Background

The traditional sources conflict about Liu Qian's family origins, but what they agreed on was that he came from what was then considered meager social station. According to the New Book of Tang, he was from Shangcai, but came to reside at Feng Prefecture due to disturbances in his home region. According to the History of the Five Dynasties, his father — referred to as Liu Ren'an (劉仁安) — came to reside in the Lingnan region after serving as the secretary general of Chao Prefecture (潮州, in modern Chaozhou, Guangdong). According to the New History of the Five Dynasties, his father — referred to as Liu Anren (劉安仁) — was originally from Shangcai and took refuge in the Min (閩, i.e., modern Fujian) region, later becoming a merchant who settled down in the Lingnan region. Regardless of how he came to be in the region, he eventually became a low-level army officer in the Qinghai Circuit army. Despite his low social station, the military governor (Jiedushi) of the region (which was then known as Lingnan East Circuit (嶺南東道), although it would later be renamed Qinghai), Wei Zhou (韋宙), was impressed by Liu's talents, and decided to give his niece to Liu in marriage. When Wei's wife objected, Wei stated, "This man is no ordinary man. Perhaps one day my descendants could depend on him." Subsequently, Liu distinguished himself in campaigns against agrarian rebels.

In 879, the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao overrun Lingnan East's capital Guang Prefecture (廣州). After Huang abandoned it in 880, the region was left in confusion. Liu Qian took this opportunity to take control of Feng Prefecture. In 883, then-reigning Emperor Xizong commissioned Liu as the prefect of Feng and the defender of Heshui Base (賀水鎮, in modern Nanning, Guangxi).

Governance of Feng Prefecture

As the prefect of Feng, it was said that Liu Qian welcomed refugees, governed appropriately, and built up his army strength. It was not long after that he built his army to the size of over 10,000 men and possessed a good number of warships, and his prefecture was pacified. When he subsequently grew ill, he summoned his sons, and stated to them:

After Liu Qian died in 894, his soldiers supported his son Liu Yin as their leader. Then-military governor of the circuit (which had been renamed Qinghai by this point) Liu Chonggui (劉崇龜) thereafter recommended Liu Yin to Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, and Emperor Zhaozong commissioned Liu Yin as the prefect of Feng to replace Liu Qian.

Personal information

• Father

　• Liu Anren (劉安仁) or Liu Ren'an (劉仁安), posthumously honored Emperor Wen with the temple name of Taizu

• Wife

　• Lady Wei, mother of Liu Yin and Liu Tai, niece of Wei Zhou (韋宙), posthumously honored Empress Wu

• Concubine

　• Lady Duan, mother of Liu Yan

• Children

　• Liu Yin (劉隱), later military governor of Qinghai Circuit

　• Liu Tai (劉台)

　• Liu Yan (劉巖), name later changed to Liu Yan (劉龑), emperor of Southern Han

Notes and references

• New Book of Tang, vol. 190.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 255, 259.

生平

其父劉安仁遷居福建，以經商為生。劉謙從軍於南海（治所在今廣東省廣州市），為牙校，職位低微，但容貌氣度非常出眾，當時的嶺南東道節度使韋宙把一個姪女嫁給了他。韋宙的妻子嫌劉謙卑微，韋宙說：「此人非常流也，他日我子孫或可依之。」後因邀擊黃巢有功，882年任封州（治所在今廣東省新興縣）刺史、賀江鎮遏使，有士卒萬人，戰艦百餘艘。

894年，劉謙死，留有三子，妻子韋氏（韋宙的姪女）所生劉隱、劉台，妾段氏所生劉巖。劉隱繼位，劉隱征戰四方，兵強馬壯，朱溫封為南海王。

917年，劉隱歿後，劉巖稱帝，國號漢，史稱為南漢。追尊劉謙為聖武皇帝，廟號代祖。

身世爭議

藤田豐八在1935年認為他是大食（阿拉伯帝國）商人後裔，從西亞到福建泉州，謊稱河南上蔡籍，而唐宋蕃客中劉姓多為伊斯蘭的穆斯林。

藤田氏此說遭桑原騭藏質疑。桑原認為，關于宋元祐間廣州蕃坊娶宗女的劉姓人為阿拉伯人的說法，不能用以証明南漢劉氏是阿拉伯人的後裔，相反，宋元祐間廣州蕃客的劉姓，可能是南漢所賜。陳寅恪在1939年撰文《劉復愚遺文中年月及其不祀祖問題》考證，「家世無九品之官，四海無強大之親，父子俱以儒學進仕至中書舍人禮部尚書，而不祭祀先祖，及籍貫紛歧，而俱賈胡（註：通商的胡人）僑寄之地三端，推証之如此」。。

然而據現代考證，劉謙家族是來自淮北地區的漢族人，藤田豐八與陳寅恪的說法是站不住腳。