On 4 April 632 BCE, the Battle of Chengpu was fought between Jin under Duke Wen and Chu under Cheng Dechen during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Why did it happen?
In 770 BCE, the central authority of the Zhou Dynasty collapsed, and China entered the Spring and Autumn Period, which was characterised by small battles between rival lords and dukes. The largest and most powerful states were Jin and Chu, and in 636 BCE, Duke Wen came to the throne of Jin. Three years later, in 633 BCE, his rival King Cheng of Chu attacked Song, who appealed to Jin for help. Jin adopted an indirect approach against Chu by attacking Cao and Wei in February 632 BCE, after diplomacy with Qi and Qin boosted Jin’s prestige. King Cheng withdrew from Song and appointed Cheng Dechen to lead the Chu army. Cheng Dechen attempted to deceive Jin by offering to lift the siege of Song if Jin spared Cao and Wei. After Jin refused, Cheng Dechen became furious and, in early April, marched his army north to Shandong Province to confront the Jin army at Chengpu.
Who was involved?
The Jin army at Chengpu numbered 21,000 infantry and 700 chariots. In ancient Chinese armies, each chariot carried a crew of three and was accompanied by 30 infantry: 25 regular infantry armed with dagger axes and five chariot runners. At Chengpu, the centre was under the command of Duke Wen and comprised 17,500 infantry, while both wings consisted of 350 chariots and 1,750 infantry each. Xu Chen commanded the left wing, while Luan Zhi led the right wing. The Chu army at Chengpu numbered 18,000 infantry and 600 chariots. The centre was led by Cheng Dechen and numbered 15,000 infantry. The left wing was led by Tzu Yu and consisted of 350 chariots and 1,750 infantry, while the right wing was led by Dou Bo and numbered 250 chariots and 1,250 infantry.
What happened?
At the start of the battle, the Jin left wing charged the Chu right wing and routed it, threatening to attack the Chu centre from the flank. The Jin left wing subsequently became a holding force that stopped the Chu centre from supporting its left wing or attacking the Jin centre. When the Jin right wing appeared to retreat disorderly, the Chu left wing pursued it. A band of Jin chariots led by Luan Zhi rode across the path of the pursuing Chu chariots and dragged tree branches to stir up a dust cloud. Blinded by the dust, the Chu chariots were hit in the flank by Duke Wen’s bodyguards and were routed by the Jin chariots on the right wing, who turned around from their feigned retreat. Faced with encirclement, Cheng Dechen ordered what remained of the Chu army to retreat. During the battle, 1,000 Chu infantry and 100 Chu chariots were captured by the Jin.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Chengpu was a Jin victory. It was the largest battle fought during the Spring and Autumn Period, although it was ineffective in checking Chu expansionism. In the aftermath of the battle, Duke Wen presented the captured Chu soldiers and chariots to King Xiang of Zhou, who appointed Wen as hegemon over northern China. In contrast, Cheng Dechen took responsibility for the defeat at Chengpu and committed suicide on his way back to Chu. After the death of Duke Wen in 628 BCE, Jin and Chu continued to fight each other, most notably at the battles of Bi (595 BCE) and Yanling (575 BCE), until Jin was broken up into the states of Han, Wei and Zhao in 453 BCE.
Bibliography
Anonymous. “The Battle of Chengpu: Retreat and win.” iNews. Last revised November 16, 2022. www.inf.news/en/history/b9294b5eba3e183861d912f849cf47b1.html
Cotterell, Arthur. Chariot: The Astounding Rise and Fall of the World’s First War Machine. London, Pimlico, 2005.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Peers, C.J. Ancient Chinese Armies 1500-200 BC. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 1990.
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