Battle of Xiangyang (191)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Xiangyang in 191 was a battle fought between Sun Jian
and Liu Biao
during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. Liu Biao emerged victorious against Sun Jian's forces. Shortly after their coalition had ousted Dong Zhuo
from the capital city, Luoyang
, Yuan Shu
and Yuan Shao
, two feudal lords vying for power, had formed alliances against one another, with Gongsun Zan
supporting Yuan Shu while Liu Biao supported Yuan Shao. Yuan Shu sent his subordinate Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao in order to extinguish Yuan Shao's influence in the southern half of China. Although Sun Jian initially outmaneuvered and outfought Liu Biao, he was killed in action and his army forced to retreat.
, between Fancheng and Deng (near present-day Xiangyang
). There, he easily routed Huang's forces and surrounded the city of Xiangyang itself. Within the confines of the city, Liu Biao again sent Huang Zu out, this time to make a surprise attack. However, Huang was again defeated, and when he attempted to withdraw to the city once more, Sun Jian cut off his line of retreat, and he fled to Mount Xian. Sun pursued Huang, hoping to follow up on his success. According to Sun Jian's official biography in Records of Three Kingdoms
, he was fatally wounded by an arrow fired by a soldier in Huang Zu's unit, who was hiding in a bamboo grove. Sun's men carried him away from the battlefield and he died from his injury later. Other theories of Sun Jian's death include Sun being killed while fighting in the wilderness, or being crushed to death by boulders rolled down by the enemy from above.
, an official under Sun Jian, successfully negotiated for his lord's corpse to be returned, and Sun Jian's army temporarily came under the control of Sun Jian's nephew, Sun Ben
. Sun Ben then went to join Yuan Shu with most of Sun Jian's followers. Sun Ce
, Sun Jian's oldest son, was given Sun Jian's marquisate, but chose to pass the position down to his youngest brother, Sun Kuang
, who was still young then.
Liu Biao's success allowed him to expand his influence in Jing Province. Though he would be unable to defeat either Sun Ce or his successor, Sun Quan
, he would nonetheless remain an influential figure in the Han Dynasty until his death in 208.
's historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms
. In this fictionalized account, Sun Jian attacked Liu Biao for revenge because Liu's forces routed his army during his withdrawal from the coalition against Dong Zhuo
. Sun Jian's younger brother, Sun Jing
, attempted to dissuade him from this course of action, but Sun Jian refused to listen. Sun Jian's oldest son, Sun Ce, was granted a command position and performed well in his first battle.
After initially defeating Huang Zu, Sun Jian's army surrounded Xiangyang. Two fictional commanders under Liu Biao, Chen Sheng (陳生) and Zhang Hu (張虎), were killed by Sun Jian (or in some versions, Sun Ce) and Han Dang
, respectively. Sun Jian was killed in a rockslide after being lured into a trap by Lü Gong
and Huang Zu
, according to a ploy by Liu Biao's advisor Kuai Liang
. Sun Jian's generals Huang Gai
and Cheng Pu
managed to capture Huang Zu and kill Lü Gong respectively, while Sun Ce was forced to withdraw.
Huan Jie's involvement in recovering Sun Jian's corpse is similar in the novel to the historical account. However, in the novel, Huang Zu was released in exchange for Sun Jian's corpse, when there is no mention of Huang Zu's capture in historical texts.
, but the name of the battle changes with almost every release. After Sun Jian is killed, Sun Ce takes command of the army instead of Sun Ben
. Sun Jian's death also changes with each game release, as a possible reflection of the confusion as to his actual cause of death.
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
and Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Liu Biao emerged victorious against Sun Jian's forces. Shortly after their coalition had ousted Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
from the capital city, Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
and Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
, two feudal lords vying for power, had formed alliances against one another, with Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
supporting Yuan Shu while Liu Biao supported Yuan Shao. Yuan Shu sent his subordinate Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao in order to extinguish Yuan Shao's influence in the southern half of China. Although Sun Jian initially outmaneuvered and outfought Liu Biao, he was killed in action and his army forced to retreat.
The battle
Sun Jian and his forces encountered the forces of Liu Biao's general, Huang ZuHuang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
, between Fancheng and Deng (near present-day Xiangyang
Xiangyang
Xiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty...
). There, he easily routed Huang's forces and surrounded the city of Xiangyang itself. Within the confines of the city, Liu Biao again sent Huang Zu out, this time to make a surprise attack. However, Huang was again defeated, and when he attempted to withdraw to the city once more, Sun Jian cut off his line of retreat, and he fled to Mount Xian. Sun pursued Huang, hoping to follow up on his success. According to Sun Jian's official biography in Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, he was fatally wounded by an arrow fired by a soldier in Huang Zu's unit, who was hiding in a bamboo grove. Sun's men carried him away from the battlefield and he died from his injury later. Other theories of Sun Jian's death include Sun being killed while fighting in the wilderness, or being crushed to death by boulders rolled down by the enemy from above.
Aftermath
Sun Jian's death effectively ended the battle, although Liu's forces suffered far more casualties. Huan JieHuan Jie
Huan Jie, style name Boxu , was a government official during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Huan Jie was a native of Changsha...
, an official under Sun Jian, successfully negotiated for his lord's corpse to be returned, and Sun Jian's army temporarily came under the control of Sun Jian's nephew, Sun Ben
Sun Ben
Sun Ben, style name Boyang , was the eldest son of Sun Qiang and older brother of Sun Fu. He was three years older than Sun Ce. He served Sun Jian first in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. After Sun Jian's death, he took control of the army and went to serve Yuan Shu. He would soon rejoin Sun Ce....
. Sun Ben then went to join Yuan Shu with most of Sun Jian's followers. Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
, Sun Jian's oldest son, was given Sun Jian's marquisate, but chose to pass the position down to his youngest brother, Sun Kuang
Sun Kuang
Sun Kuang, style name Jizuo , was the fourth son of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Upon his father's death, he fled to Jiangnan with his elder brother, Sun Ce, who was given succession as Marquis of Wucheng , but instead chose to give the position to...
, who was still young then.
Liu Biao's success allowed him to expand his influence in Jing Province. Though he would be unable to defeat either Sun Ce or his successor, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, he would nonetheless remain an influential figure in the Han Dynasty until his death in 208.
In fiction
The battle and its justifications were altered in Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
. In this fictionalized account, Sun Jian attacked Liu Biao for revenge because Liu's forces routed his army during his withdrawal from the coalition against Dong Zhuo
Campaign against Dong Zhuo
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...
. Sun Jian's younger brother, Sun Jing
Sun Jing
Sun Jing was a younger brother of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Sun Jing became well known for admonishing the attack led by Sun Jian against Liu Biao. After the death of Sun Jian, Sun Jing became the adviser to Sun Jian's oldest son, Sun Ce. Sun Jing...
, attempted to dissuade him from this course of action, but Sun Jian refused to listen. Sun Jian's oldest son, Sun Ce, was granted a command position and performed well in his first battle.
After initially defeating Huang Zu, Sun Jian's army surrounded Xiangyang. Two fictional commanders under Liu Biao, Chen Sheng (陳生) and Zhang Hu (張虎), were killed by Sun Jian (or in some versions, Sun Ce) and Han Dang
Han Dang
Han Dang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, respectively. Sun Jian was killed in a rockslide after being lured into a trap by Lü Gong
Lü Gong
Lü Gong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During the Battle of Xiangyang, Lü was responsible for luring Sun Jian into an ambush set by Kuai Liang, which caused Sun's death....
and Huang Zu
Huang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
, according to a ploy by Liu Biao's advisor Kuai Liang
Kuai Liang
Kuai Liang, style name Zirou , was an advisor to the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a native of Zhonglu, Nan Commandery...
. Sun Jian's generals Huang Gai
Huang Gai
Huang Gai was a military general who served the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu for three generations during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
and Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu for three generations during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early service under Sun Jian:...
managed to capture Huang Zu and kill Lü Gong respectively, while Sun Ce was forced to withdraw.
Huan Jie's involvement in recovering Sun Jian's corpse is similar in the novel to the historical account. However, in the novel, Huang Zu was released in exchange for Sun Jian's corpse, when there is no mention of Huang Zu's capture in historical texts.
Modern references
The Battle of Xiangyang is featured in video games such as Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
, but the name of the battle changes with almost every release. After Sun Jian is killed, Sun Ce takes command of the army instead of Sun Ben
Sun Ben
Sun Ben, style name Boyang , was the eldest son of Sun Qiang and older brother of Sun Fu. He was three years older than Sun Ce. He served Sun Jian first in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. After Sun Jian's death, he took control of the army and went to serve Yuan Shu. He would soon rejoin Sun Ce....
. Sun Jian's death also changes with each game release, as a possible reflection of the confusion as to his actual cause of death.