Sun Shao
Encyclopedia
Sun Shao, born Yu Shao (188–241), style name
Gongli (公禮), was a military general of Eastern Wu
during the Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. He is presumed by some to be the adopted son of Sun Ce
. His uncle, Sun He was granted the surname "Sun
" by Sun Jian
, and Sun Shao is presumed to have been given his name by proxy. Since Sun He and Sun Ce were as close as brothers, it is possible that Sun Ce adopted Sun Shao, as is suggested in Luo Guanzhong
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
. However, there is no such mention in either Sun Ce or Sun Shao's biography in Chen Shou
's Records of Three Kingdoms
. A few accounts mistakenly claim that Sun Shao was Sun He's son.
After the death of Sun Ce in 200, Sun Quan
assumed control of his forces. Sun Yi
, the Grand Administrator of Danyang, was assassinated by rebels in 203, and when Sun He plotted to avenge Sun Yi's death, the assassins killed Sun He as well. After the deaths of the assassins at the hands of Sun Yi's former generals, Sun Shao assumed control of the commandery and established strong defenses. Sun Quan saw this and gave Sun Shao high praise.
In 224, the ruler of Cao Wei
, Cao Pi
, led a large force to attack Eastern Wu via Guangling. Xu Sheng
and Lü Fan
collaborated on a defense, constructing a false wall along the Yangtze River
that halted Cao Pi's progress. Sun Shao, meanwhile, led a squadron of volunteers, along with his subordinate general, Gao Shou, to attack Cao Pi's main army and take them by surprise. The attack worked, and Sun Shao's army was able to capture the bulk of the Cao Wei army's baggage. Romance of the Three Kingdoms suggests that Sun Shao performed his feat in contradiction to Xu Sheng's explicit orders; however, this account is fictional, and no mention of Sun Shao getting into trouble as a result of his actions appears in any official historical record.
Ten years later, in 234, Sun Shao, Zhu Ran
and Zhang Cheng
were tasked with attacking Huaiyin
in coordination with other attacks made by the allied forces of Eastern Wu and Shu Han
. However, all of these attacks failed. Still, Sun Shao, Zhu Ran and Zhang Cheng were able to make some progress, a distinction that the other commanders were unable to claim.
Sun Shao served Eastern Wu in many battles against Cao Wei, and his success rate was among the highest - he lost very few engagements and was widely regarded in his time as one of Eastern Wu's premier commanders, even becoming General Who Guards the North. In addition, he was given the hypothetical title of Governor of You Province; although You Province was not under Eastern Wu's control, it was an indication by Sun Quan that Sun Shao would be in command of the province once it was settled (which it never was, being far from Eastern Wu territory). Sun Shao was also given authority to appoint, replace, and execute subordinate officials of his own accord.
In 242, Sun Shao died of natural causes. He had three sons; Sun Yue, Sun Kai, and Sun Yi. All three served as generals in Eastern Wu; in 263, Sun Yi was part of a desperate attack to rescue Jiang Wei
and Zhong Hui
, but Jiang was defeated before Sun Yi's troops arrived. Sun Kai launched a punitive campaign against some bandits, but some suggested that he was in league with the bandits, and Sun Hao
became suspicious of him; thus, Sun Kai defected to the Jin Dynasty
. Sima Yan
appointed him General of the Cavalry, and after the Conquest of Wu by Jin
in 280, he took over his father's former post at Danyang.
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...
Gongli (公禮), was a military general of 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...
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...
era 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...
. He is presumed by some to be the adopted son of 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...
. His uncle, Sun He was granted the surname "Sun
Sun (surname)
Sun is a transliteration of a common Chinese surname, written 孫 or 孙 in Chinese characters, sūn in Hanyu pinyin...
" by Sun Jian
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 Sun Shao is presumed to have been given his name by proxy. Since Sun He and Sun Ce were as close as brothers, it is possible that Sun Ce adopted Sun Shao, as is suggested in Luo Guanzhong
Luo 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...
. However, there is no such mention in either Sun Ce or Sun Shao's biography in Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
's 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...
. A few accounts mistakenly claim that Sun Shao was Sun He's son.
After the death of Sun Ce in 200, 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....
assumed control of his forces. Sun Yi
Sun Yi
Sun Yi , style name Shubi , was the third son of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was known as a very courageous warrior just like his older brother Sun Ce, but was also very violent and whipped his soldiers when he was drunk...
, the Grand Administrator of Danyang, was assassinated by rebels in 203, and when Sun He plotted to avenge Sun Yi's death, the assassins killed Sun He as well. After the deaths of the assassins at the hands of Sun Yi's former generals, Sun Shao assumed control of the commandery and established strong defenses. Sun Quan saw this and gave Sun Shao high praise.
In 224, the ruler 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...
, Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
, led a large force to attack Eastern Wu via Guangling. Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng , style name Wenxiang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime...
and Lü Fan
Lü Fan
Lü Fan , style name Ziheng , was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
collaborated on a defense, constructing a false wall along the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
that halted Cao Pi's progress. Sun Shao, meanwhile, led a squadron of volunteers, along with his subordinate general, Gao Shou, to attack Cao Pi's main army and take them by surprise. The attack worked, and Sun Shao's army was able to capture the bulk of the Cao Wei army's baggage. Romance of the Three Kingdoms suggests that Sun Shao performed his feat in contradiction to Xu Sheng's explicit orders; however, this account is fictional, and no mention of Sun Shao getting into trouble as a result of his actions appears in any official historical record.
Ten years later, in 234, Sun Shao, Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite being a childhood friend of the first emperor of Eastern Wu, Sun Quan, he was never tasked with important position nor assignment before Lü Meng's invasion of southern Jing Province in 219,...
and Zhang Cheng
Zhang Cheng
Zhang Cheng , style name Zhongsi , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
were tasked with attacking Huaiyin
Huaiyin
Huaiyin may refer to the following settlements in the People's Republic of China:*Huai'an , named Huaiyin before 2001, prefecture-level city of Jiangsu*Huaiyin District, Huai'an , Jiangsu*Huaiyin District, Jinan , Shandong...
in coordination with other attacks made by the allied forces of Eastern Wu and Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
. However, all of these attacks failed. Still, Sun Shao, Zhu Ran and Zhang Cheng were able to make some progress, a distinction that the other commanders were unable to claim.
Sun Shao served Eastern Wu in many battles against Cao Wei, and his success rate was among the highest - he lost very few engagements and was widely regarded in his time as one of Eastern Wu's premier commanders, even becoming General Who Guards the North. In addition, he was given the hypothetical title of Governor of You Province; although You Province was not under Eastern Wu's control, it was an indication by Sun Quan that Sun Shao would be in command of the province once it was settled (which it never was, being far from Eastern Wu territory). Sun Shao was also given authority to appoint, replace, and execute subordinate officials of his own accord.
In 242, Sun Shao died of natural causes. He had three sons; Sun Yue, Sun Kai, and Sun Yi. All three served as generals in Eastern Wu; in 263, Sun Yi was part of a desperate attack to rescue Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
and Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
, but Jiang was defeated before Sun Yi's troops arrived. Sun Kai launched a punitive campaign against some bandits, but some suggested that he was in league with the bandits, and Sun Hao
Sun Hao
Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...
became suspicious of him; thus, Sun Kai defected to the Jin Dynasty
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
. Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
appointed him General of the Cavalry, and after the Conquest of Wu by Jin
Conquest of Wu by Jin
The conquest of Wu by Jin was a military campaign launched by the Jin Dynasty against the state of Eastern Wu in 280 towards the end of the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
in 280, he took over his father's former post at Danyang.