Biography

Chen was born to a fishing family in Mianyang (沔陽) in present-day Hubei. Some say he was born with surname Chen, others say he was born with surname Xie (謝).

Vietnamese records say that Chen Youliang was the son of Chen Yiji (陳益稷 or Trần Ích Tắc), a Tran Dynasty leader who settled in the Yuan dynasty.

Chen once served as a district official before becoming a general under Ni Wenjun during the Red Turban Rebellion. Chen later killed Ni Wenjun on the excuse that Ni planned to assassinate Xu Shouhui, the Red Turban rebels' leader. Chen later turned on Xu Shouhui and killed him.

In 1357, Chen proclaimed himself "King of Han" in Jiangzhou (江州; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), and emperor the next year after Xu Shouhui died. His era name, as well as his empire's name, was "Dahan" (大漢 literally "Great Han"). For 1359 to 1363 Chen's fleet was the strongest on the upper Yangtze River. His power was at least as great as that of another rebel state, Wu, led by Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty.

In 1360 the Dahan fleet and army began a long war against Wu forces - based at that time in Jiqing (present-day Nanjing) and was later renamed "Ming" in 1368. An attack on the Wu capital was defeated thanks to excellent Wu intelligence (likely due to the defection of part of the Dahan fleet earlier in the year). The war continued till the climactic Battle of Lake Poyang where the Wu fleet narrowly defeated the larger fleet of Dahan after three days of fighting.

A month after the battle at Lake Poyang, the Dahan fleet tried to break out from Lake Poyang, during the resulting ship battles Chen was killed (he was alleged to have died from an arrow wound in the head). He was 43 years old at the time of his death in October 3, 1363.

As his crown prince Chen Shan (陳善) had been captured, Chen Youliang was succeeded by his second son, Chen Li, who was soon attacked by the fleet and army of Wu. The conquest of Dahan took an additional two years but by April 1365 the Dahan empire was gone and all its lands were now part of the Wu power base.

Era names

• Dayi (大義) 1360

• Dading (大定) 1361-1363

Family

• Grand-ancestors: Chen Qianyi (陈千一)

• Father: Chen Pucai (陳普才) became Marquis Cheng'en (承恩侯) by Zhu Yuanzhang after the downfall of Han

• Mother: from the Wu clan (吴氏)

• Brothers:

　• Chen Youfu (陈友富) would be promoted to title of Marquis Guiren (归仁伯) by Zhu Yuanzhang

　• Chen Youzhi (陈友直) would be promoted to title of Marquis Huaien (怀恩伯) by Zhu Yuanzhang

　• Chen Youren (陳友仁), KIA in the Battle of Poyang Lake

　• Chen Yougui (陳友貴), KIA in the Battle of Poyang Lake

• Spouses: Chen Youliang had several concubines respectively surnamed Yang (杨), Lou (娄), Tao (陶) and Du (阇). Consort Du was captured along with Chen Shan. Concubines Yang and Lou predeceased Chen Youliang.

• Children:

　• Chen Shan (陈善), crown prince, joined Ming army

　• Chen Li, his successor, started Yangsan Jin clan of Korea

• Grandchildren

　• Chen Mingshan (陈明善), a descendant in Korea

Evaluations

Through his established empire Chen Han, Chen Youliang is remembered as a revolutionary, even hero, who helped resist Yuan rule and pave the way for the new Ming dynasty.

• Liu Ji: "Friends trust forgiveness and trust, and cross Jing and Xiang, the second half of a few days." "Honesty and self-control Lu, worry-free. Friends dare to rob the Lord, whose name is incorrect, and whose land is high-class. Their hearts forget themselves every day, so it is advisable to map them first. When Chen is destroyed, Zhang is lonely and can be determined in one fell swoop. "

• Zhu Yuanzhang: "Friends will die, and the world is not difficult to decide." "If you trust your friends to be arrogant and sincere, it will cause trouble if you are arrogant, but if you are small, there will be no distant picture."

• Yang Jing: "Those who are like Chen and Zhang, steal from Wu and Chu, build boats to plug rivers, accumulate grain over mountains, and force soldiers to be invincible. However, in the First World War in Poyang, friends trusted be beheaded, and the teacher turned to the east to beg, while Zhang was bound. This is not manpower, but it is also a destiny. "

• Rao Hanxiang: "Han River First a Hero, Third Chu is magnificent." (「江汉先英、三楚雄风。」) Quote is essentially saying Chen was a great hero to the Han people.

• "Zhu Yuanzhang's Year to Record": "To the country of 600,000 to try the river flow, Mu Ye, Kunyang, Chibi, Lishui, and ancient emperors can use their heroes, but they have not heard of it."

• Cai Dongfan: "I said that friends have a way to lose themselves. Jiangzhou has lost, and the fundamental place has gone. It is appropriate to gather troops and save their strength. Xu Tu can't wait to raise another one. He can't wait, put all your eggs in one basket, lose his children, lose his love, or even die, and laugh for the world. It is obvious that the rise and fall of the country is really related to people's plans, not like Xiang Yu's first Wujiang River. "

• Historian Wu Han: "Although Chen Youliang failed, he was, after all, a hero who opposed the rule of the Mongolian and Han landlord classes in the Yuan Dynasty. He played a role in history. At that time, people sympathized with him and missed him. His grave is still preserved under the newly built Yangzi River Bridge for visitors to mourn."

Memorial

Also see Tomb of Chen Youliang (陈友谅墓), a cenotaph (衣冠冢).

Tomb

On October 3, 1363, after Chen Youliang died in the Battle of Poyang Lake, his real remains disappeared. His clothes were taken back by his subordinates in a boat and sent to the south slope of Sheshan, approaching the Wuchang Bridge Head (武昌桥头) of Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan City, Hubei Province (next to the Yellow Crane Tower, a famous scenic spot in Wuhan, Hubei Province) for burial.

It faces south, has a rectangle with rounded corners and a height of 2.2 meters. The tomb base is 12 meters long. The tomb is built on the mountain. Here is There is a hexagonal unknown pavilion nearby, and the pillars of the pavilion are engraved with handwriting.

In the Qing Dynasty, this place became a part of the garden "Naiyuan" (乃园) of Hubei Provincial Bureau of Supervision, and few people visited it. In 1908, Wan Yaohuang and Geng Zhongzhao discovered this tomb in the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty.

In 1912, Hubei Provincial Department of Internal Affairs requested renovation, and built a 16-step tomb road and a tall archway in front of the tomb (between the archway and the tomb). On the forehead of the memorial archway, "Jiang Han Xian Ying" ("江汉先英」), and on the back, "Three Chu Xiongfeng" (「三楚雄风"), a monument was erected in front of the tomb, "Da Han Chen Youliang Tomb", and Rao Hanxiang of Guangji made an inscription. There is also a tablet pavilion on each side of the tomb. In 1913, the cemetery was renovated and surrounded by pines and cypresses.

In 1923 (after the Revolution of 1911), the Republic of China rebuilt it.

In 1949, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was slightly repaired.

In 1956, the tomb was listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Hubei Province.

It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 1981, the local government of the Communist Party of China allocated funds to restore it. In June, 1998, it was completely renovated, with brick cement tomb walls and the monument of "Rebuilding Dahan Chen Youliang Tomb".

Memorial Palace

At 9:00 on December 18, 2013, the local government opened the "Chen Youliang Memorial Hall" (陈友谅纪念馆) at 90 Pier, Mian Street, Xiantao City, Hubei Province (formerly mian yang, Hubei Province). This memorial hall has three floors of antique buildings, covering an area of 3,891 square meters, with a total construction area of 1,615 square meters. The first two floors have an exhibition hall of 920 square meters, and the last floor is an office rest area.

Legends

Yuan Mei's "Zi Bu Yu" (袁枚《子不語》), Volume 10, contains an article "Destroying Chen Youliang Temple", which tells the story of the ruined Jingzhou Chen Youliang Temple when Zhao Xili was appointed as a county magistrate. Zhao only knew that it was an unknown Wangye Temple, and thought it was an obscene temple and destroyed the temple, but he didn't know that the temple was dedicated to Chen Youliang, and he didn't know it until he asked Zhang Tianshi.

Cultural portrayals

Film and TV

Chen Youliang is featured as a character in Louis Cha's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber as a minor antagonist.

• 1978 Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre《倚天屠龙记》 by Long Tiansheng (龙天生)

• 1984 《倚天屠龙记》 by Chen Xiang (陈祥 )

• 1986 《倚天屠龙记》 何贵林

• 1987 《大明群英》 刘青云 Liu Qingyun

• 1993 《朱元璋》 张矩 Zhang Ju

• 1994 《倚天屠龙记》 郑平君

• 1998 《乞丐皇帝传奇》 李志希

• 2001 《倚天屠龙记》 陈荣峻 Chen Rongjun

• 2003 《倚天屠龙记》 孙斌

• 2004 《武当》 刘旭 Liu Xu

• 2006 《传奇皇帝朱元璋》李庆祥

• 2006 《朱元璋》李明

• 2008 《飞天舞》 沉浮

• 2009 《倚天屠龙记》 周晓滨

• 2009 《真命天子》 季肖冰

• 2015 《乞丐皇帝与大脚皇后传奇》 季晨

• 2019 《倚天屠龍記》侯瑞祥

祖姓爭議

童承敘的《平漢錄》記載：「陳友諒，沔陽人，本姓謝，祖千一，贅於陳，遂從其姓。父普才，黃蓬漁子也。」陳友諒本姓謝，祖父時入贅陳家，改姓陳。此說被《明史》採納，流傳廣泛。

越南《大越史記全書》則稱，陳友諒是投降元朝的越南陳朝宗室陳益稷之子，曾向陳朝遣使求和親和借師。陳益稷投降元朝後，被封為安南國王，後元朝征越失敗，將陳益稷安置在漢陽。

生平

早年事跡

陳友諒少時好學，略通文義，姿貌豐偉，膂力過人，優于武藝，弱冠仕元任元沔陽總管府「獄吏」。

反元路途

元惠宗（元順帝）至正十一年（1351年）八月，徐壽輝、彭瑩玉、鄒普勝等人在蘄州（今湖北蘄春南）起事。同年（1351年）十月，攻克蘄水（今湖北浠水），據此建立政權，國號宋（一說天完），年號治平，徐壽輝被擁立為帝。陳友諒投效紅巾軍將領倪文俊麾下的「北瑣紅軍」，開始反元。

至正十五年（1355年）正月，徐壽輝遣其將倪文俊複破沔陽，陳友諒于黃蓬起義被編入天完紅巾軍，初為簿書掾，徐壽輝授其為沔陽州總管府總管。同年八月，陳友諒協助倪文俊攻占武昌、漢陽，研製出「混江龍」、「塞斷江」、「撞倒山」、「江海鰲」等功能各具的大型戰艦。

至正十六年（1356年），陳友諒晉升為天完「領兵元帥」，出任黃州路總管府總管。陳友諒率部水陸並進,蔽江東下，一舉攻下江州。

至正十七年（1357年）九月，陳友諒襲殺倪文俊，因功升為「平章政事」，自稱勤王，自稱宣慰使，起兵攻下江西諸路，連克江西、安徽、福建等地。

至正十八年（1358年），陳友諒率軍從武昌順江而下，攻陷安慶，又破龍興、瑞州。而後分兵攻取邵武、吉安，而自己則領兵進入撫州。不久，又破建昌，接連取得贛州、汀州、信州、衢州。

漢王

至正十九年（1359年），陳友諒殺將領趙普勝，挾徐壽輝，遷都江州（今江西九江），自立為漢王。

建國

至正二十年（1360年）閏五月，陳友諒攻陷太平路，命死士在太平路采石（今安徽省馬鞍山市）五通神廟內刺殺徐壽輝。十六日戊午（6月16日），陳友諒于采石五通廟登基稱帝，國號漢，改元大義，以鄒普勝為太師，張必先為丞相。隨即與張士誠合攻朱元璋。朱元璋金陵應天府被陳友諒趁機圍住，只好遣胡大海進攻信州，迫陳友諒回師救援。朱元璋一面離間張士誠，張按兵不動，又命屬下康茂才向陳友諒詐降並作為陳友諒在朱元璋軍中內應，結果康茂才引陳友諒軍到金陵城（今南京）西北的龍灣（今南京市大勝關），中了朱元璋在當地的伏兵，後江水退潮，漢軍百艘巨艦擱淺，陳友諒大敗，敗走江州（今九江）。

至正二十一年（1361年），陳友諒遭遇朱元璋西剿。因為割據的地理原因，陳友諒與朱元璋相靠，陳友諒自恃兵力強大，想向東攻取應天。陳友諒親率水師東下，到達江東橋，雙方戰于龍灣（今江蘇南京城郊），陳友諒大敗。因為是潮落，船被擱淺，死者無數，喪失戰艦數百艘，陳友諒只得坐小船逃走。張德勝乘勝追擊，在慈湖被其打敗，焚船。馮國勝率五路大軍乘勝追擊，陳友諒派出皂旗軍迎戰，複大敗。陳友諒放棄太平路（今安徽當塗），逃至江州。朱元璋軍乘勝攻取安慶，陳友諒的部將于光、歐普祥都繳械投降。

至正二十二年（1362年），陳友諒派兵再次攻陷安慶。被朱元璋親自率軍討伐長驅直入抵達江州後，陳友諒複失安慶。陳友諒戰敗後，連夜攜妻帶子逃往武昌，其部將吳宏以饒州投降，王溥以建昌投降，胡廷瑞以龍興投降。

戰歿

至正二十三年（1363年）四月壬戌，陳友諒大舉兵圍洪都（今南昌），史稱洪都保衛戰。本年8月30日，陳友諒複率六十萬水軍在鄱陽湖進攻朱元璋，朱排佈水軍二十萬親自迎敵，是為「鄱陽湖之戰」。陳友諒自恃巨艦出戰，採用砲攻，差點捕獲朱元璋。隨後，朱元璋採納郭興的建議，利用東北風而改用火攻，致使陳友諒部大量受損。之後朱元璋利用鄱陽湖水位降低便於小舟活動，改為分兵水路圍攻陳友諒。同年八月壬戌（10月3日），陳友諒突圍時起霧，陳從船艙中探頭出看，竟中流箭而死，漢軍潰敗。隨後朱元璋圍攻武昌，並盡佔湖北各地。

死後

陳友諒死後，張定邊等人在武昌立陳友諒次子陳理登基為帝，改元德壽。

至正二十四年（1364年）二月，朱元璋的西吳軍廖永忠部兵臨武昌城下，其帝陳理出降，陳友諒所建立的陳漢政權就此亡國。陳理被朱元璋召至金陵，封為歸德侯，洪武五年（1372年）陳理及其九族被流放至朝鮮半島，陳理之子早逝，絕後。

其部將殷文才的子嗣為避禍改姓為鄧。

故居

河南行省荊湖北路宣慰司沔陽府沔陽城南（今仙桃市沔城回族鎮古城遺址中）有一座廟宇叫玄妙觀，原為元未農民起義領袖陳友諒的行宮。此觀位于沔城南門，坐東朝西，占地面積8000平方米。明、清兩朝的道正司一直設在這裡。

陳友諒兵敗後，當地百姓怕朱元璋毀觀，將其龍興故居被明朝改為玄妙觀，為沔陽州道正司的所在，清代避康熙帝諱，改為元妙觀，亦是清代沔陽州道正司。

1941年的中日戰爭，國軍一二八師師長王勁哉焦土抗戰過程中，此廟堂遭毀。

家庭

祖上

• 陳千一（另一說祖父為謝千一，祖母陳氏）

• 陳千二

• 陳千三

• 陳千四

• 陳千五

父輩

• 父陳普才，朱元璋封為承恩侯，洪武五年徙滁陽

• 二伯陳普略

• 三叔陳普全

母親

• 吳氏

兄弟

• 長兄陳友富，朱元璋封為歸仁伯

• 次兄陳友直，朱元璋封為懷恩伯

• 四弟陳友仁，在鄱陽湖戰死，朱元璋贈康山王並立廟祭祀

• 幼弟陳友貴，在鄱陽湖戰死，祔陳友仁廟

后妃

• 楊氏，

• 婁氏，

• 陶氏

• 闍氏，被朱元璋軍所俘

子女

• 太子陳善，被朱元璋軍所俘

• 陳理

孫

• 陳明善，無後而逝

傳說

• 袁枚《子不語》卷十收錄一篇《毀陳友諒廟》，講清朝趙錫禮任縣令時，毀了荊州陳友諒廟改奉關帝君的佚事。趙只知道是不明的王爺廟，認為是淫祠而毀廟，但並不知該廟是奉祀陳友諒，直到向張天師詢問之後，方才得知。

歷史評價

總評

古有「友諒最桀，士誠最富」之說，陳友諒窮極奢侈，不得民心，舊部多叛，為失敗主因。

名人評說

• 劉基：「友諒包饒、信，跨荊、襄，幾天下半。」「士誠自守虜，不足慮。友諒劫主脅下，名號不正，地據上流，其心無日忘我，宜先圖之。陳氏滅，張氏勢孤，一舉可定。」

• 朱元璋：「友諒亡，天下不難定也。」「朕以友諒志驕、士誠器小，志驕則好生事，器小則無遠圖。」

• 楊璟：「向者如陳、張之屬，竊據吳、楚，造舟塞江河，積糧過山嶽，強將勁兵，自謂無敵。然鄱陽一戰，友諒授首，旋師東討，張氏面縛。此非人力，實天命也。」

• 饒漢祥：「江漢先英、三楚雄風。」

• 《朱元璋系年要錄》：「至傾國六十萬嘗試江流，牧野、昆陽、赤壁、淝水、古帝王豪傑能用其眾者，未之有聞。」

• 蔡東藩：「吾謂友諒亦有自敗之道，江州失守，根本之重地已去，及奔至武昌，正宜斂兵蓄銳，徐圖再舉，乃迫不及待，孤注一擲，喪子弟，失愛妃，甚至身死人手，為天下笑，是可見國之興亡，實關人謀，不得如項羽之刎首烏江，自諉為非戰之罪也。」

• 歷史學家吳晗：「陳友諒雖然失敗了，但他畢竟是反對元朝蒙漢地主階級統治的英雄人物，在歷史上起過作用，當時人們對他是同情的、懷念的，他的墳墓，到今天還在新建的長江大橋下被保存著，供來往遊人悼念。」

後世紀念

衣冠塚

1363年10月3日，陳友諒身中流矢，卒于鄱陽湖之戰後，其真實尸骸不知去向，衣冠被部下以舟載回，遣送至湖北武漢城內長江大橋武昌橋頭引橋蛇山南坡下（湖北武漢著名景點黃鶴樓旁）埋葬，坐北朝南，長方形，圓角，高2.2米，墓基周長12米，墓塚依山構築，此地為陳友諒的衣冠塚。附近一座六角無名亭，亭柱上刻滿字跡。

清代，此地成為湖北按察使署的花園「乃園」之一部分，少有人往。清光緒三十四年（1908年）萬耀煌、耿仲釗等發現此墓。

1912年，湖北省內務司議請整修，並在墓前（牌坊與墓之間）修築了16級台階的墓道和一座高大牌坊。牌坊前額書「江漢先英」，後額書「三楚雄風」，墓前立碑「大漢陳友諒墓」，廣濟饒漢祥作碑銘。墓兩側還各建有碑亭一座。1913年墓園進行整修完工，墓地周圍蒼松翠柏環抱，氣氛肅穆。

1923年（辛亥革命後），中華民國對其重建。

1949年，中華人民共和國成立後曾稍作維修。

1956年，該墓被列為湖北省文物保護單位。

文革期間被毀，1981年，中華人民共和國中共地方政府撥款將其複修。1998年6月全面整修竣工，有磚砌水泥墓牆，立「重修大漢陳友諒墓」碑石。

紀念館

2013年12月18日9時，當地政府在湖北省仙桃市（原湖北沔陽）沔街九十墩開設「陳友諒紀念館」。這個紀念館內有三層仿古式建築，占地3891平方米，總建築面積達到1615平方米。前兩層設有920平方米的展廳，最後一層為辦公休息區。

影視形象

• 1978 《倚天屠龍記》 龍天生

• 1984 《倚天屠龍記》 陳祥

• 1986 《倚天屠龍記》 何貴林

• 1987 《大明群英》 劉青雲

• 1993 《朱元璋》 張矩

• 1994 《倚天屠龍記》 鄭平君

• 1998 《乞丐皇帝傳奇》 李志希

• 2001 《倚天屠龍記》 陳榮峻

• 2003 《倚天屠龍記》 孫斌

• 2004 《武當》 劉旭

• 2006 《傳奇皇帝朱元璋》李慶祥

• 2006 《朱元璋》李明

• 2008 《飛天舞》 沉浮

• 2009 《倚天屠龍記》 周曉濱

• 2009 《真命天子》 季肖冰

• 2015 《乞丐皇帝與大腳皇后傳奇》 季晨

• 2019 《倚天屠龍記》侯瑞祥

註釋