Battle of Mayi
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mayi was an abortive ambush
operation by the Han Dynasty
against the invading Xiongnu
forces; casualties were minimal. It marked the end of de jure
peace between the Han Dynasty
and Xiongnu
, and stimulated the use of effective cavalry forces and offensive military policies by the Han court.
, General Li Mu
of the State of Zhao defeated the Xiongnu by luring them deep inside Zhao territory and ambushing them. With similar tactics, General Meng Tian
of the Qin Dynasty
drove the Xiongnu north for 750 km and built the Great Wall to guard against future raids.
After the humiliating defeat of Emperor Gao by Modu Shanyu
at Baideng in 200 BC, the Han Dynasty was forced to resort to political appeasement in order to decrease the scale of Xiongnu hostility. However, despite the periodic gifts and heqin
("marriage alliance"), border townships and villages were still ravaged by nomads, as the prosperous Chinese lands never failed to attract Xiongnu raids.
After seven decades, Han Dynasty had built up its strength. Emperor Wu
maintained a policy of peace early in his reign, but the court began to formulate ideas of striking a major blow against the Xiongnu. The traditional Chinese strategy was to lure the Xiongnu cavalry into Chinese territory, onto terrain where the Chinese army, composed almost entirely of infantry and chariots, would be at an advantage.
, at the suggestion of Wang Hui, the minister of vassal affairs, Emperor Wu had his army set a trap for the Xiongnu
Shanyu at the city of Mayi
. A powerful local trader
/smuggler, Nie Wengyi, deceptively claimed to Junchen Shanyu that he had killed the local magistrate and was willing to offer the city to the Xiongnu. The plan was to entice the Shanyu's forces into advancing on Mayi so that a Han force 300,000 strong, hidden around the area, could ambush them.
The plan failed, ironically, because the Han ambush was made to look too attractive. When the Shanyu took the bait and moved in for a raid on Mayi, he saw fields full of cattle but with no herdsmen
. Feeling increasingly suspicious, the Shanyu ordered his men to halt their advance. Xiongnu scouts then captured a Han soldier from a local outpost, who disclosed the entire plan to the Shanyu. Shaken, the Shanyu then withdrew quickly before the Han forces could act. The Han forces were scattered at this point, unable to concentrate in time to catch the Xiongnu. Wang Hui himself, the commander of the entire Han operation, had only 30,000 troops under his direct command, too few to stop the Xiongnu from retreating to the steppe, or to defeat them. Wang hesitated and ordered the Han forces not to pursue. As a result, neither side suffered any casualties.
Though border military clashes had already continued for decades between the two sides, this "battle" ended the de jure "peace" between the Han and Xiongnu. The ambush operation revealed the Han Dynasty's hawkish stance, and the "marriage/gift for peace" policy was officially abandoned. For the next few years, Xiongnu would increase their border attacks, further solidifying the cause of pro-war factions and their control in the Han court.
The result of the battle made Emperor Wu realize the difficulty for Han infantry to achieve superiority against the more mobile Xiongnu cavalry. This led to a change in Han strategy and hastened the development of an effective Han cavalry. In later campaigns, the Han dynasty went from a defensive stance to an offensive strategy of launching expeditions deep into Xiongnu territory.
The failure of the Mayi operation also prompted Emperor Wu to reconsider his choice of commanders. Disappointed at the ineffectiveness of existing generals, Emperor Wu began to look for younger generations of military hopefuls capable of offensive anti-cavalry warfare. This led to the rise of famous new-generation tacticians like Wei Qing
and Huo Qubing
, and decline in favour for traditional commanders like Li Guang
.
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
operation by the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
against the invading Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
forces; casualties were minimal. It marked the end of de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
peace between the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
, and stimulated the use of effective cavalry forces and offensive military policies by the Han court.
Background
Before the Battle of Mayi, there had been two main encounters between the Chinese and the Xiongnu. During the Warring States PeriodWarring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
, General Li Mu
Li Mu
Li Mu was a prominent military General of Zhao during the Warring States period of China. He, together with Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Lian Po were known as the Four Greatest Generals in Warring States era.-Career:...
of the State of Zhao defeated the Xiongnu by luring them deep inside Zhao territory and ambushing them. With similar tactics, General Meng Tian
Meng Tian
Meng Tian was a general of the Qin Dynasty who distinguished himself in campaigns against the Xiongnu and in the construction of the Great Wall of China. He was the elder brother of Meng Yi. He descended from a great line of military generals and architects...
of the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
drove the Xiongnu north for 750 km and built the Great Wall to guard against future raids.
After the humiliating defeat of Emperor Gao by Modu Shanyu
Modu Shanyu
Modu Chanyu was born c. 234 BCE was the fourth known emperor and founder of the Xiongnu Empire after he killed his father in 209 BCE. The years of his rule were 209 BCE to 174 BCE...
at Baideng in 200 BC, the Han Dynasty was forced to resort to political appeasement in order to decrease the scale of Xiongnu hostility. However, despite the periodic gifts and heqin
Heqin
Heqin was a term used in ancient China for an alliance by marriage. It usually referred to the Chinese Emperor marrying off a "princess" to an aggressive "barbarian" chieftain or ruler. The theory was that in exchange for the marriage, the chieftain would cease all aggressive actions toward China...
("marriage alliance"), border townships and villages were still ravaged by nomads, as the prosperous Chinese lands never failed to attract Xiongnu raids.
After seven decades, Han Dynasty had built up its strength. Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
maintained a policy of peace early in his reign, but the court began to formulate ideas of striking a major blow against the Xiongnu. The traditional Chinese strategy was to lure the Xiongnu cavalry into Chinese territory, onto terrain where the Chinese army, composed almost entirely of infantry and chariots, would be at an advantage.
The Ambush
In 133 BC133 BC
Year 133 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scaevola and Frugi...
, at the suggestion of Wang Hui, the minister of vassal affairs, Emperor Wu had his army set a trap for the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
Shanyu at the city of Mayi
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a city in the north of Shanxi Province in North China, located on the upper reaches of the Fen River. As of 2004, its population is approximately 1.25 million, and the city has an area of approximately 5,737 square kilometres. Administratively, Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city, with...
. A powerful local trader
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
/smuggler, Nie Wengyi, deceptively claimed to Junchen Shanyu that he had killed the local magistrate and was willing to offer the city to the Xiongnu. The plan was to entice the Shanyu's forces into advancing on Mayi so that a Han force 300,000 strong, hidden around the area, could ambush them.
The plan failed, ironically, because the Han ambush was made to look too attractive. When the Shanyu took the bait and moved in for a raid on Mayi, he saw fields full of cattle but with no herdsmen
Herder
A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi-nomadic life, caring for various domestic animals, in places where these animals wander pasture lands....
. Feeling increasingly suspicious, the Shanyu ordered his men to halt their advance. Xiongnu scouts then captured a Han soldier from a local outpost, who disclosed the entire plan to the Shanyu. Shaken, the Shanyu then withdrew quickly before the Han forces could act. The Han forces were scattered at this point, unable to concentrate in time to catch the Xiongnu. Wang Hui himself, the commander of the entire Han operation, had only 30,000 troops under his direct command, too few to stop the Xiongnu from retreating to the steppe, or to defeat them. Wang hesitated and ordered the Han forces not to pursue. As a result, neither side suffered any casualties.
Aftermath
Back at the imperial court, Wang Hui's political enemies blamed him for the plan's failure and his reluctance to pursue the retreating Xiongnu army. He was imprisoned. While awaiting trial, he bribed the powerful prime minister Tian Fen (Emperor Wu's uncle) in the hope of obtaining a parole. Emperor Wu still refused to spare Wang, who then committed suicide in prison.Though border military clashes had already continued for decades between the two sides, this "battle" ended the de jure "peace" between the Han and Xiongnu. The ambush operation revealed the Han Dynasty's hawkish stance, and the "marriage/gift for peace" policy was officially abandoned. For the next few years, Xiongnu would increase their border attacks, further solidifying the cause of pro-war factions and their control in the Han court.
The result of the battle made Emperor Wu realize the difficulty for Han infantry to achieve superiority against the more mobile Xiongnu cavalry. This led to a change in Han strategy and hastened the development of an effective Han cavalry. In later campaigns, the Han dynasty went from a defensive stance to an offensive strategy of launching expeditions deep into Xiongnu territory.
The failure of the Mayi operation also prompted Emperor Wu to reconsider his choice of commanders. Disappointed at the ineffectiveness of existing generals, Emperor Wu began to look for younger generations of military hopefuls capable of offensive anti-cavalry warfare. This led to the rise of famous new-generation tacticians like Wei Qing
Wei Qing
Wei Qing , born Zheng Qing in Linfen, Shanxi, was a famous general during Han Dynasty of China, whose campaigns against the Xiongnu earned him great acclaim. He was the younger half-brother of Empress Wei Zifu, making him the the Emperor Wu's brother-in-law...
and Huo Qubing
Huo Qubing
Huo Qubing , born in Linfen, Shanxi, was a general of the western Han dynasty under Emperor Wu. Being the illegitimate son of Wei Shaoer, he was the nephew of Wei Qing and Empress Wei Zifu....
, and decline in favour for traditional commanders like Li Guang
Li Guang
Lĭ Guăng , born in Tianshui, Gansu, was a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Nicknamed The Flying General by his Xiongnu enemies , he fought primarily in the campaigns against the Xiongnu peoples to the north of Han China...
.