Jiao Province Campaign

The Jiao Province Campaign, also known as the Jiaozhi Rebellion (Chinese: 交阯之亂; Vietnamese: Giao Chỉ chi loạn),[2] was a military conflict between the states of Eastern Wu and Cao Wei from 264 to 266 and later between Wu and the Western Jin from 266 to 271 during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The conflict was initially a local rebellion against Wu in Jiaozhi Commandery in 263, but in 264, Wei (replaced by Jin in 266) intervened and took large parts of Wu's territory in Jiao and Guang provinces (廣州; covering present-day Guangdong and Guangxi). Wu went on the counteroffensive in 268, and by 271, they drove out the Jin forces and recovered all their lost territory. The campaign would be one of the last major victories of Wu during the final years of the Three Kingdoms.

Jiao Province Campaign

The Jiao Province Campaign. Red is Eastern Wu and blue is Cao Wei/Western Jin.
Datec. May or June 263 – July or August 271
Location
Result Eastern Wu victory; Wu reclaims Jiao Province
Belligerents
Eastern Wu Cao Wei (until 266)
Western Jin (from 266)
Commanders and leaders
Sun Xu  
Liu Jun  
Xiu Ze  
Gu Rong
Yu Si
Xue Xu
Tao Huang
Lương Kỳ
Lã Hưng  Executed
Huo Yi
Cuan Gu
Ma Rong
Yang Ji  Surrendered
Mao Jiong  Executed
Dong Yuan  
Wang Su  Surrendered
Strength
First counteroffensive: Unknown
Second counteroffensive: 100,000+[1]
Unknown

Background edit

During the fall of the Han dynasty, Jiao province or Jiaozhou was ruled by the warlord, Shi Xie and his family for roughly 40 years. The province encompassed modern-day northern Vietnam and Liangguang, and was composed of nine commanderies: Gaoliang (高涼郡; around present-day Yangjiang, Guangdong), Yulin, Cangwu, Nanhai, Zhuya, Hepu, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan. As the Three Kingdoms began to emerge after 220, Shi Xie became a vassal of Sun Quan, the founder of Eastern Wu, but still retained his autonomy over Jiao. It was not until 227, following Shi Xie’s death, that Wu would take full control of the province after quelling the rebellion of Shi Xie’s son, Shi Hui.

Under the new Wu regime, Jiao experienced a number of revolts led by the province's local inhabitants. In 231, the Lạc Việt people in Jiuzhen rebelled, and more famously in 248, Lady Triệu led a rebellion against Wu in Jiuzhen and Jiaozhi. However, Wu was able to quell both rebellions.

The campaign edit

Lã Hưng's Rebellion (263–264) edit

According to one account, in 262, the Wu emperor, Sun Xiu, sent the official, Deng Xun (鄧荀), to Jiaozhi to gather peacocks and wild boars. Previously, the Prefect of Jiaozhi, Sun Xu (孫諝) had sent thousands of craftsmen from the commandery to work in the capital, Jianye. When the people of Jiaozhi saw Deng Xun arrive, they thought that more of them were going to be forced to work in Jianye.[3] Another account states that Sun Xu was a corrupt and cruel administrator who was deeply unpopular in Jiaozhi. After Deng Xun arrived, Deng Xun gathered 30 peacocks without imperial authority, and ordered the locals to escort the birds to Jianye.[4] Regardless of which account is true, in May 263, a county official, Lã Hưng (呂興; Lü Xing) incited the people and soldiers of Jiaozhi to revolt, and the rebels killed both Sun Xu and Deng Xun.

When the rebellion first broke out, Wu was unable to immediately respond, as at the time, the state of Cao Wei launched an invasion against Wu's ally, Shu Han. Wu sent its armies to divert Wei's attention, but after Shu fell, they attempted to claim their ally’s former territories, which ended in failure. Sun Xiu died in September 264. Before his death, he established Guang province with the four commanderies in northern Jiao,[5] namely Nanhai, Cangwu, Gaoliang, and Yulin.

Lã Hưng's rebellion inspired Jiuzhen and Rinan to also rebel. Lã Hưng led his troops to Hepu in hopes that the people there would also revolt. After the fall of Shu, he sent his Commandant, Đường Phổ (唐譜; Tang Pu), to Jincheng (進乘; in present-day Pingbian Miao Autonomous County, Yunnan) to reach out to Cao Wei's Chief Controller of Nanzhong, Huo Yi, for help.[6] Huo Yi sent a letter to the Wei capital, Luoyang, to report on the matter and received a reply from the court in September 264. Lã Hưng was appointed the General Who Stabilises the South and Chief Controller of Jiao while Huo Yi was appointed Inspector of Jiao and given discretion over the province. Despite his office, Huo Yi would administer the province remotely from Nanzhong. He requested that a native of Jianning (建寧; around present-day Qujing, Yunnan), Cuan Gu be made Prefect of Jiaozhi, and dispatched him along with many other generals, most of whom formerly served Shu, to help Lã Hưng. However, before Wei forces could arrive, Lã Hưng was assassinated by his Officer of Merit, Lý Tống (李統; Li Tong).[7]

Jin's Jiao Campaign (265–268) edit

In 265, Cuan Gu set out from Nanzhong to Longbian County to appease Jiaozhi and the other Wei-aligned territories. In February 266, Sima Yan (Emperor Wu of Jin) established the Western Jin dynasty, replacing Cao Wei. Huo Yi, Cuan Gu and the others thus became Jin subjects. Shortly after Jin formed, Cuan Gu died, so Huo Yi replaced him with Ma Rong (馬融). Later, Ma Rong also died of illness, so he was replaced with Yang Ji.[8] After two years of administration, Jin consolidated its control over Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen, and they were also on the verge of taking Rinan. Jin's success in Jiao supposedly caused widespread unease throughout Wu's domain north of Hepu.[9]

First Wu counteroffensive (268) edit

In 268, the Wu emperor, Sun Hao, began a campaign against Jin on multiple fronts, including a counteroffensive to reclaim Jiao. He sent the Inspector of Jiao, Liu Jun (劉俊), the Grand Commander, Xiu Ze (脩則) and the general Gu Rong (顧容) to attack the province. The Wu generals carried out three attacks, and in all three of them, they were defeated by Yang Ji. The commanderies of Yulin and Jiuzhen also sided with Yang Ji during the conflict. Yang Ji sent his generals, Dong Yuan (董元) and Mao Jiong (毛炅) to attack Hepu. The Jin and Wu force clashed at Gucheng, where Jin scored a great victory, killing Liu Jun and Xiu Ze in the process.[10] The remaining Wu soldiers scattered and fled back to Hepu. Mao Jiong was appointed Administrator of Yulin while Dong Yuan was appointed Administrator of Jiuzhen. Also, around this time, the southern states of Lâm Ấp and Funan sent tributes to Jin as a sign of friendship.[11]

Second Wu counteroffensive (269–271) edit

Initial stages edit

In 269, Sun Hao launched a second counteroffensive, this time sending two armies. The first army, led by Yu Si and Xue Xu, marched through the roads of Jing province while the second army, led by Li Xu (李勗) and Xu Cun (徐存) marched along the coast from Jian'an. The two armies would meet at Hepu to attack Jiaozhi.[12] However, Li Xu's army had trouble moving along the coastline, and after killing his guide general, Feng Fei (馮斐), Li Xu led his army to return. The minister He Ding (何定), accused Li Xu of killing Feng Fei and withdrawing without authorization. As a result, Sun Hao had Li Xu, Xu Cun and their families executed.[13]

The army from Jing were thus left to fight the couteroffensive on their own. After they reached Hepu, Wu's Administrator of Cangwu, Tao Huang volunteered to lead an attack against Yang Ji at the Fen River (分水), but he was defeated and lost two generals in the battle. His superior, Xue Xu, was furious at him for his defeat, and was considering withdrawing from the province.[14] However, later that night, Tao Huang launched a night raid against Dong Yuan and won a great victory, capturing much of the enemy's treasure before returning. The victory shifted Xue Xu's attitude towards Tao Huang, so much so that he decided to give Tao Huang command over the campaign.[15]

Battle of Jiaozhi edit

In April 271, Yu Si led his army to attack and kill Dong Yuan,[16] so Yang Ji appointed Wang Su (王素) as the new Prefect of Jiuzhen. Tao Huang used the loot from his battle with Dong Yuan to bribe a powerful leader of the Fuyan barbarians (扶嚴夷), Lương Kỳ (梁奇; Liang Qi) to help him, and Lương Kỳ brought with him more than 10,000 people.[17] Instead of marching head-on to Jiaozhi, Xue Xu employed Tao Huang's strategy to use a sea route and catch the Jin army by surprise.[18] Yang Ji sent Mao Jiong and Meng Yue (孟岳) to fight Wu, but they were badly routed at Fengxi (封溪, in present-day Đông Anh, Hanoi).[19] During the battle, the Jin generals feigned a retreat and attempted to ambush the Wu army. However, Tao Huang saw through their ruse, and he used soldiers with long jis to defeat the ambush.[20]

Yang Ji, Mao Jiong and the others fled back to Jiaozhi to defend the city. Tao Huang's army surrounded Jiaozhi and cut off the city's supply. By July 271, the rations in Jiaozhi had run out, and more than half of the city's population had died of hunger or disease. Soon, Tao Huang received the surrender of the city's garrison general, Wang Yue (王約). Jiaozhi was being attacked from within and outside, and more than 2,000 Jin defenders were killed along with the generals Zhang Deng (張登), Meng Tong (孟通) and Shao Hui (邵暉), while Yang Ji, Mao Jiong and the others were captured.[21] For his deeds, Tao Huang was officially made Inspector of Jiao by Sun Hao.[22]

Battle of Jiuzhen edit

Hearing the disastrous defeat at Jiaozhi, Wang Su and other Jin generals planned to abandon Jiao and flee back to Nanzhong. However, along the way, they were all captured by Tao Huang's general, Wei Pu (衛濮).[23] The Jin Officer of Merit, Li Zuo (李祚) and Commandant, Shao Yin (邵胤), led their troops to defend Jiuzhen. Li Zuo's uncle, Li Huang (黎晃), who was a Wu general, advised him to surrender, but he refused. Tao Huang led his army to capture Jiuzhen, and after facing stiff resistance, he eventually captured the commandery.[24][25] Not long after, Rinan and the other counties under Jin surrendered, and Jiao province was back under Wu's control.[26]

Aftermath edit

Sun Hao declared a general amnesty and divided Jiaozhi into Xinchang Commandery (新昌郡; around present-day Northern Vietnam) and new Jiaozhi to consolidate his control over Jiao. The Wu army soon clashed with the Fuyan people, but Wu pacified them and set up Wuping Commandery (武平郡; around present-day Northern Vietnam) in their territory.[27] Tao Huang remained the Inspector of Jiao, and during his tenure, he formed Jiude Commandery (九德郡; around present-day North Central Coast, Vietnam) and introduced more than thirty counties in Jiuzhen. Tao Huang was lauded by the people of Jiao as a benevolent administrator, and no rebellion occurred in the province for the remainder of Wu's existence.[28]

Wu's victory in Jiao was one of their few major victories against Jin along with the Battle of Xiling in 272. Yet, despite reclaiming the province, they were unable to turn the tide of the war, and just ten years later, Jin would conquer Wu in 280, ending the Three Kingdoms period.

References edit

  1. ^ (吳大都督薛珝與陶璜等兵十萬...) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.79
  2. ^ (昔景帝時,交阯反亂,實由茲起...) Sanguozhi, vol.61
  3. ^ (五月,交阯郡吏呂興等反,殺太守孫諝。諝先是科郡上手工千餘人送建業,而察戰至,恐復見取,故興等因此扇動兵民,招誘諸夷也。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  4. ^ (吳交趾太守孫言胥貪暴,為百姓所患;會吳主遣察戰鄧荀至交趾,荀擅調孔爵三十頭送建業,民憚遠役,因謀作亂。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.78
  5. ^ (復分交州置廣州。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  6. ^ (「...興移書日南州郡,開示大計,兵臨合浦,告以禍福; 遣都尉唐譜等詣進乘縣,因南中都督護軍霍弋上表自陳。」) Sanguozhi, vol.4
  7. ^ (辛未,詔以呂興為安南將軍,都督交州諸軍事,以南中監軍霍弋遙領交州刺史,得以便宜選用長吏。弋表遣建寧爨谷為交趾太守,率牙門董元、毛炅、孟幹、孟通、爨能、李松、王素等將兵助興。未至,興為其功曹李統所殺。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 78
  8. ^ (泰始元年,谷等逕至郡,撫和初附。無幾,谷卒。晉更用馬忠子融代谷。融卒。遣犍為楊稷代之,加綏遠將軍。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.4.14
  9. ^ (「...交州諸郡,國之南土,交阯、九真二郡已沒,日南孤危,存亡難保,合浦以北,民皆搖動。」) Sanguozhi, vol.65
  10. ^ (吳交州刺史劉俊、大都督脩則、將軍顧容前後三攻交趾,交趾太守楊稷皆拒破之;鬱林、九眞皆附於稷。稷遣將軍毛炅、董元攻合浦,戰於古城,大破吳兵,殺劉俊、脩則,餘兵散還合浦。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.79
  11. ^ (扶南、林邑各遣使來獻。) Jinshu, vol.3
  12. ^ (遣監軍虞汜、威南將軍薛珝、蒼梧太守陶璜由荊州,監軍李勗、督軍徐存從建安海道,皆就合浦擊交阯。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  13. ^ (李勗以建安道不通利,殺導將馮斐,引軍還... 殿中列將何定曰:「少府李勗枉殺馮斐,擅徹軍退還。」勗及徐存家屬皆伏誅。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  14. ^ (...璜為蒼梧太守,距稷,戰于分水。璜敗,退保合浦,亡其二將。珝怒謂璜曰:「若自表討賊,而喪二帥,其責安在?」璜曰:「下官不得行意,諸軍不相順,故致敗耳。」珝怒,欲引軍還。) Jinshu, vol.57
  15. ^ (夜以數百兵襲董元,獲其寶物,船載而歸,珝乃謝之,以璜領交州,為前部督。) Jinshu, vol.57
  16. ^ (四月,九眞太守董元爲吳將虞汜所攻,軍敗,死之。) Jinshu, vol.3
  17. ^ (以前所得寶船上錦物數千匹遺扶嚴賊帥梁奇,奇將萬餘人助璜。) Jinshu, vol.57
  18. ^ (璜從海道出於不意,徑至交阯,元距之。) Jinshu, vol.57
  19. ^ (稷遣炅及將軍建寧孟岳等禦之。戰於封溪。眾寡不敵,炅等敗績。僅以身還交趾,固城自守。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.4.14
  20. ^ (諸將將戰,璜疑斷牆內有伏兵,列長戟於甚後) Jinshu, vol.57
  21. ^ (陶璜圍之。杜塞蹊徑。救援不至。雖班糧〈張、吳、何、王本作量。〉約食,猶不供繼。至秋七月,城中食盡,病、餓死者大半。交趾人廣野將軍王約,反應陶璜,以梯援外。吳人遂得入城。得稷等,皆囚之。即斬稷長史張登、將軍孟通及炅,并交趾人邵暉等二千餘人。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.4.14
  22. ^ (吳因用璜為交州刺史。) Jinshu, vol.57
  23. ^ (九真太守王素,以交趾敗,與董元牙門王承等欲還南中,為陶璜別將衛濮所獲。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.4.14
  24. ^ (九真郡功曹李祚保郡內附,璜遣將攻之,不克。祚舅黎晃隨軍。勸祚令降。祚答曰:「舅自吳將,祚自晉臣,唯力是視耳。」逾時乃拔。) Jinshu, vol.57
  25. ^ (邵暉子「允」胤,先為父使詣洛,拜奉車都尉。比還。暉敗亡。胤依祚固守。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.4.14
  26. ^ (是歲,汜、璜破交阯,禽殺晉所置守將,九真、日南皆還屬。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  27. ^ (大赦,分交阯爲新昌郡。諸將破扶嚴,置武平郡。以武昌督范慎爲太尉。) Sanguozhi, vol.48
  28. ^ (武平、九德、新昌土地阻險,夷獠勁悍,曆世不賓,璜征討,開置三郡,及九真屬國三十餘縣。征璜為武昌都督,以合浦太守修允代之。交土人請留璜以千數,於是遣還。) Jinshu, vol.57