Li Congke 李從珂 | |||||||||||||||||
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Emperor of the Later Tang dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
Reign | 21 May 934[1][2] – 11 January 937 | ||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Li Conghou | ||||||||||||||||
Successor | Dynasty abolished | ||||||||||||||||
Born | Ershisan (二十三) 11 February 885[3][1] | ||||||||||||||||
Died | 11 January 937[1][4] | (aged 51)||||||||||||||||
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House | Wang (by birth) Li (adoptive) | ||||||||||||||||
Dynasty | Later Tang |
Li Congke (simplified Chinese: 李从珂; traditional Chinese: 李從珂; pinyin: Lǐ Cóngkē) (11 February 885 – 11 January 937), also known in historiography as the Last Emperor of Later Tang (後唐末帝), Deposed Emperor of Later Tang (後唐廢帝), Wang Congke (王從珂) (particularly during the succeeding Later Jin dynasty, which did not recognize him as a legitimate Later Tang emperor), or Prince of Lu (潞王, a title Li Congke carried prior to his reign), childhood name Ershisan (二十三, "23") or, in short, Asan (阿三), was the last emperor of the Later Tang dynasty of China. He was an adoptive son of Li Siyuan (Emperor Mingzong) and took the throne after overthrowing Emperor Mingzong's biological son Li Conghou (Emperor Min). He was later himself overthrown by his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang, who was supported by Liao troops (and whose Later Jin succeeded his). When the combined Later Jin and Khitan forces defeated Later Tang forces, Li Congke and his family members, as well as the guards most loyal to him, ascended a tower and set it on fire, dying in the fire.