Battle of Loulin

Last updated
Battle of Loulin
Part of the Xu-Chu wars and the Qi-Chu wars
DateWinter 645 BC [1]
Location
Loulin (present-day Fengyang County, Anhui) [1]
32°52′00″N117°34′00″E / 32.866667°N 117.566667°E / 32.866667; 117.566667
Result Chu victory [1]
Belligerents
Xu
Supported by:
Qi, Lu, Song, Chen, Wey, Zheng, Cao, Xǔ [lower-alpha 1] 		Chu
Commanders and leaders
Gongsu Ao [2] (Lu commander)
Several unknown commanders [1] [2] 		Unknown Chu commander
China edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within China

The Battle of Loulin was fought in Winter 645 BC between the states of Chu and Xu, the latter being supported by a coalition of northern states led by Qi. [1] Xu, originally the most powerful state of the Huai River valley, had been weakened by internal unrest and several wars since the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period. As its influence over eastern Hubei, southern Henan and central Anhui waned, Chu began to expand into these regions. Threatened by these developments, Xu joined an alliance of several northern states against Chu. In spring 645 BC, when Chu invaded Xu's southern heartland, the northern states sent a relief expedition in order to aid Xu and stop Chu's eastern conquests. The coalition forces eventually met Chu's army at Loulin and were defeated, marking the beginning of Xu's final decline and accelerating the end of Qi's hegemony over China.

Contents

Prelude

The state of Xu, centered in northern Anhui, had controlled most of the middle and lower Huai River during the Western Zhou and early Spring and Autumn period. [3] [4] Beginning in the late 8th century BC, however, Xu's power began to wane, and several of its vassals and territories seceded. At the same time, the state of Chu in eastern Hubei rose in prominence. [5]

After it had conquered most of the Nanyang Basin in 678 BC, Chu began to advance further east into the Upper Huai River valley and north into the Yangtze plain. In just twenty years, it overrun many neighboring states and forced others into vassalage. [6] Troubled by Chu's growing power, the hegemon of China, Duke Huan of Qi, began to organize a major alliance to invade Chu and end its expansion. Coinciding with the formation of the anti-Chu alliance, Xu occupied the state of Shu in modern-day Lujiang County in 656 BC. Li Lian, a Yuan dynasty scholar, considered it likely that Shu had been an ally of Chu and Xu had taken it in coordination with Qi. According to this view, the destruction of Shu was part of the preparation for the planned invasion of Chu by the northern alliance. The Kangxi Dictionary editors found this theory reasonable. In this case, the conquest of Shu marked the beginning of hostilities between Chu and Xu, the latter acting in accordance with Qi. [7] In 655 BC, Qi launched its invasion of Chu together with Song, Chen, Wey, Zheng, Xǔ, [lower-alpha 1] and Cao. The offensive quickly stalled, however, and the alliance was unable to weaken Chu. [8] A non-aggression pact was concluded, whose only consequence was that Chu decided to expand further into the Huai River valley instead of attacking the northern states again. [6] Consequently, it began to expand more aggressively into Xu's sphere of influence and conquered several small Huai states. [9]

Among these were also several local allies of Qi, such as Huang. [10] That the old hegemon proved unable to protect its allies made clear that Qi's power waned. [10] In 646 BC, Qi even abandoned its old capital Yongqiu in response to attacks by Huai River barbarians. [10] Whereas other Chūnqiū editions do not further identify the attackers, Gongyang Zhuan reasons that Xu and Ju were responsible. [11]

Thus, just before the war of 645 BC, the situation of the anti-Chu alliance was already problematic. Its strongest member state, Qi, had lost much of its military power and influence during the preceding years, and if the Gongyang Zhuan is to be believed, there had even been a war among the alliance members directly before the outbreak of hostilities with Chu. [11] Two coalition members, Wey [12] and Zheng had also suffered from Di raids. [10] Consequently, the anti-Chu forces were weakened, while Chu was on the rise in regard of its political and military power.

Campaigns against Chu and battle of Loulin

In spring 645 BC, Chu finally invaded Xu. According to the Zuo Zhuan, the invasion was a retaliation for the destruction of Shu and the related alliance between Xu and the northern states. In response to the Chu offensive, Duke Huan of Qi had a meeting with the rulers of Lu, Song, Chen, Wey, Zheng, Cao, and Xǔ at Muqiu, near present-day Liaocheng, to reaffirm their anti-Chu alliance and plan a relief expedition for Xu. They consequently organized an army at Kuang, modern-day Daming, consisting of contingents sent by the alliance states. Each contingent was commanded by its own officer, the one of Lu led Gongsu Ao. [1] Also known as Meng Mubo, he was a senior official of Lu, the son of Prince Qingfu and grandson of Duke Huan of Lu. [2] From Kuang, the united forces marched to Xu. [1] Such a relief expedition was far from unprecedented, as Duke Huan of Qi had already aided many states during his hegemony. [13]

In autumn, armies from Qi and Cao also invaded the state of Li in present-day Suizhou. In attacking Li, a vassal state of Chu, they attempted to create a diversion in favour of Xu. However, Chu forces remained active in Xu, while tension among the coalition began to rise. The following winter, these tensions escalated as Song invaded Cao even though the two were still part of the formal alliance. This war further undermined the relief expedition, and showcased that Qi had lost its control over the alliance members. As the coalition fell apart, Chu finally confronted the Xu forces at Loulin in present-day Fengyang County. [1]

Very little is known about the battle itself, besides the fact that Chu defeated the Xu army. The Zuo Zhuan only comments that Xu was defeated because it relied too heavily on its allies' support. [1] Nevertheless, Chu's victory was apparently not total, as Xu remained independent and allied with Qi for the time being. [14]

Aftermath

While the Battle of Loulin was not responsible for the end of Qi's hegemony and Xu's decline, it accelerated both. The infighting among the Qi-led coalition showed that Duke Huan had no longer control over the other states, further reducing his prestige and authority. After Loulin, he could no longer organize any united efforts among the Chinese states, and the relief expedition for Xu was the last time he attempted to save a state threatened by invaders. [1] As chancellor Guan Zhong, architect of Qi's hegemony, [15] had also died in 645 BC, the state of Qi itself began to fall into disorder. [16] Duke Huan aided Xu in one last counter-offensive against Chu in 643 BC. Qi and Xu invaded Yingshi in Lu'an, a vassal state of Chu, in order "to avenge (...) the defeat of Xu by Chu at Loulin". [14] Later that year, Duke Huan died, [16] possibly murdered by his advisors, [17] and Qi descended into a civil war. [16]

Its victory over Xu and Qi's alliance at Loulin, on the other side, allowed Chu to continue its eastern expansion. It consequently conquered most of the western and middle Huai River valley during the following decades. [9] As result, Chu replaced Xu as the dominant state of the eastern Huai River valley for good. Furthermore, Xu, weakened by its defeat at Loulin, was also increasingly eclipsed by the neighboring state Zhongli. Pressured by both Chu as well as Zhongli, [18] [19] Xu was reduced to its heartland and eventually fell under Chu's dominance, becoming one of the latter's vassal states. [20]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Not to be confused with Xu (徐), Xǔ (許) was a small state at present-day Xuchang.

Related Research Articles

Spring and Autumn period Period of ancient Chinese history

The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BCE which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals, a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 479 BCE, which tradition associates with Confucius.

Jin (Chinese state)

Jin, originally known as Tang (唐), was a major state during the middle part of the Zhou dynasty, based near the centre of what was then China, on the lands attributed to the legendary Xia dynasty: the southern part of modern Shanxi. Although it grew in power during the Spring and Autumn period, its aristocratic structure saw it break apart when the duke lost power to his nobles. In 453 BC, Jin was split into three successor states: Han, Zhao and Wei. The Partition of Jin marks the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States period.

Duke Huan of Qi Ruler of Qi

Duke Huan of Qi, personal name Xiǎobái (小白), was the ruler of the State of Qi from 685 to 643 BC. Living during the chaotic Spring and Autumn period, as the Zhou dynasty's former vassal states fought each other for supremacy, Duke Huan and his long-time advisor Guan Zhong managed to transform Qi into China's most powerful polity. Duke Huan was eventually recognized by most of the Zhou states as well as the Zhou royal family as Hegemon of China. In this position, he fought off invasions of China by non-Zhou peoples and attempted to restore order throughout the lands. Toward the end of his more than forty-year-long reign, however, Duke Huan's power began to decline as he grew ill and Qi came to be embroiled in factional strife. Following his death in 643 BC, Qi completely lost its predominance.

Duke Xiang of Song (宋襄公) was the leader in the state of Song in the Spring and Autumn period. His personal name was Zifu (子茲甫) and he took his throne in 650 BC.

Lu (state)

Lu was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong province. Founded in the 11th century BC, its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji (姬) that ruled the Zhou dynasty. The first duke was Boqin, a son of the Duke of Zhou, who was brother of King Wu of Zhou and regent to King Cheng of Zhou.

<i>Zuo zhuan</i>

The Zuo zhuan, generally translated The Zuo Tradition or The Commentary of Zuo, is an ancient Chinese narrative history that is traditionally regarded as a commentary on the ancient Chinese chronicle Spring and Autumn Annals. It comprises 30 chapters covering a period from 722 to 468 BC, and focuses mainly on political, diplomatic, and military affairs from that era. The Zuo zhuan is famous for its "relentlessly realistic" style, and recounts many tense and dramatic episodes, such as battles and fights, royal assassinations and murder of concubines, deception and intrigue, excesses, citizens' oppression and insurgences, and appearances of ghosts and cosmic portents.

Battle of Boju Decisive battle (506 BC) in a war fought between the Chinese kingdoms of Wu and Chu

The Battle of Boju was the decisive battle of the war fought in 506 BC between Wu and Chu, two major kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. The Wu forces were led by King Helü, his brother Fugai, and Chu exile Wu Zixu. According to Sima Qian's Shiji, Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War, was a main commander of the Wu army, but he was not mentioned in the Zuo Zhuan and other earlier historical texts. The Chu forces were led by Lingyin Nang Wa and Sima Shen Yin Shu. The Wu were victorious, and captured and destroyed the Chu capital Ying.

Wen Jiang was a princess of the State of Qi and duchess of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. She was a daughter of Duke Xi of Qi and sister of Duke Xiang and Duke Huan of Qi. She was the main wife of Duke Huan of Lu and mother of Duke Zhuang of Lu. She is best known for having an incestuous relationship with her brother Duke Xiang, who had her husband murdered. Her clan name was Jiang (姜) and Wen was her posthumous title.

Xu (state) Ancient Chinese State until conquered by the State of Wu in 512 BC

The State of Xu was an independent Huaiyi state of the Chinese Bronze Age that was ruled by the Ying family (嬴) and controlled much of the Huai River valley for at least two centuries. It was centered in northern Jiangsu and Anhui.

Duke Li of Jin was a ruler of the State of Jin, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji, given name Zhoupu (州蒲), though Shiji records his given name as Shouman (壽曼), and Duke Li was his posthumous title. Duke Li succeeded his father, Duke Jing of Jin, who abdicated after falling ill in summer 581 BC. Duke Jing died a month later.

Shenyin Shu or Shenyin Xu was a general of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. He was a great-grandson of King Zhuang of Chu.

Duke Jing of Jin was from 599 to 581 BC the ruler of the State of Jin, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji, given name Ju, and Duke Jing was his posthumous title. He succeeded his father Duke Cheng of Jin, who died in 600 BC.

Duke Huan of Qin was from 603 to 577 BC the seventeenth ruler of the Zhou Dynasty state of Qin that eventually united China to become the Qin Dynasty. His ancestral name was Ying (嬴), and Duke Huan was his posthumous title. Duke Huan succeeded his father Duke Gong of Qin, who died in 604 BC, as ruler of Qin.

Duke Xiang of Qi was from 697 to 686 BC the fourteenth recorded ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Zhu'er (呂諸兒), ancestral name Jiang (姜), and Duke Xiang was his posthumous title.

Duke Huan of Lu was from 711 to 694 BC the 15th ruler of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji (姬), given name Yun (允) or Gui (軌), and Duke Huan was his posthumous title.

Duke Qing of Qi was from 598 to 582 BC ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Wuye (呂無野), ancestral name Jiang (姜), and Duke Qing was his posthumous title.

Zhoulai

Zhoulai was a small state of the Spring and Autumn period that ruled a crucial part of the middle Huai River valley. Its capital, known by the same name, was located in modern-day Fengtai County in Huainan. Due to its strategic location, Zhoulai controlled the most important route from Hubei to the Yellow Sea. This made it a target of the expansionist state of Chu, which subjugated Zhoulai in the late 7th century BC in order to gain access to the east. While nominally allowed to maintain autonomy under its own dynasty, Zhoulai effectively became a puppet state under Chu military occupation and civil administration. It survived in this condition until 529 BC, when its capital city was conquered by Wu and its ruling family was formally deposed.

Xian (state)

Xian was a minor state of the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods, whose capital was located at modern-day Qishui, Huangzhou District. While it controlled only a small territory along the Yangtze, the Wei clan (隗) that ruled Xian maintained far-reaching diplomatic and marital relations with many neighboring states.

The war of Qi's succession was a civil war in the State of Qi from 643 to 642 BCE, as the sons of Duke Huan of Qi fought against each other for the throne. Their struggle led to chaos in Qi and the intervention of several outside powers, until Duke Huan's intended heir, Prince Zhao, emerged victorious. Nevertheless, four of Prince Zhao's rival brothers remained at large and continued to conspire for the throne, leading to a succession crisis that plagued Qi for decades. As result, the succession war and its consequences greatly weakened Qi, which lost its status as China's predominant state.

Zhongli (state)

Zhongli was an ancient Chinese state in the Huai River valley during the Spring and Autumn period. Its core area was located in the modern-day Fengyang County. At its peak, Zhongli was powerful enough to fight off various other states, and served as an important cultural, political, and economic centre. The state was conquered by its expansionist neighbor Chu during the 6th century BC, but its former capital city remained regionally important for several subsequent centuries.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - XV. Fifteenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Zuo Qiuming (2015), p. 99.
  3. ↑ Shaughnessy (1999), p. 324.
  4. ↑ Hsu (1999), p. 549.
  5. ↑ Hsu (1999), p. 556.
  6. 1 2 Cook; Major (1999), p. 15.
  7. ↑ Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - III. Third year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. ↑ Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - IV. Fourth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 Cook; Major (1999), p. 16.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - XIV. Fourteenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  11. 1 2 Zuo Qiuming (2015), p. 98.
  12. ↑ Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - XIII. Thirteenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Hsu (1999), pp. 555, 556.
  14. 1 2 Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - XVII. Seventeenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK V. DUKE XI. - XVI. Sixteenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 Hsu (1999), p. 557.
  17. ↑ Guan Zhong (2001), pp. 431, 432.
  18. ↑ Kan et al. (2009), p. 37.
  19. ↑ Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Bengbu Museum (2015), pp. 75, 83, 85.
  20. ↑ Zuo Qiuming. "BOOK X. DUKE ZHAO. - XVI. Sixteenth year". Zuo Zhuan (in Chinese and English). Retrieved 26 January 2016.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.