Guanqiu Jian
Encyclopedia
Guanqiu Jian style name
Zhonggong (仲恭), was a military general of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
.
. In 237, he led an army to Liaodong to attack the warlord Gongsun Yuan
but the campaign was aborted due to floods. The following year, Guanqiu and Sima Yi
led another campaign
against Gongsun and conquered Liaodong. In recognition of his efforts during the campaign, Cao Rui granted Guanqiu the title of "Marquis of Anyi" (安邑候).
In 244, Guanqiu led a punitive expedition
to Goguryeo
, leading to the Goguryeo–Wei Wars
. He defeated the Goguryeo army led by King Dongcheon
near the Tongjia River and then occupied the capital Hwando. During the follow-up campaign in the next year, he occupied the capital again and forced Dongcheon to flee southeast. A subsection of the army reached the eastern coast of the peninsula and another reached northern Manchuria
, but soon retreated. In commemoration of the victory, a stone carving was raised during the campaign. A piece of the monument was discovered in 1905. It is known as "Stele of Guanqiu Jian's inscribed achievements" (毌丘儉紀功碑).
In 255, Guanqiu and Wen Qin
started a rebellion
in Shouchun against the regent Sima Shi
, who seized control of Cao Wei's state power. Some scholars consider that he rebelled because he remained loyal to the Cao Wei royal family and was displeased with the Sima clan usurping power. Other sources tell that he was close to Xiahou Xuan
, who was executed by Sima Shi, so he feared for his life after learning of Xiahou's death. Guanqiu's rebellion was eventually suppressed by Sima Shi and most of his family members were killed, while the surviving ones fled to Eastern Wu
.
's Zizhi Tongjian
. However, Chinese scholar Wu Jinhua (吳金華) has argued recently that the original reading was Muqiu 母丘 (also alternatively written as Wuqiu 毋丘 and Manqiu 曼丘), and that Guanqiu 毌丘 was a later transcription error from the Tang
-Song
period. He supports his argument with the occurrence of Muqiu as a family name on a tomb stele from the Wei period and also in the Ri Zhi Lu (日知錄) by early Qing
scholar Gu Yanwu
; as well as the occurrence of Wuqiu as a surname on an ancient seal and a bamboo strip from the Yinwan (尹灣) Han-period tomb excavated in 1993. Wu also points out that a general named Manqiu Chen (曼丘臣) is mentioned in part 2 of the Book of Han
reign chronicle of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and that the Tang-period Yan Shigu
annotation to this name states "Manqiu and Muqiu were originally the same family name". Unfortunately, no definite conclusions can be made from the evidence since Guanqiu, Muqiu, Wuqiu, and Manqiu all no longer exist as family names in China. However, the existence of multiple but similar-sounding versions of the same family name suggests that they were all transliterations of a word from another language.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Zhonggong (仲恭), was a military general of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during 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...
.
Biography
Guanqiu Jian was favored by the Cao Wei emperor Cao RuiCao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
. In 237, he led an army to Liaodong to attack the warlord Gongsun Yuan
Gongsun Yuan
Gongsun Yuan , style name Wenyi , was a warlord and vassal of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
but the campaign was aborted due to floods. The following year, Guanqiu and Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
led another campaign
Sima Yi's Liaodong campaign
Sima Yi's Liaodong campaign occurred in 238 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Sima Yi, a general of the state of Cao Wei, led a force of 40,000 troops to attack the warlord Gongsun Yuan, whose clan had ruled independently from the central government for three generations in the...
against Gongsun and conquered Liaodong. In recognition of his efforts during the campaign, Cao Rui granted Guanqiu the title of "Marquis of Anyi" (安邑候).
In 244, Guanqiu led a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
to Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, leading to the Goguryeo–Wei Wars
Goguryeo–Wei Wars
The Goguryeo–Wei Wars were a series of invasions of the Chinese state of Cao Wei against the proto-Korean kingdom of Goguryeo from 244 to 245. The invasions, a retaliation of a Goguryeo raid in 242, destroyed the Goguryeo capital of Hwando, sent its king fleeing, and broke the tributary...
. He defeated the Goguryeo army led by King Dongcheon
Dongcheon of Goguryeo
King Dongcheon of Goguryeo was the 11th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:...
near the Tongjia River and then occupied the capital Hwando. During the follow-up campaign in the next year, he occupied the capital again and forced Dongcheon to flee southeast. A subsection of the army reached the eastern coast of the peninsula and another reached northern Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, but soon retreated. In commemoration of the victory, a stone carving was raised during the campaign. A piece of the monument was discovered in 1905. It is known as "Stele of Guanqiu Jian's inscribed achievements" (毌丘儉紀功碑).
In 255, Guanqiu and Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
started a rebellion
Three Rebellions in Shouchun
The Three Rebellions in Shouchun, also known as Three Rebellions in Huainan, were a series of revolts that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The rebellions broke out in the later years of Cao Wei when the Sima clan, headed by Sima Yi, usurped...
in Shouchun against the regent Sima Shi
Sima Shi
Sima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
, who seized control of Cao Wei's state power. Some scholars consider that he rebelled because he remained loyal to the Cao Wei royal family and was displeased with the Sima clan usurping power. Other sources tell that he was close to Xiahou Xuan
Xiahou Xuan
Xiahou Xuan , style name Taichu , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Xiahou Shang. Xiahou Xuan's mother was Cao Shuang's aunt , and thus he was close to Cao Shuang's faction. Despite this, he survived the overthrow and execution of Cao...
, who was executed by Sima Shi, so he feared for his life after learning of Xiahou's death. Guanqiu's rebellion was eventually suppressed by Sima Shi and most of his family members were killed, while the surviving ones fled to Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
.
Name
Guanqiu Jian's name is often read as Wuqiu Jian (毋丘儉), and appears as such as chapter 73 of Sima GuangSima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
's Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
. However, Chinese scholar Wu Jinhua (吳金華) has argued recently that the original reading was Muqiu 母丘 (also alternatively written as Wuqiu 毋丘 and Manqiu 曼丘), and that Guanqiu 毌丘 was a later transcription error from the Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
-Song
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
period. He supports his argument with the occurrence of Muqiu as a family name on a tomb stele from the Wei period and also in the Ri Zhi Lu (日知錄) by early Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
scholar Gu Yanwu
Gu Yanwu
Gu Yanwu , also known as Gu Tinglin , was a Chinese philologist and geographer. He spent his youth in anti-Manchu activities at a time when the Ming Dynasty had been overthrown. He never served the Qing Dynasty...
; as well as the occurrence of Wuqiu as a surname on an ancient seal and a bamboo strip from the Yinwan (尹灣) Han-period tomb excavated in 1993. Wu also points out that a general named Manqiu Chen (曼丘臣) is mentioned in part 2 of the Book of Han
Book of Han
The Book of Han, Hanshu or History of the Former Han Dynasty |Fan Ye]] . Various scholars have estimated that the earliest material covered in the book dates back to between 206 and 202 BCE...
reign chronicle of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and that the Tang-period Yan Shigu
Yan Shigu
Yan Shigu , formal name Yan Zhou , but went by the courtesy name of Shigu, was a famous Chinese author and linguist of the Tang Dynasty.-Biography:Yan was born in Wannian , his ancestry was originally from Langya...
annotation to this name states "Manqiu and Muqiu were originally the same family name". Unfortunately, no definite conclusions can be made from the evidence since Guanqiu, Muqiu, Wuqiu, and Manqiu all no longer exist as family names in China. However, the existence of multiple but similar-sounding versions of the same family name suggests that they were all transliterations of a word from another language.
Family
- Younger brother: Guanqiu XiuGuanqiu XiuGuanqiu Xiu was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the younger brother of Guanqiu Jian, and joined his brother in rebelling against the Cao Wei regent Sima Shi. Following the defeat of Wen Qin however during this conflict, Guanqiu Xiu defected...
- Sons:
- Guanqiu XunGuanqiu XunGuanqiu Xun was the son of Guanqiu Jian, a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-See also:*List of people of the Three Kingdoms...
- Guanqiu DianGuanqiu DianGuanqiu Dian , style name Zibang , was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the oldest son of Guanqiu Jian. When the state power of Wei fell into the hands of the regent Sima Shi, Guanqiu Dian advised his father to start a rebellion against Sima...
- Guanqiu Xun
- Grandson: Guanqiu Zhong (毌丘重)
Appointments and titles held
- Gentleman of the Imperial Secretariat (尚書郎)
- Inspector of the Feathered Forest Imperial Guard (羽林監)
- Agriculture Officer of Luoyang (洛陽典農)
- Inspector of Jing Province (荊州刺史)
- Inspector of You Province (幽州刺史)
- General Who Crosses into Liao (度遼將軍)
- Marquis of Anyi (安邑侯)
- General of the Left (左將軍)
- Inspector of Yu Province (豫州刺史)
- General Who Guards the South (鎮南將軍)