Xiahou Ba (died 255–259),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Zhongquan, was a Chinese military general of the state of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

in the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period of China. He was the second son of

Xiahou Yuan Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day Ga ...

, a prominent general who served under

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

, the warlord who laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei. Around 249, Xiahou Ba defected to Wei's rival state,

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

Sima Yi Sima Yi ( ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 un ...

seized power in a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

. He died sometime between 255 and 259.

Service under Cao Wei

Early career

Xiahou Ba's parents were important figures in Cao Wei; his father,

, had fought alongside his distant cousin and founder of Wei,

, since the start of the civil war, and was one of the most trusted of Cao's generals, while Xiahou Ba's mother was a sister-in-law of Cao Cao. After Xiahou Yuan was killed at

Battle of Mount Dingjun The Battle of Mount Dingjun was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms stretch of Chinese history. Liu Bei's victory in the battle marked a major milestone in his Hanzhong Campaign and a ...

in 219 at the hands of Shu general,

Huang Zhong Huang Zhong (, ) (died 220), courtesy name Hansheng, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Mount Dingjun in 219, in which ...

, most of his troops were placed under the command of

Zhang He Zhang He () (died July or August 231), courtesy name Junyi, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He continued serving in the state of Cao Wei under its first two rulers, Cao Pi and ...

upon advice from

Guo Huai Guo Huai (died 23 February 255), courtesy name Boji, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei (or Wei) during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He started his career towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao ...

, while his private militia and guards were succeeded by his five sons. Xiahou Ba displayed great hatred for Shu, and vowed revenge for his father. In 220, Xiahou Yuan's eldest son

Xiahou Heng Xiahou () is a Chinese compound surname from the Spring and Autumn period. After the Qi (Henan), State of Qi was destroyed by Chu (state), Chu, Duke Jian of Qi (Henan), Duke Jian of Qi's (:zh:杞简公, 杞简公) younger brother, Prince Tuo (公 ...

was given his own marquisate and marquis title, so Xiahou Ba inherited his father's marquis title with a stipend of tax revenues from 800 taxable households.

Mid career

In 230, when the Wei general

Cao Zhen Cao Zhen (died April or May 231), courtesy name Zidan, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was an adopted son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and l ...

proposed a shift from defensive to offensive stance against Shu Han, Lieutenant-General (偏将军) Xiahou Ba was named as the vanguard. He then led a force towards Hanzhong Commandery taking a route through the 330 km Ziwu Trail (子午道), and camped in a crooked gorge, near the Xingshi camp set up earlier by Shu general,

Wei Yan Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dy ...

. There, Xiahou Ba was identified by the local residents, who reported his presence to the Shu forces, and was under heavy attack. As the main army of Cao Zhen had not caught up with the vanguard, Xiahou Ba was thrown into a grave situation, where he was forced to rely on personal skills to fight his enemies between barricades until Cao Zhen arrived. The two forces reached a stalemate and the standoff lasted for a few months, but the developments favoured the Shu side as continuous rainfall over a month had rendered narrow valleys impassable, resulting in Wei army's logistical difficulty. In addition to the disadvantageous weather, Wei Yan had penetrated to the Wei army's rear and successfully incited some non-Han tribes to oppose the Wei forces, so Cao Zhen and Xiahou Ba begrudgingly decided to retreat. Since then, Xiahou Ba was appointed General of the Right, and stationed in Longxi Commandery to train troops; he personally cared for his soldiers and established friendly relation with the foreign tribes (

Xirong Xirong () or Rong were various people who lived primarily in and around the western extremities of ancient China (in modern Gansu and Qinghai). They were known as early as the Shang dynasty (1765–1122 BCE), as one of the Four Barbarians that ...

people) of the region hence he acquired their admiration.

As a trusted aide of Cao Shuang

In the 240s, Xiahou Ba was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Bochang Village and became a close associate of

Cao Shuang Cao Shuang (died 9 February 249), courtesy name Zhaobo, was a Chinese military general and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the eldest son of Cao Zhen, a prominent general of Wei. He initially held ...

, Cao Zhen's son and a regent to the Wei emperor

Cao Fang Cao Fang () (232–274), courtesy name Lanqing, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was an adopted son of Cao Rui, the second ruler of Wei. Cao Fang ruled from 239 to 254 as a nominal emperor bef ...

. When Cao Shuang decided to wage war against Shu to enhance his personal influence and reputation, Xiahou Ba was made Protector of the Army and came under command of

Xiahou Xuan Xiahou Xuan (209 – March 254), courtesy name Taichu, was a Chinese essayist, historian, military general, philosopher, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Family background Xiahou Xuan was the so ...

, who was the marquis's son in the clan. For the ensuing campaign, however, the Wei general

, whom Xiahou Ba disliked, had the honour of leading the vanguard. This time, Wei forces chose the shorter Tangluo Trail into Shu territory, but again experienced logistic problems as a long section of the trail had no water source. As a result, the Wei forces had no choice but to retreat, and many soldiers merely died of thirst along the way back. After the war, Guo Huai, due to his timely withdrawal of troops, was granted a higher military authority over Xiahou Ba. From 244 to 249, Xiahou Ba played into the hands of Guo Huai, who wielded power to temporarily command him when a military crisis arose. In 247, when some tribal leaders rebelled against Wei, Xiahou Ba came under attack by the Shu general

Jiang Wei Jiang Wei (202 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Boyue, was a military general of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in Ji County (present-day Gangu County, Gansu), Jiang Wei started his career as a military officer ...

, who came to support the tribes. Together with Guo Huai, Xiahou Ba repelled Jiang Wei's attack and struck back at the rebels, forcing many of them to surrender. However, E Zhesai (蛾遮塞) of the Qiang tribes and Zhi Wudai (治无戴) of the Hu tribes still persevered, so the war was fragmented into battles that dragged on to 248, wherein Jiang Wei again led Shu forces to the aid of the rebels. At this point, it is clear that Guo Huai, instead of Xiahou Xuan, was the actual commander on the field to give out orders. For instance, when Guo Huai decided to attack Jiang Wei's subordinate,

Liao Hua Liao Hua (late 180s - 264), courtesy name Yuanjian, originally named Liao Chun, was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Like Zhang Yi and Zong Yu, Liao was one of few officials who served the Sh ...

, Xiahou Ba was ordered directly by the decision maker to tail Jiang Wei's main troop to the west. Upon knowing Liao Hua was under attack, Jiang Wei harshly returned to his aide's assistance just as Guo Huai predicted, isolating the rebels from Shu reinforcement. As the Shu commander was worn out from the travel, so was Xiahou Ba, but the glory and merit of subjugating the rebellion went to Guo Huai, who was promoted to a district marquis for his achievements. On the contrary, Xiahou Ba virtually received nothing for his effort in the campaign.

Service under Shu

Defection from Wei to Shu

In 249, after a

against Cao Shuang, a lot of the latter's affiliates were also put to death; being a close friend and associate of Cao Shuang, Xiahou Ba was sensitive to the political developments and grew suspicious of Sima Yi's faction. Soon, Xiahou Xuan, who had the staff of authority to command troops over Liang and Yong provinces, was ordered to the capital under the guise of a promotion. Fraught with dread, Xiahou Ba discussed the issue with Xiahou Xuan, and persuaded the latter to flee with him to Shu. But Xiahou Xuan refused and said "I won't live as a guest in a kingdom of barbarians!" What further perturbed Xiahou Ba was the person who succeeded Xiahou Xuan's former position was none other than Guo Huai, whom Xiahou Ba had a personal feud with. Therefore, Xiahou Ba embarked on his lone journey into Shu. On his way to Shu, Xiahou Ba lost his way and went into a dead end in a valley, where he ran out of food and resorted to killing his horse, taking the carcass as a last supper. He kept walking until his legs were crippled, then he laid beneath a shadow projected from a large rock, and asked travellers for direction, but still could not figure out how to get out from the dead end. When the locals reported the presence of a lame beggar who looked like the great general Xiahou Ba who attacked them years ago, the Shu emperor,

Liu Shan Liu Shan () (207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Lia ...

, hurriedly sent a rescue team to escort his uncle-in-law to the Shu capital,

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

. Years ago, Xiahou Ba's cousin was abducted by the Shu general

Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were among the earlies ...

and became his wife. As a consequence, the Liu clan and Xiahou clan were linked together though

's marriage with Empress Zhang (Zhang Fei's daughter). That was why Liu Shan called his son a grandnephew of the Xiahou family. Whether it was for political reasons or a private family issue, Liu Shan appointed the handicapped Xiahou Ba as General of Chariots and Cavalry in Shu.

Later life in Shu

Nevertheless, Jiang Wei apparently befriended Xiahou Ba, and the duo went on several campaigns against the state of Wei. The Wei imperial court pardoned Xiahou Ba's sons on account of Xiahou Yuan's role in the founding of Wei. Instead they were exiled to

Lelang Commandery The Lelang Commandery was a commandery of the Han dynasty established after it had conquered Wiman Joseon in 108 BC and lasted until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. The Lelang Commandery extended the rule of the Four Commanderies of Han as far so ...

in present-day

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. At the time Xiahou Ba was already a sexagenarian, if not a septuagenarian, he was still active in social life. A story about that was recorded in Yi Bu Qijiu Zhuan (虞翻別傳), which says an eager Xiahou Ba once wanted to befriend

Zhang Ni Zhang Ni (died 254), courtesy name Boqi, rendered also as Zhang Yi, was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Famous for his courage and generosity, Zhang Ni made his name known while rescuing a m ...

, who was famous for subjugating the southern barbarians and was one of the most celebrated Shu generals back then. When Xiahou Ba first met Zhang Ni, he told him, "Although I'm not close to you, I have already entrusted wholly to you for a long time, I hope you would understand this." Zhang Ni responded, "I don't know you, and you don't know me. The rationale is on the other end, how can you say you rely on me? I hope you save your words and continue this talk three years later." This incident was circulated within Shu, and knowledgeable persons and scholars found this anecdote worthy of Xiahou Ba and Zhang Ni character. As a newcomer from Wei, Xiahou Ba must have had faced discrimination and distrust from his colleagues, but due to his complicated background, he was trusted by Liu Shan, and highly valued by another defector of Wei, Jiang Wei. Once, Jiang Wei asked Xiahou Ba if Sima Yi, who gained control of Wei court, would attack Shu, Xiahou Ba replied, "they just recently established hegemony, so they will not indulge in foreign affairs. However, there is a young

Zhong Hui Zhong Hui (225 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Shiji, was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the younger son of Zhang Changpu with Zhong Y ...

, who will be a threat to both Wu and Shu." Believing Xiahou Ba's views that Sima Yi would not handle border issues for some time, Jiang Wei revived Zhuge Liang's strategy on constantly waging wars against Wei, and brought Xiahou Ba with him on his expeditions. Xiahou Ba distinguished himself in Jiang Wei's greatest victory in his campaigns, which was the Battle of Didao, after that battle, Xiahou Ba was not mentioned again in historic records.

Date of death and birth

According to ''

Records of Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

'', Xiahou Ba succeeded

Deng Zhi Deng Zhi (178 - 251), courtesy name Bomiao, was a government official, diplomat and military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of Deng Yu, Deng Zhi started his career in the late Eastern Han ...

as the General of Chariots and Cavalry after the predecessor's death in 251. ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'' noted that Xiahou Ba was alive in 255, and ''Records of Three Kingdoms'' noted that Xiahou Ba was not alive in 259, when

and Zhang Yi were recorded to have succeeded his general position, so Xiahou Ba must have had died between 255 and 259. His birth date isn't recorded as well. However, there is another mention of Xiahou Ba's younger cousin being captured by

while she was gathering firewood at the age of 13 in the year 200, which meant that Xiahou Ba must have been born before 187.

In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''

In the 14th-century historical novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

'', Xiahou Ba's death was altered. When the invasion of Shu occurred in 262, Xiahou Ba defended Shu. At the Battle of Taoyang, he was killed by the arrows and stones that were thrown by the Wei forces laying in wait on the cliffs. :File:XiahouBa.jpg

In popular culture

Xiahou Ba is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh instalment of

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's ''

Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...

'' video game series.

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

'' (''Sanguozhi''), Volumes 9, 44. * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Xiahou, Ba Year of birth unknown 250s deaths Cao Wei generals Shu Han generals