Sun En
Sun En (孫恩; died 402) was a native of Langya in Shandong who rebelled against the Eastern Jin dynasty. A descendant of Sun Xiu, he joined his uncle Sun Tai, who was regarded as a magician member of the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice movement, sharing their revolutionary aspirations. When Sun Tai was put to death, Sun En took the lead himself. At the head of a considerable force Sun En captured Kuaiji in Zhejiang and proclaimed himself Generalissimo of the East (征東將軍), giving to his followers the title of "Immortals" (長生人). After a long struggle, with alternating fortune, he found himself without resources and committed suicide by drowning himself in the sea.[1] Although eventually the rebellion was put down by Liu Laozhi (and others), during which process there was massive devastation and major loss of life including of many civilians, to the point where whole cities were almost completely deserted.[2]
References
- Herbert Allen Giles, A Chinese Biographical Dictionary, p. 689-690.
- Yeh Chia-ying. "陶淵明詩講錄" ("Lectures on Tao Yuan-ming's Poems"). Translation Josey Shun and Bhikshuni Heng Yin, "Vajra Bhodi Sea" No.393, February, 2003, part of a series of lectures at Gold Buddha Monastery, Canada (lecture tapes were transcribed by Tu Xiaoli, An Yi, and Yang Aidi). Accessed 26 April 2020.