Key Historical Events in Quanzhou Involving Arab and Persian Communities
由 ✨步子哥 (steper) 发布
### Key Historical Events in Quanzhou Involving Arab and Persian Communities
- Research suggests that the query points to two interconnected events: the 1276 defection and massacre led by Pu Shougeng, an influential merchant of Arab descent, against Song dynasty loyalists, and the later Ispah Rebellion (1357–1366), where Persian and Arab forces rebelled against the Yuan dynasty, culminating in a retaliatory massacre of foreign communities.
- Evidence leans toward the 1276 incident as a pivotal moment where Pu Shougeng's actions, including the killing of thousands of Song imperial clan members, facilitated Yuan control but deepened ethnic tensions, with some sources viewing it as a betrayal while others note his role in stabilizing trade.
- The Ispah Rebellion appears to reflect ongoing sectarian and power struggles among Muslim groups in Quanzhou, ending in widespread violence that devastated the city's diverse expatriate population, though accounts vary on the extent of Arab-specific involvement versus broader Persian leadership.
- These events highlight the complex dynamics of multiculturalism in medieval Quanzhou Port, where prosperity from the Maritime Silk Road coexisted with periodic conflicts, and interpretations differ based on historical perspectives emphasizing either foreign aggression or local reprisals.
#### The 1276 Defection and Massacre
Historical records indicate that Pu Shougeng, a Sunni Muslim of Arab origin who served as Quanzhou's maritime trade supervisor, defected to the invading Yuan forces in late 1276. This followed the Song court's seizure of his ships and property as they fled southward. In retaliation, Pu orchestrated the killing of Song imperial clan members and officials who had sought refuge in Quanzhou's suburbs. Estimates suggest several thousand perished, though exact figures remain debated. This act secured his position under the Yuan and contributed to the Song's collapse, but it sowed seeds for later vendettas. For more on Pu's background, see the [Wikipedia entry on Pu Shougeng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Shougeng)....