Xiahou Ying (died 172 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Wen of Ruyin, was a Chinese official who served as Minister Coachman () during the early

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

. He served under Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu), the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, and fought on Liu Bang's side during the

Chu–Han Contention The Chu–Han Contention ( zh, , lk=on) or Chu–Han War () was an interregnum period in ancient China between the fallen Qin dynasty and the subsequent Han dynasty. After the third and last Qin ruler, Ziying, unconditionally surrendered t ...

(206–202 BC) against Liu Bang's rival,

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 ...

. He is also sometimes referred to as the Duke of Teng in historical records.

Early life

Xiahou Ying was from

Pei County Pei County, or Peixian (), is under the administration of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, bordering the Shandong prefecture-level cities of Jining to the northwest and Zaozhuang to the northeast and sitting on the western shore of Nansi Lake. ...

in present-day

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with it ...

. He started his career as a minor officer in charge of horses, chariots and carriages in the county office. Whenever he passed by Sishui Village (), one of the villages in Pei County, he would visit his friend

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 ...

, a low-ranking officer in the village, and spend a long time chatting with him. On one occasion, Liu Bang played a prank on Xiahou Ying and caused him to be injured. The county magistrate found out about the incident and ordered an investigation. Under the law of 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), ...

at the time, Liu Bang would be punished more severely than a civilian because he was a village officer. Xiahou Ying lied that he had accidentally injured himself in order to protect Liu Bang, and the case was initially closed. Later, somebody reported Xiahou Ying for making a false statement so Xiahou Ying was arrested, flogged, and imprisoned for over a year. However, he still continued to cover up for Liu Bang.

Rebelling against the Qin dynasty

In 209 BC, several rebellions broke out throughout China to overthrow the

. When Liu Bang also started a rebellion in Pei County, Xiahou Ying joined him and assisted him in seizing control of their home county. Liu Bang then gave himself the title "Duke of Pei" (), and made Xiahou Ying a seventh-grade official () and appointed him as his personal carriage driver. When Liu Bang was attacking Huling (; northeast of present-day Longgu Town, Pei County, Jiangsu), Xiahou Ying and

Xiao He Xiao He (257 BC–193 BC) was a Chinese politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han ...

, another of Liu Bang's followers, managed to persuade the Qin officer guarding Huling to surrender to Liu Bang. For his achievement, Xiahou Ying was promoted to a fifth-grade official (). Between 209 BC and 206 BC, Xiahou Ying joined the rebels led by Liu Bang in attacking Qin forces at various locations: Dang County (), Jiyang () and Yongqiu (), all in present-day eastern

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...

; Dong'e (; present-day

Liaocheng Liaocheng (), is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the west. The Gran ...

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in His ...

);

Puyang Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei ...

;

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

;

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyan ...

;

Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...

; Lantian; and Zhiyang (; east of present-day

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqi ...

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 ...

). During battle, he was known for driving his chariot at high speed and striking at the enemy with sheer ferocity. In one battle at Kaifeng, he captured 68 enemy soldiers, received the surrender of 850 others, and obtained a box of golden seals. For his achievements, he was consecutively promoted to higher positions: ''zhibo'' (); ''zhigui'' (); and Duke of Teng (). After the Qin dynasty was overthrown by rebel forces in 206 BC, the former Qin Empire was divided into the Eighteen Kingdoms, each ruled by a rebel leader or surrendered Qin general. Liu Bang became the King of Han () and was given a domain in the remote Bashu region (present-day

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Co ...

and

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

). He appointed Xiahou Ying as Minister Coachman () and awarded him the title of Marquis of Zhaoping ().

Chu–Han Contention

From 206 BC to 202 BC, Xiahou Ying fought on Liu Bang's side against Liu Bang's rival,

, in a power struggle for supremacy over China historically known as the

. Around 206 BC,

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 e ...

, who previously served under Xiang Yu, defected to Liu Bang's side after Xiang Yu refused to heed his suggestions. When Han Xin first joined Liu Bang, he was given a lowly position as a supply officer and his talent was hardly noticed by anyone. On one occasion, Han Xin was implicated in a capital case involving 13 others and about to be executed. At the time, Xiahou Ying was supervising the executions. When it was his turn, Han Xin looked up at Xiahou Ying and asked, "Does the King of Han not want to gain control of the Empire? Why does he execute warriors then?" Xiahou Ying sensed that Han Xin was no ordinary soldier so he released Han Xin, chatted with him and recognised his talent. He then recommended Han Xin to

, one of Liu Bang's chief advisers. Xiao He, in turn, recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang, but Liu Bang was unimpressed with Han Xin. When Liu Bang first moved into the remote Bashu region, many men under him deserted. Disappointed that Liu Bang did not appreciate his talent, Han Xin deserted as well. When Xiao He heard about it, he left in search of Han Xin and managed to find him and bring him back. Xiahou Ying also caught up with them and, together with Xiao He, succeeded in convincing Han Xin to return to Liu Bang. This time, Liu Bang listened to Xiao He and Xiahou Ying; he appointed Han Xin as a general. In 205 BC, Liu Bang lost to Xiang Yu at the Battle of Pengcheng and was forced to retreat. Pursued by enemy forces, he fled on a carriage with his

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some curren ...

and

daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...

driven by Xiahou Ying. During their journey, Liu Bang became panicky and attempted to abandon his children so that the carriage could move faster. Each time he forced his children off the carriage, Xiahou Ying would stop and pick them up again. Liu Bang was so angry with Xiahou Ying that he threatened to kill him each time he did that. Eventually, they managed to escape from danger and Xiahou Ying delivered Liu Bang's children safely to Liu Bang's base in the

Guanzhong Guanzhong (, formerly romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben basin within present-day ce ...

region.

Service under Emperor Gaozu

In 202 BC, Liu Bang ultimately defeated Xiang Yu, became the emperor of China, and established the

. Xiahou Ying followed Liu Bang to suppress rebellions by the vassal kings throughout the emperor's reign. During the Battle of Baideng in 200 BC, Xiahou Ying helped Liu Bang escape from danger after the Han forces were defeated by the

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 ...

. The emperor also enfeoffed Xiahou Ying as the Marquis of Ruyin ().

Service under Emperor Hui

After Liu Bang's death in 195 BC, Xiahou Ying continued serving as Minister Coachman under Liu Bang's son and successor, Liu Ying (Emperor Hui), who was effectively a puppet emperor controlled by his mother, Empress Lü.

Service under Emperor Wen

Following the end of the Lü Clan Disturbance in 180 BC, Xiahou Ying and others supported Liu Heng (Emperor Wen), another son of Liu Bang, in becoming the new emperor, thus restoring Liu Bang's clan to power again.

Death

Xiahou Ying continued serving under Emperor Wen until his death in 172 BC. Emperor Wen granted Xiahou Ying the

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments o ...

"Marquis Wen" ().

Descendants

Many of Xiahou Ying's descendants were active towards the

end of the Han dynasty The end of the Han dynasty was the period of Chinese history from 189 to 220 CE, roughly coinciding with the tumultuous reign of the Han dynasty's last ruler, Emperor Xian. During this period, the country was thrown into turmoil by the Yellow ...

. The most prominent ones were the generals

Xiahou Dun Xiahou Dun () (died 13 June 220), courtesy name Yuanrang, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.''Sanguozhi'' vol.9. He served for a few months under Cao Ca ...

and

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 G ...

, who served under the warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the dynasty's final years. As one o ...

. Their descendants also served in the state of

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

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' < 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 Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period.

References

Sima Qian Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years be ...

. ''

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. *

Ban Gu Ban Gu (AD32–92) was a Chinese historian, politician, and poet best known for his part in compiling the '' Book of Han'', the second of China's 24 dynastic histories. He also wrote a number of '' fu'', a major literary form, part prose ...

et al. ''

Book of Han The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. ...

'', Volume 41. {{DEFAULTSORT:Xiahou, Ying Year of birth unknown 172 BC deaths Han dynasty politicians from Jiangsu Chu–Han contention people People from Xuzhou