Li Rusong
Encyclopedia
| Names Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... |
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| Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... : |
李如松 |
| Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... : |
Lǐ Rúsòng |
| Courtesy Name 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... : |
子茂 (Zǐ Mào) |
| Posthumous Name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
Lord of Fidelity 忠烈(Zhōng Liè) |
Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong (Chinese:遼東） province,he was the Commander-in-chief of the Ming Empire
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
's army in the first half of the "Sino-Japanese War"(1592-1598) took place in Korea peninsula. The war was ordered by Emperor titled ShenZong
Wanli Emperor
The Wanli Emperor was emperor of China between 1572 and 1620. His era name means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor's third son...
(Chinese:明神宗) to protect Korea
Joseon
Joseon, Chosŏn, Choseon or Chosun are English spellings of the Korean *word for "Korea". It may refer to:*Korea*Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, from 2333 BC to 108 BC.*Joseon Dynasty of Korea, from AD 1392 to 1910....
from the Japanese invasion masterminded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
,upon the request of the King of Korea- Li Yan
Seonjo of Joseon
King Seonjo ruled in Korea between 1567 and 1608. He was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. He is known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign, although political chaos and his incompetent leadership during the Japanese invasions of Korea...
(Chinese:李昖),as well as following Ming empire's obligation to protect its vassal state(In Ming dynasty,Korea was considered part of China,unlike the present concept of "vassal state".) His father was Li Chengliang
Li Chengliang
Li Chengliang was a Chinese general of Korean descent in the reign of the Wanli Emperor during the Ming Dynasty who was in charge of maintaining peace and relations with the Jurchen tribes. He was from Tielin and was from a military family....
(Chinese:李成梁）,was also a famed army commander of Ming empire,was known for his accomplishment of defending LiaoDong province from Manchus. Based on historical document Li Rusong's 6th generation ancestor Li Ying(Chinese:李英) is originally from the Korean town of Chosan
Chosan
Chosan is a kun, or county, in Chagang province, North Korea. It borders the People's Republic of China to the north.The terrain slopes downward from the Kangnam Mountains in the south to the Yalu River in the north. The highest peak is Namhaetaesan . Some 20% of the land is arable, with animal...
in present-day North Korea (Hangul: 초산군, Hanja: 楚山郡,Chinese:楚山郡). But there is also historical document states that the further ancestor of family Li was from central China,who moved to Korea during war time.
Military career
Li Ru-song's first rise of fame was in early 1592, when he managed to defeat a major rebellion at NingxiaNingxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
, the Ming army had been unable to move the rebels holed up in the city for the first 6 months, but after Li arrived the city fell within 3 months, Li was able to divert the waters of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
directly into the city, which led to its fall. He was immediately appointed the chief general of the expedition into Korea after this; he led a force of some 36,000 into Korea in the last few days of 1592. Together with Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
administrator Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang was an administrative official during the Ming dynasty, most famously known for managing the first Ming campaign of the Imjin war during 1592-1593 .-Career:...
(宋應昌) Li Ru-song was generally successful in Korea, first retaking the city of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(平壤) in a direct assault within two weeks of setting off (on 1/08 of 1593), and then took back the city of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
開城 a couple week later， as he marched south towards Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
in later January, the Ming army clashed with the Japanese forces in the Battle of Byeokjegwan
Battle of Byeokjegwan
The Battle of Byeokjegwan was a battle fought on January 27, 1593 , between the armies of the Ming Dynasty led by Li Rusong, and the Japanese forces under Tachibana Muneshige, Ukita Hideie, and Kobayakawa Takakage...
, which resulted in the Ming army being pushed back briefly. Within two months after this he succeeded in recapturing the Korean capital of Hanyang
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(漢陽). He ordered Chinese and Korean troops to refrain from killing all Japanese soldiers and grant them the right to retreat.
Sword
Li is also honoured as the inventor of a sword skill called jedok geomJedok geom
Jedok geom or Admiral sword or Commander sword is the name of sword-skill introduced by the Chinese commander Li Rusong who fought during the Imjin waeran on Korea's side against the Japanese. Li Rusong was of Korean descent.-Technique:...
(提督劍) in Korean, which he presumably used during his stay in Korea. The Koreans published his sword-style in their martial arts manuals called Muyesinbo
Muyesinbo
The Muyesinbo is Korean martial arts manual published in 1759. The book is a revision of the older Muyejebo and adds twelve methods of both armed and unarmed fighting to the original six which were descbribed in the Muyejebo...
(1759) and Muyedobotongji
Muyedobotongji
In 1790, King Jeongjo of Korea commissioned a book called the Muyedobotongji which was an illustrated manual of Korean martial arts. This book, written by Yi Deokmu and Pak Jega , described in detail Korea's martial arts of which an unarmed combat style of kicking and punching is extensively...
(1791).
Death
In April 1598, the MongolsMongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
invaded the Ming province of Liaodong (遼東) from the north when Li Rusong was leading a small scouting group around its forests. Surrounded by thousands of Mongol cavalry, he could not escape, and was captured and subsequently killed. He was posthumously given the title of Zhong Lie (忠烈) (Lord of Fidelity).
See also
- Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
- Yi Sun-sinYi Sun-sinYi Sun-shin was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well...
- Deng ZilongDeng ZilongDeng Zilong was a military commander for the Ming dynasty China. His chosen name was "WuQiao" and his nickname was the "Tiger Crown DaoShi" . He was born in the DengJia village of JianShi province...