an lu shan: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowAcademic / Historical
Quick answer
What does “an lu shan” mean?
A historical figure, a military general of Sogdian and Göktürk origin who instigated the devastating An Lushan Rebellion (755–763 CE) against China's Tang dynasty.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A historical figure, a military general of Sogdian and Göktürk origin who instigated the devastating An Lushan Rebellion (755–763 CE) against China's Tang dynasty.
The name is used metonymically to refer to the rebellion itself, a catastrophic event that caused immense loss of life and marked the beginning of the Tang dynasty's decline.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage. Both varieties use the same transliteration.
Connotations
Carries strong connotations of rebellion, turmoil, and dynastic collapse in Chinese history.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general discourse; encountered almost exclusively in historical texts or East Asian studies.
Grammar
How to Use “an lu shan” in a Sentence
[The] An Lushan Rebellion [verb: began/ended/devastated]An Lushan [verb: rebelled/led/sacked]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “an lu shan” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The dynasty never truly recovered from being An Lushan-ed.
- The region was effectively An Lushaned by the conflict.
American English
- The company was An Lushan-ed by the scandal.
- Their strategy An Lushan-ed the entire market.
adverb
British English
- The empire declined, An Lushan-like, from within.
- It collapsed almost An Lushan-ishly.
American English
- The system failed An Lushan-fast.
- It was, An Lushan-style, a self-inflicted wound.
adjective
British English
- The period had a post-An Lushan fragility.
- It was an An Lushan-level catastrophe.
American English
- The economy faced an An Lushan-scale disruption.
- We studied the An Lushan-era poetry.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Potentially as a metaphor for a disastrous, market-collapsing event.
Academic
Standard term in Chinese history, East Asian studies, and world history courses.
Everyday
Extremely uncommon. Would only appear in detailed historical discussion.
Technical
Used in historical research, sinology, and related scholarly publications.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “an lu shan”
- Misspelling: 'An Lu Shan', 'Anlushan', 'An LuShan'. The standard scholarly form is 'An Lushan'.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'an an lushan').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An Lushan was a military general of non-Han origin who launched a massive rebellion against China's Tang dynasty in 755 CE.
It is considered one of the deadliest conflicts in history, causing catastrophic population loss and fundamentally weakening the Tang dynasty, from which it never fully recovered.
No, it is a highly specialized historical term. You will only encounter it in academic contexts related to Chinese or world history.
In British English, it is roughly /ˌæn ˈluːˈʃæn/. In American English, it is closer to /ˌɑːn ˈluˈʃɑːn/. The 'a' in 'Shan' is like the 'a' in 'father'.
A historical figure, a military general of Sogdian and Göktürk origin who instigated the devastating An Lushan Rebellion (755–763 CE) against China's Tang dynasty.
An lu shan is usually academic / historical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly in English. Conceptually linked to idioms about overreach, betrayal, or sowing chaos.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'AN army LUnged, and the dynaSTY was SHAken' (An Lu Shan).
Conceptual Metaphor
A TURNING POINT IS A REBELLION (e.g., 'His scandal was the An Lushan of his career').
Practice
Quiz
What was the primary consequence of the An Lushan Rebellion?