Asia History

Romance of the Three Kingdoms & Other Asia History.

[historyasia]

Why Yuan Shu had to be an emperor in AD 197

Yuan Shu pretended a loyalist for  Emperor Xian of Han.

so be loyal to Emperor Xian was like ideology of Yuan Shu’s force.

But after Cao Cao rescued an emperor in AD 196 (Yuan Shu also tried to rescue the emperor but failed.)

Yuan Shu’s position was suddenly changed. Loyalist->Traitor.

Because Cao Cao could control the emperor, and Cao Cao wanted to eliminate Yuan Shu. 

Yuan Shu’s strong ally Tao Qian died 2 years ago(AD 194). Liu Bei(who inherited Tao Qian’s force) hated Yuan Shu.

Liu Biao wasn’t a friend of Yuan Shu. So the situations were very bad for Yuan Shu.  His strong ally was dead or losing(gongsun zan). he suddenly became a traitor(it could induce his men to betray him)

So he had to be an emperor to keep his force. 

The problem of Yuan Shu was 1) wasting a money and supplies 2) racks of military strategies. But to be an emperor wasn’t that a bad decision.

[historyasia]

characters of The Three kingdoms

1. Warlords

Cao Cao  Yuan Shao  Liu Bei  Liu Biao  Liu Shan Sun Ce  Lu Bu

Zhuge Liang (semi warlords) Yuan Shu

2. Generals

Zhang he  Guan Yu

3. Strategists

Zhuge Liang  Ju Shou  Tian Li

[historyasia]

Sengoku Period. Onin War(AD 1467-1477) Part 2. Succession Dispute

8th shogun of Muromachi Bakufu was  Ashikaga Yoshimasa(足利義政).

( Ashikaga Yoshimasa )

He became a shogun at age 8. he married at age 20 with Hino Tomiko.

Yoshimasa wasn’t interested about the politics.  He was absorbed of Sado(茶道, Japanese_tea_ceremony) and art.  AD 1465, when he was at age 29, still no baby with Hino Tomiko(after married 9 years.) Yoshimasa wanted to give his position to his brother at that time who was buddhist monk.

Yoshimasa’s brother passed up that proposal, Becasue he thought if he becomes a Successor, and then Yoshimasa gets a son, it is easy to predict, There gonna be a conflict.  

Yoshimasa reacted, “Don’t worry, I promise you, even if I get a son in the future, your position would be stable.”

So, his brother stopped  a buddhist monk, and then he changed his name to  ‘Ashikaga Yoshimi(足利義視)’. And then, Legally He became a yoshimasa’s legal son.(to become a successor).

But the problem was after one year, Hino Tomiko(Yoshimasa’s wife) gave birth a son. and Hino Tomiko wanted her son should be a next shogun, which was breaking a promise with Yoshimi. Yoshimasa hesitated to make a decision, meanwhile conflict was bigger and bigger and finally civil war(Onin War) was began. 

[historyasia]

Sengoku Period. Onin War(AD 1467-1477) Muromachi Bakufu Part 1.

Onin War was civil war and signify of Sengoku period has begun.

(Picture which portrayed Onin War. drawn in 1524.)

1. Goverment of Japan during Onin War, Muromachi Bakufu

(1). Capital - Kyoto. Which is Japanese Emperor ‘Tenno’(天皇)was living in.

(2). Characteristic of Muromachi shogunate. especially during Onin War

[1]  a revolt against daimyo(feudal lord) became usual happen.

because at that time, ability was important as status or even more.

[2] power concentration of Muromachi bakufu was weak.

the government was something like Alliance among daimyos. even each of these daimyos, servant of them Kashin(‘家臣’) had many Autonomy. so it was easy to occure revolt or civil war.

[historyasia]

5 Beautifully Crafted Imperial Byzantine Coins

Hyperpyron of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1118-1180) Hyperpyron of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) John III Doukas (1221-1...

[historyasia]

Ancient mound used for defense hints at walled city in Japan：The Asahi Shimbun

CHIKUSHINO, Fukuoka Prefecture--Ancient hilltop earthworks discovered here could offer the first har

[historyasia]

What empire would you live in?

Greece, Rome or Egypt - which ancient empire would you live in?

[historyasia]

Battle of Xia Pi. Cao Cao vs Guan Yu

early AD 200. Liu Bei already fled to Yuan Shao.

at this moment only Xia Pi(下邳) was Liu Bei’s terriotry. 

Cao Cao’s Strategy was

1) send few soldiers with fake surrender

2) insult Guan Yu to induce him get out from castle

3) if Guan Yu is attacking(get out from castle) capture the castle with sandwitch attack. (using fake surrender soldiers. it was possible because many of Guan Yu’s soliders was originally cao cao’s soliders, which Liu Bei borrowed few monhs ago.)

Guan Yu was good at fight but he wasn’t a strategic man. he accepted fake surrender soliders without heistation.  and when Xiahou Dun insulted Guan Yu in front of Xia Pi Castle. Guan Yu was mad and came out almost immideately.

Xiahou Dun preteneded to withdraw his army about 7km with ambush Trap. Guan Yu chased him.  Guan Yu was surrounded by ambush. 

Meanwhile Xia Pi was captured by Cao Cao. Then Guan Yu surrenderd to Cao Cao.

[historyasia]

The Reasons Liu Biao couldn’t attack Cao Cao.

There are argument, Liu Biao was  indecisive or Barons in Liu Biao’s territory, They didn’t support Liu Biao fully.

In my opinion, last one is more reasonable.

1. Actually Liu Biao tried to attack Cao Cao during battle of Guan Du.

But Changsha(長沙) County’s officer. Zhang Xian(張羨), He  secretly connected with Cao Cao.

and He revolted to against Liu Biao. with capturing 4 counties in Liu Biao’s territory.(Changesha and 3 others.)

it was disaster. because Zhang XIan occupied almost 1/3 of Liu Biao’s territory.

(well.... Liu Biao still had big cities, But anyway.)

Zhang Xian’s territory size was around like this map.

so Liu Biao couldn’t attack Cao Cao. He had to subjugate Zhang. written in History document, revolt length was several years.(Began 198.)

It’s not clear revolt was perished before~during battle of guandu. in my opinion it seems continued until AD 201.

and not only Zhang XIan. Many barons in Liu Biao’s force. They liked Cao Cao.

Liu Biao was warlord but his power was not stable as Cao Cao or Yuan Shao.

especially  Cai(蔡) family. Most powerfull baron in Liu Biao’s territory.(even Liu Biao’s wife was woman from Cai Family.)

After Liu Biao’s death, Cai family’s leader Cai Mao induced surrender to Cao Cao. and gave Whole Liu’s territory,  Jingzhou(荊州) to Cao Cao.

[historyasia]

May be, Liu Shan didn’t like Zhuge Liang.

Many people think Liu Shan(劉禪) really liked and respected Zhue Liang as father.(Based on ‘Romance of Three Kingdoms.) 

But really? I don’t think so.

here is the reasons, speculations.

1. After Zhuge Liang’s death,  Liu Shan Against the construction of a memorial shrine for Zhuge Liang. 

2. After Zhuge Liang’s death. Liu Shan abolished the position,  Chéngxiàng(丞相). Which was kind of superial Prime Minister.  May be Liu Shan didn’t like of  allegiant is having too much power, especially which Zhuge Liang did.

3. And it is also possible, kind of mixed feeling. Liu Shan liked Zhuge Liang. But he also felt jealous about Zhuge Liang’s popularity.

[historyasia]

Why Zhang He had to betray Yuan Shao

When Zhang He(張郃) failed to occupy Cao Cao’s main base during Battle of Guandu. He had 2 choices

1. betray Yuan Shao  2. come back to Yuan Shao force and take the risk 

Yuan Shao(袁紹)’s purge records.

until AD 200. Yuan Shao already purged many his men.   Qu Yi(麴義), Tian Feng(田豊),  Gengbao(耿苞) and many others. especially Gengbao was innocent. But Yuan Shao simply killed Gengbao for Yuan’s reputation.

So it was easy to predict Yuan Shao might kill Zhang He for responsibility of Battle of Guandu result. Because Yuan Shao was the man with cold hearted. 

anyway Guo Tu survived after Battle of Guandu(just his power is reduced). despite of Guo Tu was the man who messed up all.  Because Yuan Shao thought if he purge Guo Tu it is gonna be damage on Yuan’s reputation and power.

[historyasia]

Chen Deng’s death. AD 208(?)~211(?)

Chen Deng was brave and brilliant strategist and general.

He liked sashimi too much. especially fish from river, which contain many  helminths. 

Chen Deng felt  Indigestion. so he called Hua Tao(famous doctor in that era)

Hua Tuo gave special medicine to him. After Chen Deng had that medicine, many red warms came out from his body.

Hua Tuo predicted, “Chen’s disease will relapse in 3 years. If Chen could find a good doctor chen deng would survive from it.”

But After when it was relapsed(perhaps between AD 208-211), Hua Tuo was a dead man.(Excuted by Cao Cao.) so Chen deng couldn’t survive, 

Chen deng finally died.

[historyasia]

Sun Ce  vs Chen Deng. Summer AD 200.

Sun Ce (孫策) invaded Cao Cao’s territory in spring, 204.

Because Sun Ce thought it was a good chance to expand his terriotry, when Cao Cao was having a crisis by Yuan Shao’s massive attack.

may be Sun Ce mobilizd 30,000 soliders or more. because chen deng’s men suggested run away to chen deng, becuz sun ce’s army is 10 times bigger than chen deng.

But chen deng refused it.  Chen deng(陳登) contacted to Yan baihu(嚴白虎)’s defeated army. (Yan Baihu, warlord who perished by Sun Che before.) and made sandwitch attack together. Sun Ce lost big.

well there is a argue that document is correct or not. some document says Chen deng killed more than 10 thousand soliders of Sun Ce.

Just after Sun Ce’s invasion was failed. Sun Ce killed by assasination.

[historyasia]

Sun Ce. his Military ability overestimated. Part 1

Sun Ce(175-200) ( 孫策 ) is known as great general.

But his military ability is quite overestimated.

most enemies he beat were weak

Yan Baihu( 嚴白虎 ),Liu_Yao( 劉繇 ), Wang Lang ( 王朗 )

all weak. and Sun Ce couldn’t win against  Huang Zu( 黃祖), Liu Biao’s man.

in the end, Sun Ce’s attack on Cao Cao. failed by  Chen Deng( 陳登).

Chen Deng was only kind of county sheriff. and Sun Ce lost to him.

[historyasia]

Why Yuan Shao couldn’t beat Cao Cao?

in 199~200, even in after battle of guan du. Yuan Shao was strongest warlord in china. But why he couldn’t beat Cao Cao?

1. He didn’t trust people

He always used a man and after dump him when Yuan feel useless

so when decesive point. many people betrayed him.

2. He lost attack chance

He better to attack Cao Cao before liu bei kicked out by Cao Cao

I mean at this time

3. Yuan’s ally, Liu Biao didn’t help Yuan Shao fully.

if Liu Biao made real attack (like soldiers more than 30,000+)

Cao Cao could be in big trouble

[historyasia]

Zhuge Liang’s 2nd Northern Expedition(AD 228) Part 1

After 1 year passed from 1st Northern Expedition(AD 227)

December, 228 Zhuge Liang launched Northern Expedition again.

Because at that time, war between ‘Wei’ and ‘Wu’. So Wei couldn’t maintain enough soldier on Western Front. So Zhuge liang thought it was a good timing to attack wei. Zhuge Liang could  Mobilize 100,000 soldiers.

At this Time Zhuge Liang’s goal wasn’t capture the xian.

His plan was 

First, capture chencang. 

Second, Then occupy wei’s territory which is left to Checang and Jieting.

Aftter then, Shu Han increase power with new terrirotry.

At this time only 1000 soldiers in Chen Cang. so it looked easy to clear the mission. Emperror of Wei worried so much. He thought it’s better to help chencang as soon as possible. but the general of wei, ‘Chang Heh(張郃)’ told to emperror, wei doesn’t need to hurry.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang accrossed the river. and surrounded Chen Cang with 100,000 soldiers! 

[historyasia]

Zhuge Liang’s 1st Northern Expeditions(AD 227) Part 3.  Aftermath

Zhuge Liang’s 1st Northern Expeditions(AD 227) Part 1.

http://historyb.com/post/146549382924/zhuge-liangs-1st-northern-expeditionsad-227

Zhuge Liang’s 1st Northern Expeditions(AD 227) Part 2.

http://historyb.com/post/148193437394/zhuge-liangs-1st-northern-expeditionsad-227

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After big casualty and lost in Jieting(as I mentioned in previous post).

Zhuge liang came back to capital of Shu Han.

Since liu-bei was dead. Zhuge Liang was a kinda dictator. He had all the power. Despite of that, failure of 1st  Northern Expeditions could be a serious threat for his position and power.

Especially who messed up in Jieting, Ma Su. Zhuge liang considered him as a Zhuge liang’s Political heir.

So Zhuge Liang couldn’t get rid of responsibility.

So he did these things to keep his power.

1. Self demoted his status. Prime Minister -> General.

( Zhao Yun was demoted status also.)

2. Excuted Ma su (Zhuge Liang pretended Crying. when he ordered.)

But only Wang ping(who tried persuade ma su, and reduced casualty.)

He got promotion.  beame a regular general.  ‘討寇將軍’

It was kinda Zhuge Liang’s political crisis. But with those political show. He could maintain his power.  after 1 year. Zhuge Liang started 2nd Northern Expedition again.