Huo Qubing
Encyclopedia
Huo Qubing born in Linfen
, Shanxi
, was a general of the western Han dynasty
under Emperor Wu
. Being the illegitimate son of Wei Shaoer, he was the nephew of Wei Qing
and Empress Wei Zifu
.
Although raised in reasonable prosperity during the early glory days of the Wei family, he exhibited outstanding military talent as a teenager. Deployed as a commander in Wei Qing's expeditions, Huo Qubing regularly led his own troops deep into enemy territory and inflicted great defeats on the Xiongnu
with rapid running assaults, on one occasion claiming victory by capturing the Xiongnu
artifact
Golden Statue. As a result, he gained great favour with the Emperor.
When he was 20 years old, he and Wei Qing were sent with separate armies to attack the Xiongnu
on the largest-scale Han offensive to date. Huo Qubing, leading the elite divisions of the Han army, engaged the Xiongnu
's Worthy Prince
of the Left (左賢王, literally meaning "Wise King of the Left") and routed his troops, inflicting the lethal blow of a devastating 70,443 casualties on the Xiongnu
Confederation. He was greatly rewarded for his efforts, and his fief reached in excess of 10,000 households.
Though a brave general and highly regarded by Emperor Wu
, he paid little regard to his men. Sima Qian
noted in Shiji that Huo Qubing refused to share his food with his soldiers when their provisions were low, and also regularly ordered his troops to dig up football fields for his personal amusement. However, when it came to martial glory, Huo Qubing never hesitated to share the honor with his men. One of the most famous tale is that when Emperor Wu awarded Huo a jar of precious wine for his achievement, he poured it into a creek so all his troopers drinking the water could share a taste of it. This tale gave rise to the name of the city Jiuquan
(酒泉, meaning "wine spring"). At the height of his career, many low-ranking commanders previously served under Wei Qing
voluntarily came to Huo's service in the hope of achieving military glory with him.
Huo Qubing died at the early age of 24 due to a plague, possibly the result of a primitive form of biological warfare
. It is believed that Xiongnu
soldiers put dead horses, cows and sheeps in lakes during the Gobi Desert war to contaminate water supplies and spread infectious diseases among the Han soldiers, in a form of native witchcraft
curse
. (Ironically, the fleeing Xiongnu
tribes ended up suffering the worse due to their bad living conditions and poor knowledge in medicine.)
Huo's half-brother Huo Guang
was later a great Han statesman
who was the chief consul behind Emperor Zhao
, and was instrumental in the succession of Emperor Xuan
to the throne after Emperor Zhao's death.
The Chinese film 大汉天子2 said that Huo Qubing married at the age of about 20 to a lady named Qiu Chan and they had a daughter named Huo Qilian.
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, was a general of the western Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
under Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
. Being the illegitimate son of Wei Shaoer, he was the nephew of Wei Qing
Wei Qing
Wei Qing , born Zheng Qing in Linfen, Shanxi, was a famous general during Han Dynasty of China, whose campaigns against the Xiongnu earned him great acclaim. He was the younger half-brother of Empress Wei Zifu, making him the the Emperor Wu's brother-in-law...
and Empress Wei Zifu
Empress Wei Zifu
Empress Wei Zifu , formally Wei Sihou , was an empress during Han Dynasty. She was Emperor Wu's second wife, and stayed as his empress for 38 years, the second longest in Chinese history...
.
Although raised in reasonable prosperity during the early glory days of the Wei family, he exhibited outstanding military talent as a teenager. Deployed as a commander in Wei Qing's expeditions, Huo Qubing regularly led his own troops deep into enemy territory and inflicted great defeats on the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
with rapid running assaults, on one occasion claiming victory by capturing the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
artifact
Cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users...
Golden Statue. As a result, he gained great favour with the Emperor.
When he was 20 years old, he and Wei Qing were sent with separate armies to attack the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
on the largest-scale Han offensive to date. Huo Qubing, leading the elite divisions of the Han army, engaged the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
's Worthy Prince
Worthy Prince
Tuqi was a high office in the Xiongnu confederation, a title also known to the Chinese as "worthy/wise prince/king". In the 6-8th centuries AD the Chinese annalists used the expression 贤王 Xian wang only in references to the Eastern Türks ....
of the Left (左賢王, literally meaning "Wise King of the Left") and routed his troops, inflicting the lethal blow of a devastating 70,443 casualties on the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
Confederation. He was greatly rewarded for his efforts, and his fief reached in excess of 10,000 households.
Though a brave general and highly regarded by Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
, he paid little regard to his men. Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
noted in Shiji that Huo Qubing refused to share his food with his soldiers when their provisions were low, and also regularly ordered his troops to dig up football fields for his personal amusement. However, when it came to martial glory, Huo Qubing never hesitated to share the honor with his men. One of the most famous tale is that when Emperor Wu awarded Huo a jar of precious wine for his achievement, he poured it into a creek so all his troopers drinking the water could share a taste of it. This tale gave rise to the name of the city Jiuquan
Jiuquan
- Suzhou town :The administrative center of the "prefecture-level city" of Jiuquan is the "District" of Suzhou , which occupies 3,386 square km in the eastern part of Jiuquan "prefecture-level city", and had a population of 340,000 as of 2002....
(酒泉, meaning "wine spring"). At the height of his career, many low-ranking commanders previously served under Wei Qing
Wei Qing
Wei Qing , born Zheng Qing in Linfen, Shanxi, was a famous general during Han Dynasty of China, whose campaigns against the Xiongnu earned him great acclaim. He was the younger half-brother of Empress Wei Zifu, making him the the Emperor Wu's brother-in-law...
voluntarily came to Huo's service in the hope of achieving military glory with him.
Huo Qubing died at the early age of 24 due to a plague, possibly the result of a primitive form of biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
. It is believed that Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
soldiers put dead horses, cows and sheeps in lakes during the Gobi Desert war to contaminate water supplies and spread infectious diseases among the Han soldiers, in a form of native witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
. (Ironically, the fleeing Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
tribes ended up suffering the worse due to their bad living conditions and poor knowledge in medicine.)
Huo's half-brother Huo Guang
Huo Guang
Huo Guang , courtesy name Zimeng was a Western Han statesman who was a rare example in Chinese history of a powerful official who deposed an emperor for the good of the state rather than to usurp the throne...
was later a great Han statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who was the chief consul behind Emperor Zhao
Emperor Zhao of Han
Emperor Zhao of Han was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 87 BC to 74 BC.Emperor Zhao was the youngest son of Emperor Wu of Han. By the time Zhao was born, Emperor Wu was already 62. Zhao ascended the throne after the death of Emperor Wu in 87 BC. He was only 8 years old...
, and was instrumental in the succession of Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Han
Emperor Xuan of Han was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 74 BC to 49 BC. His life story was a riches-to-rags-to-riches story.Emperor Xuan was the great grandson of Emperor Wu...
to the throne after Emperor Zhao's death.
Popular culture
Huo Qubing is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei.The Chinese film 大汉天子2 said that Huo Qubing married at the age of about 20 to a lady named Qiu Chan and they had a daughter named Huo Qilian.
Reference
- Joseph P Yap Wars with the Xiongnu - A translation From Zizhi tongjian AuthorHouse (2009) ISBN 978-1-4490-0604-4