Xianyang
Xianyang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now integrated into the Xi'an metrop ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
nomad
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...
s. He achieved this in 91 AD, shortly after the Battle of Ikh Bayan. The Northern Chanyu was defeated once more and fled away, abandoning his kingdom. It is unknown where he went or what became of him.
In 109 the Southern Chanyu with a number of
Xianbi
The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...
rebelled and, by winter, controlled a large area of the northern commanderies near the Yellow River. 20,000 men under He Xi were sent to aid the local Chinese forces. Geng Kui, who is named as being the Governor of Liaodong at the time, and Liang Qin, the last Protector General of the Western Regions who was hurriedly sent with 8,000 men bore the brunt of the fighting. In the 3rd month of 110 the Southern Chanyu was overwhelmed and came to kowtow and begged to surrender. His request was granted.
In the summer of 121, the Xianbi along with the Mo and Hui peoples of the northeast defeated and killed the Grand Administrator Cai Feng. In the autumn they defeated the troops of
Yunzhong Commandery
Yunzhong Commandery ( zh, 雲中郡) was a historical commandery of China. Its territories were located between the Great Wall and Yin Mountains, and correspond to part of modern-day Hohhot, Baotou and Ulanqab prefectures in Inner Mongolia.
The ...
and killed Grand Administrator Cheng Yan, and besieged the Colonel Protector of the
Macheng
Macheng () is a city in northeastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering the provinces of Henan to the north and Anhui to the northeast. It is a county-level city under the administration of Huanggang City and abuts the south sid ...
. Geng Kui, who was now entitled the new General Who Crosses the Liao, managed with a large army to drive off, but not defeat the Xianbi and relieve the siege of Macheng. However, the Xianbi, from this time on became more aggressive regularly raiding along the frontier with a force said to number tens of thousands of mounted archers.
About the time Chanyu Tan died in 124, Geng Kui left office.de Crespigny (1984), p. 289.
Footnotes
References
*Chavannes, Édouard (1906): "Trois Généraux Chinois de la dynastie des Han Orientaux. Pan Tch’ao (32-102 p.C.); – son fils Pan Yong; – Leang K’in (112 p.C.). Chapitre LXXVII du ''Heou Han chou''." Chavannes. ''T’oung pao'' 7, pp. 210–269.
*de Crespigny, Rafe (1984) ''Northern Frontier. The Policies and Strategies of the Later Han Empire''. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. Canberra.
*Hill, John E. (2009) ''Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE''. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. .
Han dynasty generals
{{china-mil-bio-stub