Zhang Han (general)

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Zhang Han (章邯, ?? - 205 BC) was a Chinese general of the Qin Dynasty.

[edit] Biography

Zhang Han defeated the peasant rebellion led by Chen Sheng (陈胜) and Wu Guang (吴广) in 208 BC. Zhao Xie (赵歇), the Prince of Zhao, and Zhang Er (张耳) then led the remnants of the rebel forces to occupy Julu. Zhang Han consequently led a siege of Julu with 200,000 troops. The siege was relieved by Xiang Yu (项羽) in the famous battle of Julu (巨鹿之战).

In this battle, Xiang Yu destroyed his own army's cooking pots, scuttled his own army's boats, and gave only three days' of rations to his own army. Due to these actions, the fighting spirits of Xiang Yu's army were at its greatest. Subsequently, Xiang Yu's army defeated Zhang Han in nine battles without loss. (A Chinese idiom, 破釜沉舟, which means unaltered determination to win a battle, follows from this famous event.) Zhang Han then retreated to defend Jiyuan. He sent Sima Xin to seek reinforcements from the Qin dynasty.

After reinforcements from the Qin dynasty failed to arrive due to the machinations of Zhao Gao (赵高), Zhang Han surrendered his army of 200,000 Qin troops to Xiang Yu in 207 BC. While Zhang Han was allowed to live, his troops were ordered to be buried alive. Zhang Han was then made Prince of Yong (雍王). Together with two other surrendered Qin generals, Sima Xin, Prince of Sai (塞王司马欣) and Dong Yi, Prince of Zhai (翟王董翳), they were served as a buffer and guard to Liu Bang (刘邦) in Hanzhong (汉中) and known as Three Qin (三秦) in Chinese history. Han Xin (韩信) defeated Zhang Han's forces with a shrewd tactics (明修栈道, 暗渡陈仓) in 205 BC and Zhang were asked to surrender. Zhang Han did not want to dishonour himself by surrendering twice to two different factions in his life time, and committed suicide.