Battle of Banquan
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Banquan is the first battle in Chinese history as recorded by Sima Qian
's Records of the Grand Historian
. It was fought by Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor
, and Yandi, the Flame Emperor. The Battle of Banquan may actually only refer to the third of a series of three battles. Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, shortly afterwards fought Ciyou, or Chi You, at the Battle of Zhuolu
. Both battles were fought not long apart, and on nearby plains, and both involved the Yellow Emperor. The Battle of Banquan is credited for the formation of the Huaxia
tribe, the basis of the Han Chinese
civilization.
Not much is known about this battle since it, along with other events of the era, are clouded by mythology. Thus, the historicity of this battle is disputed. Chinese historiographical tradition places it in the 26th century BC.
The Shennong
tribe originally was a branch of the nomadic people from the west who entered the North China Plain
. Generations later, the tribe was in conflict with other expanding tribes at the time, such as the Jiuli
tribe led by Chi You
and the Youxiong tribe led by the Yellow Emperor
. As the Yan Emperor
of Shennong planned to invade the local tribes nearby, the tribes turned to the Yellow Emperor, who raised armies against Shennong.
The armies of Youxiong, under the totem
s of the Bear (熊), the Brown Bear (羆), the Fox (貔), the Brave (貅), the Chū (貙), and the Tiger (虎); and the armies of Shennong met in Banquan in the first large scale battle in Chinese history. After three major engagements, the Shennong forces lost the battle and made an alliance to the Yellow Emperor. The two major tribes then went on to form the Huaxia
tribe, incorporating the small tribes around them.
The ever expanding Huaxia tribe soon drew the envy of Chi You, who attacked Shennong's territories. The Huaxia tribe then reacted by facing Chi You in the Battle of Zhuolu
, and emerged victorious. The Huaxia tribe then could expand without hindrance and soon formed what came to be known as the Han Chinese civilization. To this day, Chinese people still call themselves "descendents of Yan and Huang".
Of these three, the third one is seen to be the most probable since the other two would imply that the two forces would both have to travel north to meet each other, which would be impractical.
Another possibility is that all three are correct, as both Confucius an Sima Qian appear to agree what took place was a series of three battles: three between Huangdi and Yandi, which was followed by another between Ciyou, or Chi You, against Huangdi and allied princes and lords. This last battle occurring on a plain different than, but nearby, the one on which Huangdi triumphed of Yandi. The first series of three battles seem to be loosely referred to as the battle of Banquan. The last is the Battle of Zhuolu
.
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
's Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
. It was fought by Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...
, and Yandi, the Flame Emperor. The Battle of Banquan may actually only refer to the third of a series of three battles. Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, shortly afterwards fought Ciyou, or Chi You, at the Battle of Zhuolu
Battle of Zhuolu
The Battle of Zhuolu was the second battle in Chinese history as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, fought between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You. The battle was fought in Zhuolu, near the present-day border of Hebei and Liaoning...
. Both battles were fought not long apart, and on nearby plains, and both involved the Yellow Emperor. The Battle of Banquan is credited for the formation of the Huaxia
Huaxia
Huaxia is a name often used to represent China or Chinese civilization.-Etymology:According to the historical record, Zuo Zhuan, the ancient Xia Dynasty of central China was a state that held propriety and justice in high esteem...
tribe, the basis of the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
civilization.
Not much is known about this battle since it, along with other events of the era, are clouded by mythology. Thus, the historicity of this battle is disputed. Chinese historiographical tradition places it in the 26th century BC.
The Shennong
Shennong
Shennong , which names mean "Divine Farmer", but also known as the Emperor of the Five Grains , was a legendary ruler of China and culture hero reputed to have lived some 5,000 years ago...
tribe originally was a branch of the nomadic people from the west who entered the North China Plain
North China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
. Generations later, the tribe was in conflict with other expanding tribes at the time, such as the Jiuli
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
tribe led by Chi You
Chi You
Chi You was a tribal leader of the ancient nine Li tribe . He is best known as the tyrant who fought against the then-future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era in Chinese mythology. For the Hmong people, Chi You was a sagacious mythical king...
and the Youxiong tribe led by the Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...
. As the Yan Emperor
Yan Emperor
The Yan Emperor, or Yandi was a legendary Han Chinese ruler who lived in pre-dynastic China. Modern scholarship has identified the Sheep's Head Mountains just north of Gaoping in Shanxi Province as his homeland and territory....
of Shennong planned to invade the local tribes nearby, the tribes turned to the Yellow Emperor, who raised armies against Shennong.
The armies of Youxiong, under the totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
s of the Bear (熊), the Brown Bear (羆), the Fox (貔), the Brave (貅), the Chū (貙), and the Tiger (虎); and the armies of Shennong met in Banquan in the first large scale battle in Chinese history. After three major engagements, the Shennong forces lost the battle and made an alliance to the Yellow Emperor. The two major tribes then went on to form the Huaxia
Huaxia
Huaxia is a name often used to represent China or Chinese civilization.-Etymology:According to the historical record, Zuo Zhuan, the ancient Xia Dynasty of central China was a state that held propriety and justice in high esteem...
tribe, incorporating the small tribes around them.
The ever expanding Huaxia tribe soon drew the envy of Chi You, who attacked Shennong's territories. The Huaxia tribe then reacted by facing Chi You in the Battle of Zhuolu
Battle of Zhuolu
The Battle of Zhuolu was the second battle in Chinese history as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, fought between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You. The battle was fought in Zhuolu, near the present-day border of Hebei and Liaoning...
, and emerged victorious. The Huaxia tribe then could expand without hindrance and soon formed what came to be known as the Han Chinese civilization. To this day, Chinese people still call themselves "descendents of Yan and Huang".
Location of the battle
The actual location of Banquan, where this battle was fought, is in dispute. There are three likely locations:- Southeast of ZhuoluZhuoluZhuolu is a town and the county seat of Zhuolu County, northwestern Hebei province, Northern China. It has an area of and a population of 57,400 as of 2002, 6 communities and 30 villages. It is located southeast of Zhangjiakou...
, HebeiHebei' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei... - Banquan village of Yanxing, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
- Jiezhou town, Yuncheng, ShanxiShanxi' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Of these three, the third one is seen to be the most probable since the other two would imply that the two forces would both have to travel north to meet each other, which would be impractical.
Another possibility is that all three are correct, as both Confucius an Sima Qian appear to agree what took place was a series of three battles: three between Huangdi and Yandi, which was followed by another between Ciyou, or Chi You, against Huangdi and allied princes and lords. This last battle occurring on a plain different than, but nearby, the one on which Huangdi triumphed of Yandi. The first series of three battles seem to be loosely referred to as the battle of Banquan. The last is the Battle of Zhuolu
Battle of Zhuolu
The Battle of Zhuolu was the second battle in Chinese history as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, fought between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You. The battle was fought in Zhuolu, near the present-day border of Hebei and Liaoning...
.