day, the order of things changed. An Lushan had numerous grievances towards Yan Gochzhun, a courtier and a master of political intrigues and manipulations. Those grievances resulted in a political crisis, in the course of which An Lushan went on the capital city, Chang’an, the present Xian. His target was to restore the justice an free the Emperor’s court from bad people, who brought the country to the condition of chaos. 

The above historic resemblance was topical until Saturday, when the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko interfered and settled the conflict. Contrary to the Wagner Riot, An Lushan’s march ended in a blood massacre.

An Lushan truly was an outstanding war commander. Availing himself of Yan Gochzhun’s incompetency, An Lushan defeated all garrisons standing between his Army and the capital and conquered Chang’an. The defeated Imperial Armed Forces were furious and forced the Emperor to execute Yan Gochzhun and even one of the Emperor’s concubine, suspected of having an affair with An Lushan.

Intoxicated with military successes and the death of his enemy, An Lushan ceased to conceal his ambitions and talk about protection of the Emperor and declared self the Founder of a new Royal Dynasty and a new Emperor.

Last Mistake

Invincible and glorious warrior, An Lushan was totally incompetent in the mechanics of the court intrigues – eventually his own eunuch killed him, while he was asleep.

The mercenary riot did not end after the assassination of An Lushan. Mercenaries witnessed the weakness of the Emperor and went hog-wild. The civil war was stopped six years later, by means of most complicated negotiations and numerous cessions humiliating the prestige of the ruling dynasty.

Since that civil war, the Chinese machine of statehood forever acquired mistrustful attitude to the stratum of war mercenaries – the war professionals, who only respect those, who pay them. Even today, when Chinese society discusses plans to organize the present-day Private Military Companies, Chinese history experts refer to the An Lushan Riot – the beginning of the end of the  once powerful Tang Dynasty.”