Song Yingchang
Encyclopedia
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 .
In late August 1592, he was the vice premier of the department of military, when the decision was made for the Ming forces to fully commit into Korea
, he also took the position as the chief manager for this task, so his full title was "Vice premier of the department of military and chief administrator of military affairs against Japanese force" (兵部右侍郎經略備倭軍務)
Song made extensive preparation from September to December of 1592, gathering military forces from across China and securing supplies and equipment. The expedition would eventually be led by general Li Rusong
and would set out on 12/25 (lunar calendar
) 1592 from Liaodong province with an army of 36,000, Song would stay behind as the Ming forces managed to retake Pyongyang
in the siege of Pyongyang
within 2 weeks of setting out, Kaesong
a couple weeks later, and Seoul
by March of 1593, it was a staggering success as the Ming forces managed to retake the 3 largest cities in Korea in short periods with a much smaller army than the Japanese forces.
After retaking Seoul, the Japanese forces began to enter into negotiation with the Ming dynasty in earnest, the negotiation was headed by Konishi Yukinaga
on the Japanese side and Shen Weijin (沈惟敬) on the Ming side. Song was ambiguous towards the negotiation though generally landed on the opposing side more often than not, this along with the various disputes he got into with his boss, the premier of the military department (兵部尚書) Shi Xing (石星) who was the chief proponent of the peace talks (and the son in law of the chief negotiator Shen Weijin), and some of the controversies of the Ming military during the war (most notably some of the faction dispute of the Ming generals from different garrisons and backgrounds), made song resign from his post and retire from public service, he spent the remainder of his life back in his home province of Hangzhou
(modern day Zhejiang
province, by the West Lake ( Xi Hu
).
Song compiled a good number of his letters wrote during the 1592-1593 span, into the work "The collection of the management of the restoration"(經略復國要編) . which is one of the best first hand source on the Imjin war from the Ming
perspective. the letters involve the various logistic works, and some of the battle plans and letters to both Korean and Japanese leaders of the time.
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...
, most famously known for managing the first Ming campaign of the Imjin war during 1592-1593 .
Career
Song entered public service in 1565, during his career he held posts such as the governor of Jiangzhou (絳州知府), vice chief inspector (副都御史), Overseer of Shandong province (巡撫山東) and the Overseer of the imperial guards (籌建營衛巡司) .In late August 1592, he was the vice premier of the department of military, when the decision was made for the Ming forces to fully commit into Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, he also took the position as the chief manager for this task, so his full title was "Vice premier of the department of military and chief administrator of military affairs against Japanese force" (兵部右侍郎經略備倭軍務)
Song made extensive preparation from September to December of 1592, gathering military forces from across China and securing supplies and equipment. The expedition would eventually be led by general Li Rusong
Li Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
and would set out on 12/25 (lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
) 1592 from Liaodong province with an army of 36,000, Song would stay behind as the Ming forces managed to retake 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...
in the siege of Pyongyang
Siege of Pyongyang
Siege of Pyongyang may refer to:*Siege of Pyongyang *Siege of Pyongyang...
within 2 weeks of setting out, 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...
a couple weeks later, and 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...
by March of 1593, it was a staggering success as the Ming forces managed to retake the 3 largest cities in Korea in short periods with a much smaller army than the Japanese forces.
After retaking Seoul, the Japanese forces began to enter into negotiation with the Ming dynasty in earnest, the negotiation was headed by Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was the son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa...
on the Japanese side and Shen Weijin (沈惟敬) on the Ming side. Song was ambiguous towards the negotiation though generally landed on the opposing side more often than not, this along with the various disputes he got into with his boss, the premier of the military department (兵部尚書) Shi Xing (石星) who was the chief proponent of the peace talks (and the son in law of the chief negotiator Shen Weijin), and some of the controversies of the Ming military during the war (most notably some of the faction dispute of the Ming generals from different garrisons and backgrounds), made song resign from his post and retire from public service, he spent the remainder of his life back in his home province of Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
(modern day Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
province, by the West Lake ( Xi Hu
West Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
).
Song compiled a good number of his letters wrote during the 1592-1593 span, into the work "The collection of the management of the restoration"(經略復國要編) . which is one of the best first hand source on the Imjin war from the 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...
perspective. the letters involve the various logistic works, and some of the battle plans and letters to both Korean and Japanese leaders of the time.
Sources
- History of Ming (明史)
- The History of the county of XiaoXing, biographies . (紹興縣誌 人物列傳)
- 經略復國要編 宋應昌 著