Gao Xianzhi
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| Gao Xianzhi | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese: | 高仙芝 |
| Simplified Chinese: | 高仙芝 |
| Hanyu Pinyin: | Gāo Xiānzhī |
| Wade-Giles: | Kao Hsien-chih |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 고선지 |
| Hanja: | 高仙芝 |
| Revised Romanization: | Go Seonji |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Ko Sŏnji |
Gao Xianzhi (died in 756) was an ethnic Goguryeo (early period of Korea) who was born and lived in the Chinese Tang Dynasty and later was promoted to General of the Tang's Army. He led the Chinese conquest of Turkestan and Central Asia, all the way to Aral Sea and Caspian Sea. He was Chinese commander during the Battle of Talas against the Arab Abbasid Caliphate in 751.
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[edit] Early life
He was descended from a noble family of Goguryeo(early period of Northern Korea). As his ancestors failed to escape when the homeland of Gao's family - some of old territory of the Goguryeo - the Gao family had to serve for the Tang's Army after he grew up; his father, Go Sagye, was actually Goguryeo general but was taken as captive by Chinese and served in Chinese army as officer.
Unlike most soldiers on his day, historical records say Gao was not muscular or extraordinarily strong like other career army officers; Go Sagye always worried about his son's poor health. However, he demonstrated great courage from early age, and he had good skills in cavarly and archery.
Although Gao was not a Han Chinese, his leadership allowed him to reach the position of General of the Tang's Army at the age of 20, serving his duty in Central Asia near Kashgar in the Taklamakan Desert along with his father. Although he was such extraordinary tactician, the Chinese Jiedushis of the Kashgar province did not recognize his skills as commander, until the new jiedushi of Qiang ancestry put him in frontline for the first time against local Togarian tribes; he was promoted as assistant commander of the region.
[edit] First Western Campaign
Gao became famous by fighting the combined forces of Tibetans and Muslims. Defeating a combined attack from Tibet and Saracen in 747, he led his army on a massive counterattack, pursuing the foes across the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, submitting local Hindu and Persian kingdoms of present-day Afghanistan. As the result of Gao's first campaign, Tang Dynasty started to have a hostile relatiohship with Umayyad Caliphate and Tibet; however about 72 local Indian and Sogdian kingdoms became Chinese subject. For a few years he was the Tang's counsler of Central Asia, controlling Tokmak, Kucha, Kashmir, and even having an outpost at Kabul, Afghanistan. Many other generals hated him for the superior record, and made several extreme racial remarks.
[edit] Second Campaign and Battle of Talas
In 750, Gao led another campaign against Sogdian kingdoms, conquering Tashkent and sent surrendered king to Tang capital Chang'an. However, when ignorant Chinese civilian officials executed the king of Tashkent, outraged Sogdians and Turks of Central Asia largely defected to newly-established Abbasid Caliphate. Arabs, supported by Persians from Khorasan, attacked Chinese territories with a larger force of possibly upto 150,000 men.[1] Gao led his forces of 70,000 men to Talas, in order to confront Arab advance.
However, Gao was defeated by the Abbasid Caliphate at the Battle of Talas in 751,after the Karluk mercenaries defected to Abbasid side while the battle was ongoing. Despite losing the battle, Gao allowed most of the Chinese regulars to retreat back to his commandary at the cost of many Tang tributary state soldiers, however he did inflict heavy loss on the Arab counterpart especially the Arab Light Calvary. As a result Tang Dynasty lost much of their influence in Central Asia; however no territorial changes was seen after the battle. Paper making technology was transmitted westward through the Tang prisoners of war.
Returning to his caommndary, Gao wanted to made a counterattack quickly but his deputies persuaded him that they do not have enough mercenaries to aid them in the battle and the plan was aborted.
[edit] Arrest and Execution
Four years later, the great rebellion of An Lushan broke out, and Tang court ordered the withdrawal of the bulk of Chinese forces from the western regions, leaving the way open for a Tibetan invasion to cut off the Tang's western garrisons. Subsequently, after Chinese rule stopped in Central Asia for a thousand years, Central Asia was affected by Muslim culture, not by Chinese.
Gao was later recalled to duty during the rebellion by An Lushan and was in charge of defending Chang'an. However, he was executed by the emperor who believed the false rumors of the eunuchs (who hated Gao for not giving them bribe) that he moved his regiment without the emperor's approval.
[edit] Legacy
His extraordinary tactics, which helped him to defeat many Sogdian troops with superior manpower, was well known not only in China and Korea but also in many Middle Eastern and European countries; many European historians, upon discovering the traces of Gao, praised him as one of greatest army commanders in world history. Also he is considered historically important that he led Chinese in the magnificent Battle of Talas, despite being the commander of losing side, that spread the paper to the rest of the world.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The exact number of Arab forces was not recorded by either side.
