Battle of Zhuolu

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Battle of Zhuolu
Date ~2500 BC
Location Zhuolu, Hebei
Result Decisive Huaxia victory.
Combatants
Huaxia Jiuli
Commanders
Yellow Emperor Chi You†
Strength
unknown 72 to 81 tribes

The Battle of Zhuolu (涿鹿之戰) is the second battle in Chinese history as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, fought in the 26th century BC between the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) and Chi You. The battle was fought in Zhuolu, near the present-day border of Hebei and Liaoning. The victory for the Yellow Emperor here is often credited as the establishment of the Han Chinese civilization, although almost everything from that time period is considered legendary.

Contents

[edit] Background

In prehistoric China, the tribes of Yellow Emperor rose to power on the plains of Guanzhong and merged with Yan Emperor's tribes following the battle of Banquan. The Huaxia tribes, as the merged tribes were known, spread along the Yellow River towards the East China Sea. The Jiuli tribes, led by Chi You, developed near the present-day borders of Shandong, Hebei, and Henan and expanded towards the west. The Huaxia and Jiuli tribes were in conflict over the fertile land in the Yellow River valley, and thus they fought in the plains of Zhoulu. Chi You's tribes were fierce in war and skilled at making weapons; allying themselves with the Kua Fu tribe and the Sanmiao (三苗) tribe, they first attacked the Yan Emperor's tribe, driving them into the lands of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was angered by this and went to war with Chi You.

[edit] The battle

The details of the battle are mostly seen as mythical by historians, but if such a battle did exist, these are the events that probably happened: It was said that Chi You led 72 to 81 tribes against the Huaxia tribes in a thick fog. The Huaxia sent tribes under the totems of the Bear, Pi (羆), Wolf, Leopard, and others in retaliation, but due to the fog, they initially suffered several defeats. To counter the fog, the Yellow Emperor brought forth the South Pointing Chariot (which is essentially a compass), a geared mechanism able to point in one constant direction designed by himself and built for him by the craftsman Fang Bo. In addition, the Xuannü (玄女) tribe helped the Huaxia forces by blowing horns and hitting drums, thus scaring the enemy. The Huaxia forces were ultimately victorious, killing Chi You in Hebei.

[edit] Mythology

According to Chinese mythological book Shan Hai Jing, Chi You, with the Giants, Guryeos and evil spirits, rebelled against Huang Di at Zhuolu plains. Both sides used magical powers, but Chi You had the advantage of forged swords and halberds. Using his powers, Chi You covered the battle field in thick fog. Only with the help of a magical compass chariot could Huang Di's troops find their way through the mist. He also used his daughter Nü Ba, the Goddess of Drought, to harm Chi You's troops. Later on, Chi You suffered more defeats and was captured. Only Yinglong, the winged dragon, being a brave servant of Huang Di, dared to slay him. Chi You's chains were transformed into oak trees, while Yinglong was cursed to remain on earth forever.

[edit] Aftermath

After the battle, the Huaxia tribe settled in the Yellow River plains known as Zhongyuan, and the Yellow Emperor established the Huaxia capital in Zhuolu. The Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor were often credited for allowing the Han Chinese civilization to thrive due to the battle, and many Chinese people call themselves "descendants of Yan and Huang" (炎黃子孫) to this day.

The Jiuli tribe, however, were chased out of the central region of China, and was split into two smaller splinter tribes, the Miao (苗) and the Li (黎). The Miao moved southwest and the Li moved southeast as the Huaxia race expanded southwards. During the course of Chinese history, the Miao and the Li were regarded as "barbarians" by the increasingly technologically and culturally advanced Han Chinese. Some fragments of the races were assimilated into the Chinese during the Zhou Dynasty.

Yet, in other versions of post-Jiuli, the people of Jiuli fragmented in 3 different directions. It is said Chi You had 3 sons, and after the fall of Jiuli, his oldest son led some people south, his middle son led some people north, and his youngest son remained in Zhuolu and was assimilated into the Huaxia culture. Those who were led to the south established the Sanmiao nation. Perhaps due to this splitting into multiple groups, many Far Eastern people regard Chi You as their ancestor, and by the same token, many question the ethnicity of Chi You as exclusively Hmong or otherwise. In some circles of thought, the Koreans also regard Chi You as an ethnic ancestor. Furthermore, under the present ethnic unification policy of the People's Republic of China, Chi You is now also regarded as one of China's forefathers alongside the ethnic Han ancestors, Huang and Yan.

[edit] References

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