In 260 BCE, the Battle of Changping was fought between Qin under Bai Qi against Zhao under Zhao Kuo during the Warring States Period.
Why did it happen?
The Warring States Period (453-221 BCE) was an era of continual warfare between feudal Chinese kingdoms. By the third century BCE, seven kingdoms vied for power: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin. Following the decline of Wei after the Battle of Maling in 341 BCE, Qin gradually asserted its dominance over the other states. After Qin defeated Han and Wei at the Battle of Yique in 293 BCE, Zhao remained its most formidable opponent. In 262 BCE, Han allied itself with Zhao against Qin and in April 260 BCE, Qin invaded Zhao, quickly capturing the city of Shangdang. By July, however, Zhao forces under Lian Po had constructed walled fortifications and adopted a defensive position around Changping, wearing down Qin forces in battles of attrition. However, the King of Zhao grew impatient with Lian Po’s defensive strategy and replaced him with the enthusiastic but inexperienced Zhao Kuo, who advocated an offensive strategy.
Who was involved?
The Qin army at Changping numbered 470,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and 25,000 archers and crossbowmen. The infantry was arrayed in the centre, flanked by archers, crossbowmen, and cavalry. As stated by R.G. Grant, “Besides cavalry, there were large infantry forces on both sides. Some soldiers wore armour and some did not; some carried crossbows, while others wielded iron spears or pikes. There were also chariots, although these were chiefly used as command platforms for generals” (Grant, 2005, p.54). The Zhao army at Changping numbered 440,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. Despite these large numbers, only a small portion of both armies were engaged during the Battle of Changping: 50,000 Zhao soldiers against 100,000 Qin soldiers.
What happened?
Led by Zhao Kuo, 50,000 Zhao infantry and cavalry attacked and drove the Qin centre back to the walls of the Qin camp. At that point, the Qin left and right wings, which comprised 25,000 men, attacked and enveloped the Zhao army and surrounded them. To complete the encirclement, 5,000 Qin cavalry attacked the rear of Zhao Kuo’s forces, cutting it off from its camp and supply lines. Facing encirclement, Zhao Kuo rallied his men and withdrew to a hill where he built fortifications to withstand an assault and await reinforcements. After 46 days under siege, Zhao Kuo and his men attempted several breakouts but were all killed by Qin archers and crossbowmen. The rest of the Zhao army, numbering 400,000 men, surrendered at the cost of 15,000 Qin casualties.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Changping was a decisive Qin victory. In the aftermath of the battle, Bai Qi pondered what to do with the 400,000 Zhao soldiers he had captured. Bai Qi recalled that the inhabitants of Shangdang were unhappy at becoming Qin subjects and had gone over to Zhao after the city’s capture. He calculated that because the Zhao prisoners might turn against him, he would face the danger of revolt unless he killed them all. Subsequently, he devised a deception plan and killed all but 240 of the youngest soldiers, whom he sent back to Zhao to demoralise the people. As stated by Michael Kerrigan, “The defeat of Zhao left the kingdom of Qin with no serious rival in the Middle Kingdom, but this pre-eminence was not the same as imperial sway” (Kerrigan, 2019, p.39). Indeed, it would not be until 221 BCE that Qin succeeded in conquering the other six states and created the Qin Empire under King Ying Zheng, who took the title of Qin Shi Huangdi.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Kerrigan, Michael. China: A Dark History. London, Amber Books, 2019.
Qian, Sima. Records of the Grand Historian: Qin Dynasty. Translated by Burton Watson. Hong Kong, Columbia University Press, 1993.
Sawyer, Ralph D. Sun Pin: Military Methods. New York, Routledge, 1995.