Battle of Boju
Battle of Boju | |
---|---|
Part of Hubei Province ) | |
Result | Wu victory |
Cai
Tang
The Battle of Boju (
Background
Wu was originally a minor state east of Chu, which was a major power of the Spring and Autumn Period and was frequently at war with the state of Jin, the other major power north of Chu. In order to check Chu's expansion, Jin made an alliance with Wu, trained the Wu army, and taught them to use chariots. Wu gradually grew stronger, and in 584 BC defeated Chu for the first time and annexed the Chu city of Zhoulai. In the following 70 years Chu and Wu fought ten wars, with Wu winning most of them.[1]
During the reign of King Ping of Chu, the corrupt official Fei Wuji induced the king to marry the bride of Crown Prince Jian. Fearing the revenge of the prince when he would become king, Fei persuaded King Ping to exile Prince Jian and kill his advisor Wu She along with his son Wu Shang. Wu She's second son Wu Zixu escaped to the state of Wu and vowed revenge.[2] Fei Wuji was later executed by Nang Wa and Shen Yin Shu.[3]
In the kingdom of Wu, Wu Zixu became a trusted advisor of Prince Guang and helped him assassinate his cousin
Beginning of the Wu-Chu War
Zuo Zhuan, one of the earliest Chinese works of narrative history compiled in the 4th century BC, gives a detailed account of the battle and the larger war.[5]
In 506 BC, during the reign of
Shen Yin Shu devised a plan in which Nang Wa would take up defensive positions with the main army along the Han River, while Shen would go north to Fangcheng on Chu's northern frontier, and lead the troops stationed there to destroy the Wu ships left on the Huai River as well as block the three passes on the Wu army's return route. Nang Wa would then cross the Han River and the two forces would simultaneously attack the Wu army from both the front and the back. Nang accepted the plan, and Shen departed for Fangcheng.[1][5]
After Shen's departure, however, the historiographer Shi Huang (史皇) said to Nang Wa that the people of Chu hated Nang and loved Shen Yin Shu, and that if he followed Shen's plan then Shen would take all the credit for the victory and Nang would be doomed. Nang had a change of heart and decided to cross the river and attack right away.[5]
The two armies fought three battles between the Xiaobie (southeast of present-day Hanchuan)[1] and Dabie Mountains and the Wu forces were victorious. Convinced that he could not win, Nang Wa wanted to flee but was dissuaded by Shi Huang.[5]
On the 19th day of the 11th month (Chinese calendar),[1] the two armies were drawn up at Boju. Fugai asked King Helü for permission to attack, saying that Nang Wa was cruel and his soldiers had no will to fight, and that if he attacked the Chu soldiers were sure to flee. King Helü denied his request, but Fugai decided to disobey the king and attack anyway with his own force of 5,000 men. As he predicted, the Chu soldiers fled and the Chu army was routed. Shi Huang was killed in the battle and Nang Wa escaped to the state of Zheng.[5]
Fugai then pursued the Chu army to Qingfa River, waited until half of them had crossed the river, and then attacked and defeated them again. Later, the Wu army caught up with the Chu soldiers when they were having their meal. The Chu soldiers fled, and the Wu troops ate their food, resumed the pursuit, and defeated them again at Yongshi River (雍澨, present-day Sima River in
Shen Yin Shu had by now returned and defeated the Wu forces at Yongshi, but he was wounded three times in as many battles. Not wanting to be captured alive, he ordered officer Wu Goubi to kill him and bring his head home.[5]
Aftermath
After the fall of Ying,
In 505 BC, the Qin and Chu armies jointly defeated Wu in several battles. In September, Fugai returned to Wu and declared himself king. King Helü was therefore forced to return and defeated Fugai, who fled and sought refuge in Chu. King Zhao of Chu then returned to the capital Ying.[5]
Legacy
Historian Fan Wenlan considers the Battle of Boju and the Wu-Chu War the first large-scale war of the
The battle is largely attributed to the famous Chinese general
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "柏舉之戰 (Battle of Boju)". China Ministry of Defense. 22 July 2009. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Sima Qian. "楚世家 (House of Chu)". Records of the Grand Historian (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Lü Buwei. 慎行. 呂氏春秋 (Lüshi Chunqiu) (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ Sima Qian. "伍子胥列传 (Biography of Wu Zixu)". Records of the Grand Historian (in Chinese). Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zuo Qiuming. "Book XI. Duke Ding". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 11 November 2011.