Undefeated military commanders
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The following is the list of known military commanders who did not lose any significant engagement against the enemy as the commander-in-chief of a significant portion of a country's military forces.
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[edit] Army commanders
[edit] Western Asia
- Sargon the Great – Akkadian king of 24th century BC against Lugal-Zage-Si of Sumer, the Awan dynasty, and the kingdoms of Susa, Barhashe, Mari, Yarmuti and Ebla
- Surena - Parthian general of 1st century BC, defeated the Romans depite being outnumbered four-to-one at the Battle of Carrhae
- Khalid ibn al-Walid (a.k.a. The Sword of Allah) – Muslim Arab soldier and general during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, remained undefeated in over 100 battles against the numerically superior forces of the Roman Empire, Persian Empire, and their allies
[edit] Southern Asia
- Sudas - Indian king of 15th century BC, victor in the Battle of the Ten Kings
- Chandragupta Maurya – Maurya king of 4th century BC, against Dhana Nanda of the Nanda Empire, Seleucus I Nicator of the Seleucid Empire, Eudemus and Sophytes of Punjab, Peithon of the Indus, Nicanor, Philip, and various Indian kingdoms
- Samudragupta (a.k.a. the Napoleon of India) – Gupta king of 4th century, against over 20 Indian, Scythian and Kushan kingdoms.
- Chandragupta II (a.k.a. Vikramaditya or Raghu) - Gupta king of 4th century, against 21 kingdoms, including the Yavanas (Greeks), Parasikas (Persians), Hunas, Kambojas, Kinnaras, Kiratas and Transoxiana[1]
- Lalitaditya Muktapida - Kashmiri king of 8th century, conquered Kalinga, Gauda, Karnata, Konkana, Uttarapatha, Strirajya, Uttarakuru, and the Kambojas, Tukharas (Turks and Tocharians), Bhautas (Tibetans), Daradas and Pragjyotishas[2]
- Devapala - Bengali Pala king of 9th century, against the Utkalas, Assamese, Hunas, Kambojas, Gurjara Pratiharas and Dravidas[3][4]
- Zafar Khan – Muslim Indian general, against Mongol invasions in the 13th century
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh - Sikh king of the sovereign country of Punjab and the Sikh Empire
[edit] Eastern Asia
- Gwanggaeto the Great – Taewang and military commander of the Goguryeo dynasty of Korea during 5th century, against China
- Eulji Mundeok – Military commander of the Goguryeo Dynasty of Korea during early 7th century, against China
- Bai Qi – Qin general, slew more than a million soldiers, seized 70 cities of the other 6 States in the Warring States Period for 30 years in command
- Han Xin – General under Liu Bang, the first emperor of Han China, against Xiang Yu during the civil war in 3rd century BC
- Wei Qing – General of Han China against Xiongnu in 2nd Century BC
- Huo Qubing – General of Han China against Xiongnu in 2nd Century BC
- Yue Fei - General of the Southern Song Dynasty, fought against the Jurchens in the north and was undefeated in up to 80 battles
- Subotai – General of Genghis Khan, commanded and lead his armies to victory in over 75 battles against 32 nations including the Mongol invasion of Europe
[edit] Southeastern Asia
- Trần Hưng Đạo – Vietnamese commander against the Mongol invasion in the 13th century
- Hang Tuah – Muslim Laksamana of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century
[edit] Europe
- Alexander the Great – Greek-Macedonian king of 4th century BC against Darius III of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and Porus of Punjab
- Scipio Africanus – Roman general of 3rd century BC, the victor against Hannibal
- Jan Žižka – Czech general and Hussite leader, follower of Jan Hus
- Edward IV of England – fought in the Wars of the Roses and fought in France
- 1st Duke of Marlborough – British General of the late 17th and early 18th century.
- Alexander Suvorov – Russian Generalissimo of 18th Century
- Guillaume Henri Dufour – Swiss General of 19th Century
- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington – British General of the 19th Century
- Louis Nicolas Davout - The only one of Napoleon's marshals who remained undefeated
[edit] Africa
- Shaka Zulu – Zulu military leader of 19th century
[edit] Naval commanders
[edit] Asia
- Yi Sunsin - Korean Admiral of Joseon Navy during Imjin War against Japan in late 16th century.
- Jang Bogo – Korean commander of autonomous naval fleet during the kingdom of Silla.
- Rajendra Chola I – Indian king of Chola dynasty in the 11th century, against Mahinda V and Vikramabahu I of Sri Lanka, Mahipala of the Pala Empire, Sangrama Vijayatungavarman of the Srivijaya Empire, and the Chalukya, Rashtrakuta and Pandya dynasties
[edit] Europe
- Lord Nelson – British Naval Commander in the 19th century
[edit] Other famed commanders
The following are other famous military commanders who were only defeated once in their military career.
[edit] Asia
- Cyrus the Great – Persian king of 6th century BC, defeated Astyages of the Median Empire, Croesus of the Lydian Empire and Asia Minor, and Nabonidus of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and only lost once when he was eventually killed in battle against the Massagetae.
- Ashoka the Great – Indian king of 3rd century BC, against Kalinga and various Indian kingdoms
- Attila the Hun – Hunnish leader of 5th Century, was undefeated until the Battle of Chalons
- Muhammad - Muslim leader of 7th century, lost only once to Khalid ibn al-Walid at the Battle of Uhud who later converted to Islam
- Gao Xianzhi - Tang Chinese general of Goguryeo ancestry, crossed the Pamir Mountains and conquered much of Central Asia, until the loss at Talas
- Genghis Khan – founder of the Mongol Empire was defeated once before the unification of Mongol tribes. After he was crowned the Khan, however, he was undefeated in subsequent expeditions.
[edit] Europe
- Alexander The Great - Macedonean ruler who conquered the greatest empires of western Europe, Middle East, Egypt and India just before the time of the Romans.
- Seleucus I Nicator - Seleucid king of 4th century BC, conquered most of Alexander the Great's former territories, lost only once to Chandragupta Maurya
- Pyrrhus – king of the Molossians, Epirus, and Macedon, one of the strongest opponents of early Rome, after whom the term pyrrhic victory was coined.
- Mithradates VI - king of Pontus. One of the most worthy opponents of Rome
- Julius Caesar – the dictator of Rome has pulled back only once in his long military career, by Vercingetorix at Gergovia.
- Belisarius – Byzantine general under Justinian I, reconquered much of the Western Roman Empire and only lost once to the Persians at Callinicum
- Basil II Bulgaroctonus - Byzantine Emperor, and its greatest general in line with Belisarius. Reconquered all the Balkans, and Asia Minor until Syria.
[edit] Africa
- Hannibal – Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War of the 3rd century BC, marched across the Alps without any reinforcements and defeated superior Roman legions using an inexperienced army but eventually lost his final battle against Scipio Africanus
- Muhammad Ahmad - Sudanese Mahdist rebel leader against the British rule in 19th Century
[edit] References
- ^ Raghuvamsa v 4.60-75.
- ^ Rajatarangini v 4.1.164-175.
- ^ Ancient India, 2003, p 650, Dr V. D. Mahajan.
- ^ The History of the Gurjara-Pratihāras, 1957, p 62, Dr B. N. Puri.
