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Battle of Baideng

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Battle of Baideng
Part of Xiongnu campaigns in China
Date200 BC
Location
Mount Baideng at Pincheng (present-day Datong, Shanxi)
Result Xiongnu victory
Belligerents
Xiongnu Han dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Modu Chanyu
Hu-pai-ti (POW) Executed		 Emperor Gaozu
Han Wang Hsin Surrendered
Strength
400,000[1] 320,000[1]
Casualties and losses
Heavy[2] Heavy

The Battle of Baideng (白登之戰) was a military conflict between Han China and the Xiongnu in 200 BC.

The Han emperor Gaozu, leading a large army, marched as far as Ping-ch'enga (in Ta- tung) to fight the Xiongnus. The Chinese emperor's army numbered more than 300,000 men. Mo-tu, using a very good strategy, squeezed and besieged the Chinese emperor even before his entire army arrived. After 7 days in this difficult situation, the Emperor escaped from somewhere as a result of Mo-tu's opening the siege. As a result, the Chinese emperor, who was in a difficult situation, had to make an agreement with Mo-tu by making heavy concessions. The Xiongnus had now made the Chinese feel that they were militarily superior.[3][4]

Background

After Mo-du defeated the Dong-hu, Yuezhi and other steppe tribes, his army exceeded 300,000 thousand. Now, with the steppe under his control, he could enter China.

Meanwhile, the Han Dynasty had just established its order in the central lands. Wang of Han Hsin was sent to Tai province, whose administrative center was Mayi. The Xiongnus besieged Ma-i in a massive attack. Realizing that he could no longer hold out, Prince Hsin (Xin) of Han surrendered to the Xiongnus.[3][5]

Attack of the Xiongnu

After the Xiongnus took Ma-i, they crossed the Kou-chu Mountain in the south with their troops. They attacked Ta'i-yuen and reached the gates of Chin-yang. In response, the Han ruler Gaozu personally led his army to counterattack. In winter, however, they encountered terrible cold.[6] Three out of every ten soldiers lost their fingers from the cold.[3] Mo-du then pretended to flee in defeat and drew the Han soldiers to him, and the Han soldiers began to pursue him as planned. Meanwhile, the Xiongnu vanguard made some attacks but failed and their commander was killed.[7] In fact, Mo-du hid his strong warriors and showed the weak ones.[8][6]

Battle and siege

The Han army with all its might (320,000 men, mostly infantry) began to chase them north. Gaozu led his own troops to Ping-cheng, but not all the infantry had arrived. Mo-du with 400,000 horsemen surrounded the emperor on Baideng mountain. For seven days the Chinese soldiers in the ring could neither help each other or receive supplies.[3][6][9] In a difficult situation, Gaozu had to buy his freedom.[3][6][4]He sent valuable gifts to Mo-du's wife.[10] [11]Satisfied with the gifts, she told Modu that "the rulers of these two countries should not cause such difficulties and that even if he conquered the land, he would not be able to adapt to it, and that the Han ruler had guardian spirits, which Chan-yu should take into account."[3] Modu and Wang-huan and Chao-li, the generals of Prince Hsin of Han on his side, had agreed on a place to meet. But they did not arrive, so Modu opened a corner of the siege, taking into account the possibility of Chinese intrigue and what his Khatun had said. Gaozu and his army then burst out of the corner and merged with the rest of the army[6], after which they retreated. Modu also retreated, abandoning his battle formation.

Treaty

A peace treaty was signed between the Xiongnu and Han dynasty. According to the treaty, Chanyu was to marry a Han princess and a certain amount of silk, wine and food was to be sent to the Xiongnus. This was to be done several times a year. The Han and Xiongnu states would be considered equal states and the Han Chinese would no longer look down on the Xiongnu and in return the Xiongnu would not raid. At first it was suggested that the Emperor send his own daughter, but the Empress cried so much that a beautiful girl from the palace was chosen and sent.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Chang, Chun-shu (2007). The Rise of the Chinese Empire, Volume 1: Nation, State, and Imperialism in Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. - A.D. 8. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-472-11533-4.
  2. ^ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015068806333;view=1up;seq=190 [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b c d e f Records of the Historian Chapters from the Shih chi of Ssu-ma Ch'ien. Translated by Watson, Burton. New York: Columbia University Press. 1969. pp. 160, 161, 15. {{cite book}}: line feed character in |title= at position 25 (help)
  4. ^ a b Jin Kim, Hyun (2016). The Huns. New York: Routledge. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-138-84175-8.
  5. ^ Barfield, Thomas. The Perilious Frontier. Massachusets. p. 35.
  6. ^ a b c d e ENCYCLOPAEDIA XIONGNU. Ulaan Baatar: Institute of Archaelogy Mongolian Acedemy of Sciens. 2013. p. 21. ISBN 978-99973-0-009-6.
  7. ^ Taşağıl, Ahmet (2019). Hunlar: Bozkırın İlk İmparatorluğu [The Huns: First Empire of Steppes] (in Turkish). İstanbul: Yeditepe. pp. 87–88. ISBN 978-605-7800-53-4.
  8. ^ CHINA IN CENTRAL ASIA THE EARLY STAGE: 125 B.C.-A.D. 23 AN ANNOTATED TRANSLATION OF CHAPTERS 61 AND 96 OF THE HISTORY OF THE FORMER HAN DYNASTY(Han Shu) (in Chinese). Translated by HULSEWÉ, A. F. P. INSTITUTUM SINOLOGICUM LUGDUNO BATAVUM. pp. 136, 137. {{cite book}}: line feed character in |title= at position 22 (help)
  9. ^ De Groot, M. Die Hunnen der vorchirstlichen (in German). Vol. 1. Berlin. p. 63.
  10. ^ Golden, Peter B. An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples. WIESBADEN: OTTO HARRASSOWITZ. p. 43.
  11. ^ Szasz, B. (1943). A Hunok törtenete (in Hungarian). Budapest: Attila ngykiraly. p. 52.
  12. ^ Shih Chih p.2533

Further reading

  • Yap, Joseph P. pp 71–76. "Wars With The Xiongnu, A Translation From Zizhi tongjian" AuthorHouse (2009) ISBN 978-1-4490-0604-4

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