Early life

Zhang Xuanjing was born in 350, during the reign of his father Zhang Chonghua (Duke Jinglie). His mother was likely Zhang Chonghua's concubine Lady Guo (as he honored her as princess dowager in 363, which he would have had little reason to do if she were not his mother). He had an older brother, Zhang Yaoling, who was his father's heir apparent.

In 353, Zhang Chonghua died, and Zhang Yaoling became the ruler (as Duke Ai), but actual power was in the hands of Zhang Chonghua's older brother Zhang Zuo, who was having an affair with Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma and received her support in early 354 to depose Zhang Yaoling and claim the throne himself. Later that year, when he declared independence from Jin Dynasty (266–420), which Former Liang had been a titular vassal of, he created Zhang Xuanjing the Marquess of Liangwu.

In 356, the violent and capricious Zhang Zuo was overthrown and killed by the generals Zhang Guan and Song Hun. Initially, Song had Zhang Xuanjing claim the Jin-created title of Duke of Xiping, a title that his ancestors had carried for generations, but Zhang Guan overruled Song and had the young ruler claim the title Prince of Liang, a title that Jin had declined to grant previously. Zhang Guan served as regent.

Under the regency of Zhang Guan

Despite his having Zhang Xuanjing claim a non-Jin-created title, Zhang Guan nevertheless continued to claim that Former Liang was a Jin vassal. In 356, however, under diplomatic and implied military pressure from Former Qin, Zhang Guan, on Zhang Xuanjing's behalf, formally submitted to Former Qin as a vassal.

Zhang Guan governed with a heavy hand, based on his own whim. In 359, he became suspicious of Song Hun and wanted to kill him and his brother Song Cheng (宋澄), and then depose Zhang Xuanjing and take the throne himself. Song Hun received news of this, however, and started an uprising within the capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu). Song's and Zhang Guan's forces battled within the city, but eventually Song prevailed, and Zhang Guan and his brother Zhang Ju (張琚) committed suicide. Their clan was slaughtered. Song Hun became regent.

Under the regencies of Song Hun and Song Cheng

Song Hun's regency was better received, as Song emphasized faithfulness and tolerance. He also had Zhang Xuanjing disclaim the title Prince of Liang and return to the Jin-created title Duke of Xiping. The people appeared to be happy about his regency. However, turmoil came again in 361, after Song Hun died. Under Song Hun's recommendation, his brother Song Cheng became regent, but Song Cheng, not as skillful as Song Hun, was soon killed by the general Zhang Yong (張邕), and his clan was slaughtered. Zhang Yong and Zhang Xuanjing's uncle Zhang Tianxi became coregents, but with Zhang Yong having the bulk of power.

Under the regencies of Zhang Yong and Zhang Tianxi

After becoming regent, Zhang Yong became arrogant, sexually immoral, and dictatorial, and he often executed officials, causing the nobles and the officials to be fearful. Zhang Tianxi's assistants Liu Su (劉肅), comparing Zhang Yong to Zhang Zuo, persuaded him that he needed to act against Zhang Yong, and later in 361, Zhang Tianxi had Liu Su and another assistant, Zhao Baiju (趙白駒) attempt to assassinate Zhang Yong, but failed. Zhang Yong then gathered his troops and attacked Zhang Tianxi, but Zhang Tianxi persuaded Zhang Yong's troops that he was avenging the Song clan and that Zhang Yong's next move was going to slaughter the royal Zhang clan. Zhang's forces, hearing this, abandoned him, and Zhang Yong committed suicide. His clan was slaughtered, and Zhang Tianxi became sole regent. Zhang Tianxi ended the practice of using Emperor Min of Jin's era name Jianxing and instead started using the current era name of Jin Dynasty (at the time, Emperor Ai's Shengping), to show even greater affinity with Jin.

In 363, Princess Dowager Ma died, and Zhang Xuanjing honored Lady Guo as princess dowager. She became concerned that Zhang Tianxi was acting dictatorially, and she conspired with the high-level official Zhang Qin (張欽) to kill Zhang Tianxi, but the news leaked, and Zhang Qin and other conspirators were put to death. Zhang Xuanjing became fearful and offered to yield the throne to Zhang Tianxi, but Zhang Tianxi refused. A month later, however, he had Liu Su lead soldiers into the palace to assassinate the 13-year-old Zhang Xuanjing, but claimed that Zhang Xuanjing died of an illness. Zhang Tianxi took the throne himself.

Era name

• Taishi (太始 taì shǐ) 355–356

After 356, the era name of Emperor Min of Jin, Jianxing, was used until 361, when Former Liang switched to using the current era names used by Jin—therefore, Emperor Mu's Shengping in 361 and Emperor Ai's Longhe in 362–363.

Personal information

• Father

　• Zhang Chonghua (Duke Jinglie)

• Mother

　• Likely Lady Guo

生平

張玄靚於和平元年（354年）獲張祚封為涼武侯。和平二年（355年），張祚被殺，張玄靚被宋混、張琚推為大將軍、涼州牧、護羌校尉、西平公，恢復年號為建興四十三年。不久，河州刺史張瓘返都城姑臧（今甘肅武威），張玄靚再被推為涼王，政事決於張瓘。次年（356年）前秦派使者閻負、梁殊前來，要勸說前涼臣服於前秦，張瓘恐懼，於是勸導張玄靚向前秦稱藩，而前秦亦以張玄靚所稱的官爵授命。

張玄靚繼位後，前涼國內先後有李儼、衞綝和馬基等人反叛，張瓘擊敗了衞綝並討平馬基。其時張瓘、張琚兄弟賞罰都依從自己愛惡，無視綱紀，又不聽諫言，故並不得人心。可是他們自以勢力強大，且有功勳，所以有篡位的意圖，然而就忌憚忠心剛直的宋混。建興四十七年（359年），張瓘徵集了數萬兵並會聚於姑臧，想要消滅宋混兄弟，宋混及宋澄知道後就率領壯士楊和等四十多騎到南城，並向各個兵營宣稱張瓘謀反，太后下令誅除他，很快就召集到二千多人。隨後宋混率眾與張瓘決戰，張瓘兵敗，其部眾都背棄張瓘，向宋混投降，張瓘兄弟於是自殺。事後宋混代替張瓘掌政，張玄靚為宋混所建議去涼王稱號，改稱涼州牧。建興四十九年（361年），宋混去世，張玄靚順從宋混遺言而讓宋澄掌政，不過右司馬張邕不滿宋澄專政，同年即起兵攻滅宋澄，並誅殺宋氏一族。張玄靚隨後又改讓張邕與叔父張天錫共同掌政。可是，張邕自恃功勳大而行事驕縱，濫用刑法，更與馬太后私通，樹立黨羽，很不得人心，張天錫就是再次發動政變，張邕兵敗自殺，其黨眾皆被張天錫誅殺。張玄靚遂以張天錫一人掌政。十二月，張天錫讓張玄靚改奉當時東晉的昇平年號，稱昇平五年。晉廷則授張玄靚大都督隴右諸軍事、護羌校尉、涼州刺史，西平公。

昇平七年（363年），馬太后去世，張玄靚以其母郭夫人為太妃，而郭夫人因不滿張天錫專政而與張欽圖謀發動政變，可是圖謀外洩，張欽等人都被張天錫殺害。張天錫隨後便發動政變，派兵入宮殺死張玄靚，向外宣稱張玄靚暴斃，享年十四歲。

陵墓

張玄靚被下葬平陵。張天錫私諡為沖公。東晉孝武帝司馬曜賜諡號敬悼。

家族列表

父母

• 父親 張重華

• 母親 郭夫人

注釋