Ma Dai

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ma Dai (馬岱) was a general of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period in China and former officer under Ma Teng (who was his uncle), and later Ma Chao, eldest son of Ma Teng and, finally, Liu Bei, founder of the Kingdom.

When Ma Teng went to the capital on a summon from Cao Cao, Ma Dai went with him and escaped from Cao Cao's trap by disguising himself. As the cousin of Ma Chao, Ma Dai is noted for killing the rebellious Wei Yan in a ploy set up by Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei. When Wei Yan revolted, Ma Dai pretended to join him, then sneaked up behind Wei Yan and killed him with his sword. His reward was the rank that Wei Yan had forfeited.

Ma Dai was a trusted general under Zhuge Liang after Liu Bei's death (which happened a little after the death of Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong, two accomplished generals of Shu), often used in crucial parts of the battlefield during Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign along with Zhao Yun and Wei Yan.

The exact birth date of Ma Dai is questionable, but some believe he was born around 180 AD. His death date and how he died are currently unknown.