The an Shi Rebellion: 36 Million Casualties

The An Shi Rebellion, also referred to as the Tianbao Revolution, derives its name from the leader of the rebellion, An Lushan. The rebellion was part of a greater revolt that ensued during the Tang Dynasty, and particularly between the years of 755 and 763. This little-known rebellion had the second greatest amount of casualties (second only after World War II) during any single war, with an estimated 36 million civilian deaths, over 2/3 the population of China at that time. Civilian deaths do, however, take into account other factors such as disease and famine, and those factors are included within the figure. The An Shi Rebellion was the last period where the Tang Dynasty could be considered active rulers of the kingdom. While their dynasty certainly may have spanned over a longer time frame, in reality, the kingdom was ruled by rebels.