The History of China Through Wars

This book showcases the development of Chinese civilization from the perspective of warfare， beginning with the ancient legend of the Yellow Emperor battling Chiyou and covering twenty significant battles at crucial points in Chinese history， from the ancient era to the campaigns of the Qing Dynasty to expel invaders and the unification efforts in the Three Campaigns against Galdan.

Foreword

The History of China Through Wars

Editor-in-chief: Jiang Wenming

Written by Wang Lan， Cheng Tong

Illustrated by Ge Yongshi， Qin Guodong

Guangxi Normal University Press Group

August 2023

298.00 (CNY)

Jiang Wenming

Jiang Wenming， associate researcher of military science， was the former director of the Propaganda Department of the Political Department of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

Wang Lan

Wang Lan studied at Peking University， the University of Iceland and the University of Oslo in Norway and obtained a Master’s degree in history.

Cheng Tong

Cheng Tong graduated from the School of History of Beijing Normal University with a Master’s degree in Chinese history.

Ge Yongshi

Ge Yongshi， was in charge of the coloring of Shandong People’s Publishing House’s “Cai Zhizhong Comics” series， illustration of Shandong Science and Technology Publishing House’s “Five-Year English Textbook.”

Qin Guodong

Qin Guodong completed the pre-script drawing of many films such as Shendu Dragon King， New Police Story and Golden Age， the production and special effects production of many documentaries， and was a designer and producer of Olympic sculptures.

The book The History of China Through Wars narrates the development of Chinese civilization from the perspective of warfare.

A great nation and people are never formed in an instant but are the result of the gradual fusion of small primitive tribes. In ancient times， dozens of ancient human groups lived on the vast land of China， gradually forming multiple ethnicities. These groups experienced both war and peace， constantly developing and merging until they ultimately formed the great Chinese nation. Our country also became a unified multi-ethnic state in the process.

In the classic Chinese historical text Zuo Zhuan， it is said that the two most important matters for a country are sacrifices and warfare. Sacrifices were a way for the ruling class to communicate with “Heaven” and demonstrate to the people that their rule was sanctioned by divine will and thus legitimate. Warfare， on the other hand， was one of the key methods to protect the nation and ensure the survival of its people. War is closely related to politics， economy， military affairs， thought， culture， science， and technology. In this sense， the history of war is also a history of human civilization’s development.

The History of China Through Wars is divided into two volumes， beginning with mythological legends， moving through the lives of primitive humans， and covering events like the legendary battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou， King Wu of Zhou’s Battle of Muye against King Zhou of Shang， and extending to the Qing Dynasty’s victory over foreign invaders and the campaigns against Galdan. The book selects twenty important battles at critical junctures in Chinese history， illustrating the history of China through the lens of war. These twenty battles either promoted the integration of the Chinese nation， led to dynastic changes， defended against foreign humiliation， or maintained the unity of the country. Here， you will see the evolution of military systems， the transformation of national institutions， the dramatic progress of wars， and the political events behind them. You will witness the bravery of generals and soldiers， the strategies of rulers and ministers， the development of weapons and equipment， the ever-changing strategies and tactics， and the rapid advancements in science and technology alongside the flourishing of thought and culture.

A different perspective offers a new experience. Through this book， we hope you gain an additional dimension in understanding the magnificent history of the Chinese nation and discover a new way of perceiving the vast world.

The Battle of Muye (1046 BCE)

Shang Tang overthrew the tyrannical rule of Xia Jie， establishing the Shang Dynasty. However， after nearly six hundred years， during the reign of the last Shang king， King Zhou， a similar scenario to the end of the Xia Dynasty played out: King Zhou favored wicked individuals， distanced himself from virtuous ministers， and indulged in pleasures， quickly plunging the Shang Dynasty into darkness.

The Rise of the Zhou Tribe at the End of the Shang Dynasty

In the 11th century BCE， the once-powerful Shang Dynasty had already begun to show signs of decline. By the time of the last king， Emperor Xin， also known as King Zhou of Shang， this trend became increasingly apparent.

It is said that King Zhou was not only highly intelligent but also extraordinarily strong， able to fight wild beasts bare-handed. This made him arrogant and self-assured， believing that no one could rival him. During his reign， he pursued pleasure， indulged in wine and women， and waged constant wars， causing great suffering among the people and the vassals. Some loyal vassals and ministers of the Shang Dynasty tried to persuade King Zhou to change his ways， but they were met with harsh and even cruel punishments.

At this time， the state of Zhou， originally a vassal state under the Shang， was growing stronger. The leader of Zhou， King Wen (Ji Chang)， was known for his noble character and benevolent rule. With the assistance of Jiang Ziya， he maintained a clear and just government， and the people lived in peace and prosperity. As a result， many vassal states secretly defected from the Shang Dynasty and aligned themselves with Zhou. When there were conflicts between the vassal states， they sought mediation from Ji Chang. By the time of Ji Chang’s death， two-thirds of the vassals had already pledged allegiance to the state of Zhou.

The Campaign Against Shang and the March to Muye

After the death of King Wen， his son， King Wu of Zhou， ascended to the throne and began actively preparing for a campaign against the Shang Dynasty. In 1048 BCE， King Wu held an assembly in Mengjin (located in the northern part of today’s Luoyang， Henan Province)， and the vassals responded in force. However， both King Wu and Jiang Ziya believed the time was not yet ripe， so they instructed the vassals to return to their own lands with their troops. By the end of 1047 BCE， King Zhou of Shang launched a nationwide campaign against the Dongyi people， leaving the capital Zhaoge weakly defended. This presented the perfect opportunity for King Wu.

King Wu quickly ordered Jiang Ziya as the commander-in-chief to lead an army of 50，000 soldiers to join the allied forces of the vassals at Mengjin. They then crossed the Yellow River and marched directly towards Zhaoge， eventually reaching Muye， located several dozen kilometers southwest of Zhaoge.

Upon receiving the news， King Zhou of Shang， lacking sufficient forces， had to hastily recruit a large number of slaves and captives to form an army of over 700，000 to defend against the allied forces at Muye. Thus， the Battle of Muye began.

The Decisive Battle at Muye and the Power of War Chariots

The allied forces， led by King Wu of Zhou， consisted of 300 war chariots， 3，000 elite soldiers， and 45，000 infantry， with an additional 4，000 war chariots from the other vassals. When the allied forces arrived at Muye， it was nearly dawn. To catch the Shang army off guard， they quickly deployed their troops. Once the formation was set， King Wu held a pre-battle assembly. Standing on a war chariot， he held a yellow battle-axe in his left hand and a white yak tail in his right， declaring， “Raise your spears， align your shields， and ready your halberds! Today， I declare that the wicked King Zhou has employed treacherous people and brought harm to the people. I am here to fulfill the will of Heaven and punish King Zhou. Charge forward like fierce tigers， fight steadily， but spare those who surrender. Soldiers， advance with all your might! If you falter， you will be the ones who fall!”

The speech greatly boosted the morale of the allied forces.

Once the battle commenced， King Wu personally led the charge with his war chariot， and the allied forces followed with unstoppable momentum. Although King Zhou’s army was large， most of the troops were hastily recruited slaves and captives. These poorly trained foot soldiers could not withstand the onslaught of the war chariots. Moreover， they were already fed up with King Zhou’s oppression and were reluctant to fight the allied forces unless forced by the overseers holding sabres behind them. When they saw that the allied forces did not harm those who surrendered， they began to turn against King Zhou， joining the allied forces in attacking Zhaoge.

Seeing the swarming coalition army and realizing that his defeat was inevitable， King Zhou， clad in his jeweled robes， set himself ablaze on the towering Deer Terrace， thus bringing the Shang Dynasty to an end.