The Battle of Jiksan (직산 전투) was a military conflict fought between
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
and
Japanese forces on 16 October 1597. It resulted in withdrawal by both sides. However the battle marked the furthest point the Japanese ever got to reaching
Hanseong
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
during the Second Invasion.
Background
Ma Gui led Niu Boying and Jie Sheng to Jiksan, modern
Cheonan, and laid an ambush there for the Japanese army.
Battle
On 16 October 1597,
Kuroda Nagamasa
was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser.
Biography
His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was a ...
's force of 5,000 arrived at Jiksan, where 6,000
Ming soldiers were stationed. Kuroda's forces charged the enemies and was soon joined by the rest of the army, bringing Japanese forces to 30,000. Although heavily outnumbering the Ming, the Japanese were unable to do much damage due to the Ming's superior armor. According to Kuroda and
Mōri Hidemoto
was a senior retainer of the Toyotomi clan throughout the latter Sengoku period of feudal Japan.
Hidemoto was the eldest son of Mōri Motokiyo and initially began service under the Toyotomi as a military commander under his cousin Terumoto, ...
, their firearms could not penetrate the iron shields used by Chinese soldiers, and their armor was at least partially bulletproof. The battle continued until dusk when the two sides withdrew. It is disputed as to whether the Ming or Japanese army withdrew first, and consequently which side won the battle.
Kuroda launched another attack at night, this time in a pronged sweeping crane formation that sought to crush the enemies between them. The attack failed and turned into a rout that was joined by 2,000 Ming cavalry.
Aftermath and implication
Jiksan was the furthest the Japanese ever got towards reaching
Hanseong
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
during the second invasion. Although they were forced to withdraw at Jiksan, it was not a major loss, and resulted in an orderly retreat south by the Japanese.
References
Bibliography
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* 桑田忠親
uwata, Tadachika ed., 舊參謀本部編纂,
yu Sanbo Honbu 朝鮮の役
housen no Eki(日本の戰史
ihon no SenshiVol. 5), 1965.
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References
Annals of SeonjoChapter 259 history of the Ming
*Kuroda Kafu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Jiksan
Jiksan
1597 in Asia