Zhuge Liang
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 Zhuge Liang holding his trademark feather fan. |
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| Names | |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese: | 诸葛亮 |
| Traditional Chinese: | 諸葛亮 |
| Pinyin: | Zhūgě Liàng |
| Wade-Giles: | Chu-ko Liang |
| Zi: | Kongming (孔明) |
| Other names: | The Sleeping Dragon (臥龍) |
Zhuge Liang (181 - 234) was one of the greatest Chinese strategist of the Three Kingdoms era, as well as a statesman, engineer, scholar, and inventor. Zhuge is an uncommon two-character compound family name. His name (or even just his surname) has become synonymous with intelligence and wit in Chinese culture.
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[edit] Early life
Zhuge Liang was born in Yangdu County in Langya Commandery, at present-day Yishui County, Shandong Province. He was the second of three brothers and orphaned early; his mother died when he was nine, and his father when he was twelve. His uncle raised him and his siblings. When Cao Cao invaded Shandong in 195, his family was forced to flee south, and his uncle soon died of illness.
Although both his sisters married into important families with numerous connections in the area, for ten years he resided in Longzhong Commandery (in present-day Hubei province) with his brothers Zhuge Jin (who later served the Wu Kingdom) and Zhuge Jun in a simple peasant life - farming by day and studying by night. He got to know a group of friends among the intellectuals of the area. His reputation soon grew, and he was named the Crouching (or Sleeping) Dragon, wise among his peers in many areas. At the meantime, he married the daughter of another renowned scholar Huang Chengyan. His wife's name is rumored to be Huang Yueying. The Huang Family was also connected to several other well established clans in the region.
[edit] Rise to prominence
The warlord Liu Bei harbored in the neighboring city Xiangyang under his distant relative and the governor of the Jing Region, Liu Biao. Legends recounted that Zhuge Liang joined Liu Bei in 207 only after Liu visited him in person three times. In reality, one of Zhuge Liang's works accounted for three visits. Zhuge Liang soon presented his famous Longzhong Plan before Liu, and he travelled in person to Eastern Wu and formed an alliance with its ruler Sun Quan.
In the Battle of Red Cliffs (otherwise known as Chibi) of 208, allied armies of Liu Bei and Sun Quan defeated Cao Cao, thus enabling Liu Bei to establish his own territories. The novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms described that Zhuge Liang called forth a southeastern wind to sweep Huang Gai's fire-attack throughout Cao Cao's ships. In reality, however, it was the Wu general Zhou Yu who masterminded the fire attack. In folklore, the wind is attributed to either Zhuge Liang's magic or his ability to predict the weather.
The union with Sun Quan broke down when Wu general Lü Meng invaded Jingzhou in 219 when its defender Guan Yu was laying siege to Fancheng. Guan Yu was defeated and decapitated. Liu Bei, infuriated with the execution of his longtime comrade, ignored all arguments of his well-meaning subjects and turned on Eastern Wu, leading a huge army to seek revenge. He was defeated in the ensuing Battle of Yiling by Lu Xun and died in the lone fortress of Baidicheng after a hasty and humiliating retreat to his own borders. After the death of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang became the chancellor of Shu Han under Liu Shan, Liu Bei's son, and renewed the alliance with Sun Quan.
[edit] The Southern Expedition
Zhuge Liang felt that in order to march North he would first have to unify Shu completely. If he fought against the North while the Nanman people rebelled, then the Nanman people would march further and perhaps even press into areas surrounding the capital. So rather than embarking on a Northern Campaign, Zhuge Liang led an army to pacify the south first.
Ma Su, brother of Ma Liang, proposed the plan that Zhuge Liang should work toward getting the rebels to join him rather than trying to subdue all of them and he took this plan. Zhuge Liang defeated the rebel leader, Meng Huo, seven different times, but released him each time, in order to achieve his genuine surrender.
Finally, Meng Huo and his wife Zhu Rong, who was said to be a descendant of the fire goddess, agreed to join Zhuge Liang in a genuine acquiescence, and thus Zhuge Liang appointed Meng Huo governor of the region, so he could govern it as he already had, keeping the populace content, and keeping Southern Shu border secure to allow for the future Northern Expeditions. Zhuge Liang obtained resources from the South, and after this, Zhuge Liang made his moves North.
[edit] The Northern Expeditions
Zhuge Liang persuaded Jiang Wei, a general of Cao Wei, to defect to the Shu Han during his first Northern Expedition. Jiang would become one of the prominent Shu generals, and inheritor of Zhuge Liang's battle strategies. Jiang Wei continued to carry on Zhuge Liang's ideals and fight for Shu Han after Zhuge Liang's death in 234.
In Zhuge Liang's later years, he launched expeditions against Cao Wei five times, but all except one failed, usually because his food supplies ran out, rather than failure on the battlefield. His only permanent gain was the addition of the Wudu and Yinping prefectures as well as relocating Wei citizens to Shu on occasion.
On the fifth expedition, he died of overwork and illness in an army camp in Battle of Wuzhang Plains. (The novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms related a story of Zhuge Liang passing "The 24 Volumes on Military Strategy" (兵法二十四篇) to Jiang Wei at the eve of his death.) At Zhuge's recommendation, Liu Chan commissioned Jiang Wan to succeed him as regent. In the novel, Zhuge Liang attempted to extend his lifespan by twelve years, but failed when the ceremony was disturbed near the end when Wei Yan rushed in, announcing the arrival of the Wei army.
[edit] Legacy
Zhuge Liang's name is synonymous with wisdom in Chinese. He was believed to be the inventor of the landmine and a mysterious automatic transportation device (initially used for grain described as a "wooden ox and floating horse" (木牛流馬), which is sometimes identified with the wheelbarrow. Although he is often credited with the invention of the repeating crossbow which is named after him, called Zhuge Nu, i.e. Zhuge Crossbow, this type of semi-automatic crossbow is actually an improved version of a model that first appeared during the Warring States Period (though there is debate whether the original warring states bow was semi-automatic, or rather shot multiple bolts at once). Nevertheless, Zhuge's version could shoot further and faster. He is also credited for constructing the mysterious Stone Sentinel Maze, an array of stone piles that is said to produce supernatural phenomenon, located near Baidicheng. An early type of hot air balloon used for military signalling called the Kongming lantern (孔明燈) is also named after him.
Some books rumored to be written by Zhuge Liang can be found today, for example the Thirty-six Strategies of Zhuge Liang, and Mastering the Art of War are two that are generally available. Supposedly, his mastery of infantry and cavalry formation tactics based upon the Taoist I-Ching were unrivalled.
He is also the subject of many Chinese literary works. A poem by Du Fu, one of the most prolific poets from the Tang Dynasty, was written in remembrance of Zhuge Liang and his unwavering dedication to his cause, against overwhelming odds. Some historians believe that Du Fu compared himself with Zhuge Liang in the poem. The full text is:
| 蜀相 （also 武侯祠 ） 丞相祠堂何處尋？ |
Premier of Shu (also Temple of the Marquis of Wu)
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Bai Chongxi, a military leader of the Republic of China and warlord from Guangxi province, earned the laudatory nickname "Little Zhuge" due to his tactical decisions in the Second Sino-Japanese War during the World War II.
[edit] Modern references
Zhuge Liang's reputation for being an unparalleled genius is also emphasised in his portrayal in video games. Reflecting his status as the most highly regarded strategist in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, games such as Destiny of an Emperor and Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series place Zhuge Liang's intelligence statistic as the highest of all characters.
Zhuge Liang is the protagonist in the tactical role-playing game Sangokushi Koumeiden, where he can die in the Wuzhang Plains like history dictates or go on to restore the Han Dynasty under Emperor Xian.
In the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhuge is also portrayed as a brilliant tactician, and is credited with conceiving and bringing about the birth of the Three Kingdoms. He is wise, calm and loyal to a fault, dedicating his life to Liu Bei's dream even after death. Throughout the game, many of the other strategists depicted, such as Zhou Yu and Pang Tong, are portrayed as being jealous of, or having a strong rivallry with, Zhuge. This is especially true of Sima Yi, who admires but also despises Zhuge Liang passionately. The two often come into conflict, attempting to outwit each other on many occasions, with both succeeding and failing as often as the other.
Zhuge Liang usually does not enter combat during gameplay, but instead takes position at the rear and guides the player's hand. Successfully accomplishing a task or plot that Zhuge has set into motion will usually lead to a quick and effortless victory over the enemy, but failure will result in the plan back-firing, which will usually cause the retreat or death of many fellow officers, making battle exceptionally difficult.
Zhuge Liang eventually dies of illness at the "Battle of Wuzhang Plains," much to Sima Yi's delight. His forces charge, and following Zhuge's final tactical suggestions determine how difficult the battle will become.
[edit] See also
