Shi Chao (died January 306 [1] ) was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was active during the War of the Eight Princes,siding with the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying,and the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong. He participated in numerous key conflicts throughout the civil war before dying in battle in early 306.
Shi Chao was a native of Nanpi County in Bohai Commandery and the son of the Jin official,Shi Qiao (石喬). His grandfather,Shi Bao,and uncle,Shi Chong,were influential ministers of Jin. In 300,the Prince of Zhao,Sima Lun launched a coup in the capital,Luoyang and became Emperor Hui of Jin's regent. Later,Sima Lun's powerful advisor,Sun Xiu framed Shi Chong and Shi Qiao for conspiring against the regime and had them executed. Shi Chao and his brother,Shi Xi (石熙),were able to sense the danger beforehand,so they escaped Luoyang before they could be killed. They went to Yecheng,where Shi Chao offered his service to the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying,and became his General Who Breaks and Charges. [2]
In 301,after Sima Lun usurped the throne,the Prince of Qi,Sima Jiong started a coalition to restore Emperor Hui. Sima Ying joined the coalition and appointed Shi Chao as one of his vanguard generals. In response,Sima Lun sent his generals,Sun Hui (孫會),Shi Yi (士猗) and Xu Chao (許超) to intercept Sima Ying's army with 30,000 soldiers. At Huangqiao (黃橋,in present-day Wen County,Henan),the vanguard troops led by Zhao Xiang (趙驤) were initially defeated by Shi Yi and Xu Chao. However,Shi Chao and the others later attacked and defeated Sima Lun's army at the Gu River (湨水;southeast of present-day Jiyuan,Henan),causing his generals to abandon their soldiers and flee. [3]
In May 301,Sima Lun was overthrown in a coup,and Sima Ying would occupy Luoyang the following month. However,Sima Jiong was still struggling against Zhang Hong (張泓) and others at Yangdi (陽翟,modern Yuzhou,Henan). Sima Ying sent Shi Chao and Zhao Xiang to assist him,and after they arrived,all of Sima Lun's generals surrendered. [4] For his contributions,Shi Chao was made a marquis. In 303,he was appointed General of Inspiring Martial Might to help subjugate the Jingzhou rebel,Zhang Chang,but before he and Sima Ying's other generals could act,the rebellion was quickly put down. [5]
Shortly after,Sima Ying and the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong began a campaign against the Prince of Changsha,Sima Ai,who was acting as Emperor Hui's regent in Luoyang. Shi Chao was made Central Protector of the Army and placed under the command of Lu Ji to attack Luoyang. When Emperor Hui moved his army to Goushi (緱氏;in present-day Yanshi District,Henan),Shi Chao advanced towards him and prompted him to retreat. Later,Lu Ji's forces were badly defeated at the Jianchun Gate (建春門) by Sima Ai,resulting in high casualties and several generals captured,but Shi Chao was able to escape the scene. [6]
Sima Ai was eventually arrested and executed in 304,leading to Sima Ying becoming Prime Minister and Crown Younger Brother. While Sima Ying stayed in Yecheng,he appointed Shi Chao as General Who Uplifts Military Might before sending him and the other generals with 50,000 soldiers to occupy the twelve gates of Luoyang. [7]
However,not long after Sima Ai's defeat,the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue raised an army to campaign against Sima Ying. One of his allies,Chen Zhen (陳眕),brought his army to the Yunlong Gate (雲龍門) in Luoyang and issued an edict to inform the ministers and people to prepare for the campaign. Shi Chao was still in Luoyang at the time,and he once again fled to Sima Ying. [8]
As Sima Yue's coalition approached Yecheng,Sima Ying sent Shi Chao with 50,000 men to oppose them. Shi Chao was able to catch Sima Yue by surprise and routed him at Dangyin,also killing the general Ji Shao. He also managed to capture Emperor Hui,who had followed Sima Yue on the campaign,and sent him to Yecheng. [9] Although Yue was defeated,Sima Ying was then threatened by an alliance between the Chief Controller of Youzhou,Wang Jun and the Duke of Dongying,Sima Teng. Sima Ying sent Shi Chao to resist them,but he was defeated by Wang Jun's general,Qi Hong,at Pingji (平棘,in modern day Zhao County,Hebei). [10]
Wang Jun and Sima Teng captured Yecheng,forcing Sima Ying and his officials to escape to Luoyang with only a few men. While he was defending Yecheng,Sima Yong had sent his army to occupy Luoyang,so after he arrived at the city,Yong stripped him of his power. Thus,Sima Ying and his subordinates,including Shi Chao,were placed under Sima Yong's command. In 305,Sima Yue formed a coalition against Sima Yong after the latter forcibly moved Emperor Hui from Luoyang to Chang'an. Sima Yong sent Shi Chao to assist his ally,Liu Qiao in Yuzhou by acting as his reserves in Heqiao (河穚;southwest of present-day Mengzhou,Henan). In January the following year,Shi Chao fought Sima Yue's forces led by the Prince of Fanyang,Sima Xiao and Liu Kun at Xingyang,but was killed in battle. [11]
Sima Ying (司馬穎),courtesy name Zhangdu (章度),was a Jin dynasty imperial prince who served briefly as his half-brother Emperor Hui's regent and crown prince. He was the sixth of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes. His title was the Prince of Chengdu (成都王),but he did not receive any posthumous names.
Sima Yong (司馬顒),courtesy name Wenzai (文載),was a Jin dynasty imperial prince and briefly a regent for Emperor Hui. He was the seventh of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes. His title was the Prince of Hejian (河間王),but he did not receive any posthumous names.
Sima Yue (司馬越),courtesy name Yuanchao (元超),formally Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai (東海孝獻王),was a Western Jin imperial prince and regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai. He was the last of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes.
Wang Jun,courtesy name Pengzu,was a military general and warlord who lived during the Western Jin dynasty of China. By the time of Sima Lun's usurpation of the Jin throne he was established as a military commander in You Province. Although he became a target of Sima Ying as the War of the Eight Princes unfolded,he survived the chaos,ultimately supporting Sima Yue's faction. At the time of the Disaster of Yongjia which saw the collapse of Jin control in northern China,he was one of Jin's few remaining provincial powers in the north. However among claims of imperial ambitions and corruption,he clashed not only with northern tribal powers but also his Jin dynasty rival Liu Kun the Inspector of Bingzhou,before his final defeat and death at the hands of Shi Le,who had previously won Wang Jun's trust.
Liu Kun,courtesy name Yueshi,was a Chinese military general and poet of the Jin dynasty. An esteemed writer during the early years of his career,he was also known for his time as the Inspector of Bingzhou,during which he spearheaded Jin's efforts in fighting back against the Han-Zhao dynasty. Despite his determination and active role in the war against Han,he lacked the sufficient military and administrative skills to quash the growing Han threat,suffering repeated defeats and having to heavily rely on his alliance with the Tuoba-Xianbei. He was eventually driven out from Bingzhou following a decisive defeat to Shi Le in 316 and fled to Youzhou,where he allied with the chieftain,Duan Pidi. After Pidi suspected him of betrayal,he was arrested and executed via strangulation in 318.
Gou Xi,courtesy name Daojiang,was a Chinese military commander of the Western Jin Dynasty. He came to prominence as a general under the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue,after he quelled the rebellions of Gongshi Fan (公師藩),Ji Sang and Shi Le. Sima Yue initially valued Gou Xi,but after Gou Xi was constantly antagonized by Yue,their relationship broke down in 310. Gou Xi plotted with Emperor Huai of Jin to depose Yue as regent,which caused Yue to die of stress shortly after,and Gou Xi being instated to the positions of Grand General and Grand Commander. However,their victory was short-lived due to the Disaster of Yongjia,which saw Emperor Huai and Luoyang’s capture at the hands of Han-Zhao forces in 311. That same year,Gou Xi was captured and later executed by Shi Le.
Ji Sang was a Chinese rebel of the Western Jin dynasty. During his days as a shepherd,he befriended a Jie slave whom he would name Shi Le. The two raised a personal army and later joined Sima Ying's retainer,Gongshi Fan (公師藩),who rose up to avenge the prince after his removal. Following Gongshi Fan's death,Ji Sang and Shi Le continued on their own,sacking the city of Ye in the process. They were finally defeated by the Jin general Gou Xi,and Ji Sang was assassinated by the Qihuo in 308.
Zhang Fang was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was the influential general of the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong during the War of the Eight Princes who helped him in subduing the Prince of Changshan,Sima Ai,and had the imperial family briefly under his control in 304. Though capable,he was infamous for his transgressions against the emperor and the cruelty that he and his soldiers displayed,with one account claiming that he had them engage in cannibalism. His act of forcibly moving Emperor Hui of Jin from Luoyang to Chang'an provided the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue and his allies with pretext to start a coalition to punish him and Sima Yong in 305. In a desperate attempt to settle for peace,Sima Yong had Zhang Fang assassinated the following year.
Sun Xiu,courtesy name Junzhong,was an official of the Jin dynasty. Sun was the favoured advisor to the Prince of Zhao,Sima Lun,who guided and supported him with advice in their rise to power. After Sima Lun took over the government in May 300,Sun Xiu was essentially in charge of running the state,as Lun delegated all affairs over to him. Sun helped Lun assume the throne in February 301,but a coalition against him led by Sima Jiong was formed shortly later. As the coalition approached Luoyang in May 301,Sun was killed in the capital during a coup led by disgruntled officials.
Chen Min,courtesy name Lingtong,was a military general and rebel of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was initially a logistics director who rose to prominence for his role in Zhang Chang's rebellion,in which he defeated the rebels' top commander,Shi Bing. However,during Sima Yue's coalition against Sima Yong in 305,Chen Min took the opportunity to rebel and occupy the Jiangnan region with the backing of the former Eastern Wu gentry clans. He controlled Jiangnan until 307,when the gentry clans,angered by his lackluster rule,revolted and killed him.
Liu Qiao,courtesy name Zhongyan,was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He participated in the conquest of Wu and the subjugation of Zhang Chang's rebellion,and was active during the War of the Eight Princes. In 305,he sided with the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong,against the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue and was a central figure in their conflict. His defeat allowed Sima Yue to overcome Sima Yong and win the civil war,but Yue pardoned him and appointed him as part of the new regime. He was captured and executed by the Han-Zhao general,Shi Le following the Battle of Ningping in 311.
Qi Hong was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He served under the Inspector of Youzhou,Wang Jun,and during the War of the Eight Princes,he was instrumental in the defeat of the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying and the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong. He also defeated the Han-Zhao general and future founder of the Later Zhao,Shi Le on one occasion,but was killed in their second encounter.
Lu Zhi,courtesy name Zidao,was a Chinese politician of the Western Jin dynasty,and the Han-Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a close confidant of the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying;throughout the War of the Eight Princes,Lu Zhi provided Sima Ying with vital advice. Lu was praised by traditional historians for encouraging his prince towards righteous decisions and remaining by his side,even after Sima Ying's fall from power and until his death in 306. After the war,he continued to serve the Jin government until his capture by the Han-Zhao dynasty,where he briefly served before he was executed for treason.
Sima Xiao,courtesy name Wuhui (武会),was a Western Jin imperial prince. He was a cousin of Sima Yue,Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai,a regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai,and sided with Sima Yue when Yue became active in the War of the Eight Princes.
Sima Tan was a crown prince of the Western Jin. He was installed to the position in 302 to serve as heir apparent for his uncle,Emperor Hui of Jin,but was removed in 304. After his removal,there were several plots to restore him to the position before he was finally put to death by the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue in 308.
Gu Rong,courtesy name Yanxian,was an official of the Jin dynasty (266–420). A grandson of the Eastern Wu chancellor,Gu Yong,he became a famous celebrity during his time in the Jin capital,Luoyang and served under a succession of princes in the War of the Eight Princes. Due to the turmoil in northern China,Gu Rong returned to his hometown in the Jiangnan,where,despite initially joining,he played a decisive role in quelling Chen Min's rebellion in 307. In his final years,he served the Prince of Langya and future founding emperor of the Eastern Jin,Sima Rui,helping him lay the foundations for the dynasty in the south. Along with Ji Zhan,He Xun,Yang Fang and Xue Jian,Gu Rong was referred to as one of the "Five Eminence" (五俊).
Lu Yun,courtesy name Shilong,was a Chinese essayist,politician,and writer who lived during the late Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. He was the fifth son of Lu Kang,a general of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period,and a grandson of Lu Xun,a prominent general and statesman who served as the third Imperial Chancellor of Eastern Wu. Together with his brother,Lu Ji,they became famous celebrities under the Jin after the fall of Wu,and they were both known as the "Two Lus" (二陸).
Zhou Fu,courtesy name Zuxuan,was an official of the Jin dynasty (266–420). As a minister,he rose through the ranks of the Jin government and was one of the chief officials managing the Eastern Court (東臺) in Luoyang after Emperor Hui of Jin was moved to the Western Court (西臺) in Chang'an. Following the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue's victory in the War of the Eight Princes,Zhou Fu was assigned to guard Yang province north of the Yangzi,while the southern part of the province was guarded by the Prince of Langya,Sima Rui. As Zhou Fu was castigated for his proposal to move the Jin capital to his base in Shouchun,Sima Rui took the opportunity to attack Zhou Fu and annex northern Yang for himself.
Sima Mao,courtesy name Kongwei (孔伟),was the youngest son of Sima Wang,Prince Cheng of Yiyang,and a grandson of Sima Fu,Prince Xian of Anping and a younger brother of Sima Yi,regent of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era. Besides his heritage,Sima Mao was best known for his friendship with his second cousin Sima Yao,despite the great difference in their ages,as well as his support for some of Emperor Hui's regents during the War of the Eight Princes. Eventually,Sima Mao died during the Disaster of Yongjia in July 311.
Xun Fan,courtesy name Dajian,was a minister of the Jin dynasty (266–420). A member of the prominent Xun clan of Yingchuan,he grew to become a chief official within the imperial court and was the Minister of Works at the time of the Disaster of Yongjia in 311. With Emperor Huai of Jin and the capital of Luoyang lost,he founded a provisional government in Mi County,through which he empowered the prince of Langya,Sima Rui by appointing him leader among remnants of the Jin. He was also the maternal uncle of Emperor Min of Jin.