Wu Qi

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Wu Qi (traditional Chinese: 吳起; simplified Chinese: 吴起; pinyin: Wú Qǐ; Wade-Giles: Wu Ch'i, d. 381 BC) was a Chinese military leader and politician in the Warring States period. Born in the state of Wei (衛), he was good at leading an army. He had served in the states of Lu and Wei. In the state of Wei he commanded many great battles and was appointed Xihe Shou (mayor in the Xihe county). Later he went to the State of Chu and was appointed Prime Minister by King Dao of Chu (楚悼王). He led the feudal revolution in Chu and made Chu a strong state at that time. The revolution had enraged the old nobility in Chu and he was killed after the death of King Dao of Chu.

Wu's reforms, started in about 389 BC, were generally aimed at changing the atmosphere in the Chu court, with the nobility and officials being terribly corrupt and the huge expenses the government had to pay out to sustain them and a horde of other, minor officials. Wu first lowered the annual pay of the Chu officials, then dismissed officials who were useless, lazy or simply had no meaningful task to do. He used the money to create and train a more professional army.

Another of Wu's deeds was to move all the nobles to the borders, away from the capital: it could reduce their power and at the same time it could populate those areas, making them more useful to the Chu government. He is also credited with thinking up a set of building codes in Ying, in order to make the city look less "barbaric".

Although his reforms soon started to make Chu a powerful country, the nobles and Taoists of Chu hated him. Nobles accused him of trying to change the old ways, and even managed to find fault with the building codes. Taoists accused him of being a "warmonger" and an "admirer of force and weaponry", even going as far as to say that he was "a threat to humanity". He was also known for not returning to mourn when his mother passed away and for murdering his own wife (who is the daughter of a nobility from the rival state of Qi) in order to gain trust from the ruler of the state of Lu.

Chu's prowess was quickly seen during that period: in 381 BC, Chu annexed both the Chen and Cai states, defeated the Yue state in the south and the two Weis in the north, dealing with each in quick succession. However, King Diao died that same year. Old nobles plotted to assassinate Wu Qi at King Diao's funeral, where he would be separated from the army. Wu Qi spotted the bowmen assassins, and rushed to the King Diao's dead body. He was killed, but many arrows struck in the dead King's body. The new King Su of the Chu (楚肃王) furious at his father's body being mutilated, ordered all nobles involved to be executed, along with their families.

His military work, Wu Qi Art of War was included in Seven Military Classics.

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