Wang Jian (Qin)

Wang Jian (birth and death dates unknown) was a military general of the State of Qin during the Warring States period. Under his command the Qin army conquered the states of Zhao, Yan, and Chu. He is considered one of the four greatest generals of the Warring States period, along with Bai Qi, Lian Po and Li Mu.

Wang was born in Dongxiang, Pinyang, Guanzhong (northeast of modern Fuping County, Shaanxi province). His son, Wang Ben (王賁), was also a Qin general.

Conquest of Chu, 225–223 BC

In 225 BC, only three kingdoms (states) remained independent: Chu, Yan and Qi. Chu had recovered significantly enough to mount serious resistance after their disastrous defeats to Qin in 278 BC and losing their centuries-old capital of Ying (Jingzhou). Despite its territorial size, resources and manpower, Chu's fatal flaw was its largely corrupt government that mostly overturned the legalistic-style reforms of Wu Qi from a century and a half earlier, when Wu Qi transformed Chu into the most powerful state with an area of almost half of all the states combined. Ironically, Wu Qi was from the same state (Wei) as Shang Yang, whose legalistic reforms turned Qin into an invincible war machine at this stage.

The King of Qin, Ying Zheng, decided to finally defeat the remnants of the Chu state located in Huaiyang. According to Shiji's chapter on the great generals of the Warring States, Ying Zheng had first requested his great general Wang Jian to lead the invasion, and further inquired the military strength needed for the siege. Wang Jian stated that he needed a force of 600,000 men for the siege. However,when the same question was inquired to Li Xin, he requested only 200,000 soldier for the siege of Chu. The King, Ying Zheng, opted for the latter's opinion, and Wang Jian retired by claiming sickness. The first invasion was a disaster when 200,000 Qin troops were defeated by 500,000 Chu troops in the unfamiliar territory of Huaiyang, modern-day northern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. The Qin general was Li Xing. Wang Jian was recalled and finally accepted to lead the second invasion force, requesting and receiving a force of 600,000 men that he had requested before.

In 224 BC, the famed conqueror of the state of Zhao, Wang Jian, finally lead a second invasion with 600,000 men. Chu's morale greatly increased after their success in defeating a powerful Qin army the previous year. The Chu forces were content to defend and awaited a siege. However, Wang Jian tricked the Chu army by appearing inactive in his fortifications but secretly training his troops to fight in Chu territory. After a year, Chu decided to disband due to inaction. Wang Jian then invaded and overran Huaiyang and the remaining Chu forces. Xiang Yan, the Chu general, managed to resist and inflict bloody losses to Wang Jian until the King Fuchu of Chu was killed by Wang Jian's second in command, Meng Wu, father of Meng Tian. Xiang Yan later committed suicide. Chu was finally conquered in 223 BC. During their peak sizes, both armies of Chu and Qin combined numbered over 1,000,000 troops, more than the massive campaign at Changping between Qin and Zhao 35 years before. The excavated personal letters of two Qin regular soldiers, Hei Fu {黑夫} and Jin {惊}, records a protracted campaign in Huaiyang under general Wang Jian. Both soldiers wrote letters requesting supplies (clothing) and money from home to sustain the long waiting campaign.

References

• Sima Qian Records of the Grand Historian (Biography of Wang Jian and Bai Qi)