Long Ju (died 204 BC) was a military general who served under the warlord

Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...

during the Chu–Han Contention.

Life

Long Ju was a childhood friend of Xiang Yu and they were said to be as close as brothers. When Xiang Liang (Xiang Yu's uncle) rebelled against the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

around 208 BC, Long Ju followed the Xiangs on military campaigns against Qin forces. He distinguished himself as a valiant warrior on the battlefield and earned the trust and respect of Xiang Yu. Following the fall of the Qin dynasty in 206 BC, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and appointed Long Ju as his grand marshal. Long Ju fought on the Chu side in the Chu–Han Contention against Xiang Yu's rival,

Liu Bang Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Empe ...

. After his victory at the

Battle of Pengcheng The Battle of Pengcheng was fought in Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China) in April 205 BC between the kingdoms of Chu (state), Western Chu and Han Dynasty, Han, led by Xiang Yu and Liu Bang respectively. The Han forces were unprepare ...

in 205 BC, Xiang Yu put Long Ju in command of his elite cavalry unit composed of hired

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 ...

warriors. When

Ying Bu Ying Bu (died 195 BC) was a warlord and vassal king who lived in the early Han dynasty. He was a native of Lu County (六縣; present-day Lu'an, Anhui). In his early life under the Qin dynasty, Ying Bu was convicted and sentenced to ''qing'' (黥 ...

betrayed Xiang Yu and defected to Liu Bang's side, Xiang Yu sent Long Ju to attack Ying Bu. Long Ju scored a major victory over Ying Bu in Jiujiang and destroyed most of Ying's army. Ying Bu barely managed to escape under the protection of his bodyguards and went to join Liu Bang. In 204 BC, Liu Bang's army on the northern front, led by

Han Xin Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ea ...

, attacked the Qi kingdom. Xiang Yu felt that Han Xin posed a great threat to him and sent Long Ju to lead an army to help Qi. The allied force of Qi and Chu was said to be 200,000 strong. During the Battle of Wei River, Han Xin feigned defeat and lured Long Ju to follow him. Long Ju underestimated the enemy and led very few men on pursuit and fell into a trap. Han Xin ordered his men to open the dam and release the river to flood the Chu army, separating Long Ju's small group from his main army behind. The Chu army was thrown into confusion and Long Ju was surrounded by the enemy. Despite fighting for his life, Long Ju was eventually outnumbered and killed in battle by

Guan Ying Guan Ying (died 176 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Yi of Yingyin, was a Chinese military general and politician who served as a chancellor of the Western Han dynasty. Life Guan Ying was from Suiyang (), which is present-day Shangqiu, Hena ...

's soldiers.

References

* Sima Qian. ''

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese his ...

'', Volume 95. {{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Ju 204 BC deaths Chu–Han contention people Year of birth unknown