家世及投唐

安思顺父是胡人将军安波注。安波注之弟安延偃娶巫师阿史德氏，后者已有子轧荦山，被安延偃收养，改名安禄山。一次，安延偃所部溃散，安禄山、安思顺、安延偃逃到唐朝境内。将军安道买次子安贞节正担任岚州别驾，于是他们就投靠了安贞节。安贞节厚待安延偃，约定两家子辈为兄弟，故安禄山与安思顺约为兄弟。

为将生涯

开元二年（714年）七月，吐蕃入侵临洮军，又游寇兰州、渭州，掠夺群畜，玄宗起用薛讷摄左羽林将军、陇右防御使，率杜宾客、郭知运、王晙、安思顺以抵御之，太子右卫率、丰安军使王海宾为先锋，诸将嫉恨他有功，按兵不救，致其寡不敌众阵亡。最终唐军苦战得胜。九年（721年）四月，朝廷下诏赏赐抗击吐蕃功臣，安思顺以右监门卫将军、临洮军使升任洮州刺史兼充莫门军使，赐物二百段，银三百两，钱五十万。

大约天宝五载（746年），安思顺、哥舒翰分别任王海宾之子河西、陇右节度使王忠嗣属下大斗军正副使，互不相让。

安思顺虽然有才有宠，但也通过巴结宦官骠骑大将军高力士才得以官运亨通。天宝六载（747年）十一月，唐玄宗调动节度使，改任时任朔方节度使的安思顺充河西节度使，判武威郡事。九载（750年）八月，他权知朔方节度事。

十载（751年）正月，朔方节度使改由宰相李林甫遥领，时任河西节度使、鸿胪卿员外置同正员、摄御史中丞、权知朔方节度事的安思顺罢朔方节度使，加特进，摄御史大夫，一个儿子得到授官，其馀官职如故。四月，唐玄宗见了时任安西节度使高句丽族将领高仙芝后，赏识他，下令任高仙芝为河西节度使。但安思顺指使手下胡人首领割耳朵、划破脸，请求玄宗让他留任。监察御史裴周南也奏闻朝廷，于是玄宗下诏安思顺留任，以高仙芝为右羽林大将军。

十一载（752年）三月，突厥首领朔方副使李献忠（阿布思）叛乱期间，李林甫忙于和同僚陈希烈争权，不想离开京城长安去平叛，辞朔方节度使，推荐安思顺接任，玄宗准奏。大约同年，安思顺不再担任河西节度使。安思顺曾率宗羲仲等破鱼海，攻占五城。同年，他奏请调河西节度副使李光弼为单于都护府副大都护。

同时，安思顺、时任范阳节度使的安禄山与时任陇右节度使哥舒翰不合。玄宗试图改善他们的关系，让他们约为兄弟，当年十二月召三人到长安，让高力士为三人设宴，希望他们和解，但席间哥舒翰和安禄山却陷入激烈争论，他们之间的关系不但没有改善，反而恶化。

十二载（753年），安思顺联合北庭都护程千里，遣折冲果毅浑瑊以偏师深入葛禄部，经过狐媚碛，掠夺特罗斯山，大破阿布思部众。同年，安思顺奏请将阴山北麓的横塞军移置于南麓的大同川之西，诏改其名为天德军，安思顺建其北城，周围四一十二里，高四丈，下阔一丈七尺，于十四载（755年）完工。十三载（754年）三月，阿布思被押送京城斩首示众。

同年，李光弼被任为朔方兵马使，安思顺奏其为副使、知留后事，爱其材，想把女儿嫁给他，李光弼推辞不过，称病辞官。这可能是因为李光弼感念被李林甫诬陷暴死的故帅王忠嗣，而安思顺是李林甫所荐，李林甫又称美安禄山，李光弼怀疑安思顺为李林甫党羽，才拒绝其示好。哥舒翰闻知，认为李光弼有节操，奏请让李光弼回京师。左领军大将军同正员、特进仆固怀恩因善格斗、了解各少数民族情况、有统御之材，被安思顺委为心腹。安思顺引匡城尉敬羽于自己的幕府。表延王府参军杜鸿渐为判官。

十四载（755年），诏命追赠安思顺祖父左卫钤卫郎将安某为武部尚书，亡父右羽林大将军安波注为太子太师。

冤死

安思顺注意到安禄山因被继李林甫为相且是玄宗最得宠的妃子杨贵妃堂兄的杨国忠激怒，正计划作乱。他入朝将此事奏明玄宗，玄宗不信，但仍相信安思顺是忠诚的。十四载（755年）十一月，安禄山果然作乱，玄宗也因安思顺先前有奏，没惩罚安思顺，召时任朔方节度副使兼灵武郡太守、御史大夫的他回长安任户部尚书。安思顺的弟弟安元贞被任为太仆卿。安思顺的部下朔方右厢兵马使、九原太守郭子仪被任为朔方节度使。当时郭子仪、李光弼都是牙门都将，彼此不合，即使同盘饮食也斜眼相视不说话。郭子仪代任后，与李光弼为了平叛而放弃私愤以忠义互勉。

但哥舒翰仍然敌视安思顺。他很快受任为元帅统军讨伐安禄山，知道自己手握重兵，自己请奏的事玄宗不会违背。十五载（756年），哥舒翰部下马军都将王思礼劝哥舒翰谋杀安思顺。于是哥舒翰伪造了一封安禄山写给安思顺的信，让使者在关门被俘，再把信及弹劾安思顺七大罪的表文呈给玄宗。三月，时任开府仪同三司兼工部尚书的安思顺及安元贞被下诏赐死，家族被流放到岭南。天下以为冤。杨国忠不能相救，也因此开始畏惧哥舒翰。

唐代宗广德二年（764年）正月，时任河东副元帅等职的郭子仪上表请求为安思顺兄弟昭雪。

注释

Background and flight to Tang territory

An Sishun's father's name might have been An Daomai (安道买), and appeared to be of Tujue extraction. An Daomai's brother An Yanyan (安延偃) had married a sorceress, Lady Ashide, who already had a son named Galuoshan, whom An Yanyan adopted and renamed An Lushan. At some point, An Yanyan's tribe suffered a catastrophe, and An Lushan, An Sishun, and possibly An Yanyan, fled to Tang Dynasty territory. At that time, another son of An Daomai's, An Zhenjie (安贞节), was serving as advisor to the Tang prefect of Lan Prefecture (岚州, in modern Lüliang, Shanxi), and so they settled with An Zhenjie.

Career as general

As of 747, An Sishun was serving as the military governor (jiedushi) of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), when, as a part of governor movements, Emperor Xuanzong made him the military governor of Hexi Circuit (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu), as well as acting governor of Wuwei Commandery. In 750, he assumed the military governorship of Shuofang as well.

In 751, after Emperor Xuanzong met with and was impressed by the ethnically Goguryeo general Gao Xianzhi, who was then military governor of Anxi Circuit (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang), he issued an order making Gao the military governor at Hexi. However, An encouraged the non-Han chieftains under his command to cut off their ears and lacerate their faces and request that Emperor Xuanzong allow An to remain at Hexi, and Emperor Xuanzong did so.

In 752, in the middle of a rebellion by the Tujue chieftain Li Xianzhong (李献忠), the chancellor Li Linfu, who was then locked in a power struggle with fellow chancellor Chen Xilie and did not want to leave the capital Chang'an to react to the rebellion (as he was also the military governor of Shuofang), resigned his governorship of Shuofang and recommended An to take over for him. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and made An the military governor of Shuofang.

Meanwhile, a rivalry had arisen between An Sishun and his cousin An Lushan, then the military governor of Fanyang Circuit (范阳, headquartered in modern Beijing) and the general Geshu Han, then the military governor of Longyou Circuit (陇右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai). Emperor Xuanzong tried to foster better relations between them, and in winter 752 summoned all three to Chang'an. He had the powerful eunuch Gao Lishi hold a feast for the three of them, hoping that they would reconcile—but the feast degenerated into a bitter argument between Geshu and An Lushan, and it was said that instead of improving relations, it worsened their relations.

Death

At some point, An Sishun became aware that An Lushan, who also had a rivalry with chancellor Yang Guozhong, who had succeeded Li Linfu and was the cousin of Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan, was planning rebellion due to Yang Guozhong's aggravations. He reported it to Emperor Xuanzong, who did not believe it but nevertheless believed An Sishun to be faithful. After An Lushan did rebel early in 755, Emperor Xuanzong did not punish An Sishun, but recalled him to Chang'an to serve as the minister of census (户部尚书, Hubu Shangshu). An Sishun's younger brother An Yuanzhen (安元贞) was made the minister of husbandry. An Sishun's subordinate Guo Ziyi was made the military governor of Shuofang.

However, Geshu Han was still inimical to An Sishun, and soon was put in command of the forces against An Lushan. In 756, Geshu forged a letter from An Lushan to An Sishun, and then had the messenger captured at a pass. He presented the letter to Emperor Xuanzong, along with a petition accusing An Sishun of seven crimes. As a result, An Sishun and An Yuanzhen were executed, and their families were exiled to the Lingnan region, despite Yang Guozhong's attempt to intercede on An Sishun's behalf.