Huang Gai
Encyclopedia
Huang Gai was a military general who served the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu
for three generations during the late Han Dynasty
and Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. Chen Shou
's Records of Three Kingdoms
described him as a decent looking man with a more serious appearance.
, Hunan
), and first allied himself with Sun Jian
during the Yellow Turban Rebellion
in the 180s.
At the Battle of Red Cliffs
in 208, Huang Gai suggested to Zhou Yu
that a fire attack would be the best strategy to use in order to defeat Cao Cao
's gigantic fleet and overwhelming numbers. Zhou Yu approved of this method, and Huang Gai sent word to Cao Cao claiming that he wished to defect. Huang Gai had earlier loaded his boats with wax and straw, and when his ships were within proximity of Cao Cao's fleet, he set them ablaze and steered them on a collision course with Cao Cao's lines. This, coupled with the fact that Cao Cao had chained his ships together to prevent their soldiers from being seasick, caused the fire to spread throughout the fleet, causing massive damage and casualties to Cao Cao's army and forcing him into retreat. This plot resulted in a critical victory for both Sun Quan
and Liu Bei
, who would now be granted more than enough time to rally their armies and further bolster their positions within their respective territories. During the battle, Huang Gai was hit by an arrow and fell from his boat, but was rescued by Han Dang
. He is said to have been highly praised and deeply trusted amongst his colleagues, particularly his third lord, Sun Quan. Huang Gai received various titles throughout the years, including: Auxiliary Corps Commander, Acting Colonel of the Firm Attack, Chief Commandant of Danyang, General of the Gentlemen of the Household, and Governor of Wuling.
and Warriors Orochi
video game series.
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
for three generations during the late 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 Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
's Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
described him as a decent looking man with a more serious appearance.
Biography
Huang Gai was born in Quanling County, Lingling Precinct (present-day YongzhouYongzhou
Yongzhou is a prefecture-level city in the Hunan province of China.YongZhou is located in the central and south of China, on the southern side of Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan; it is 2000 years old...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), and first allied himself with Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
during the Yellow Turban Rebellion
Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Yellow Turban Rebellion, also translated as Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty...
in the 180s.
At the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
in 208, Huang Gai suggested to Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
that a fire attack would be the best strategy to use in order to defeat Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
's gigantic fleet and overwhelming numbers. Zhou Yu approved of this method, and Huang Gai sent word to Cao Cao claiming that he wished to defect. Huang Gai had earlier loaded his boats with wax and straw, and when his ships were within proximity of Cao Cao's fleet, he set them ablaze and steered them on a collision course with Cao Cao's lines. This, coupled with the fact that Cao Cao had chained his ships together to prevent their soldiers from being seasick, caused the fire to spread throughout the fleet, causing massive damage and casualties to Cao Cao's army and forcing him into retreat. This plot resulted in a critical victory for both Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
and Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, who would now be granted more than enough time to rally their armies and further bolster their positions within their respective territories. During the battle, Huang Gai was hit by an arrow and fell from his boat, but was rescued by Han Dang
Han Dang
Han Dang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
. He is said to have been highly praised and deeply trusted amongst his colleagues, particularly his third lord, Sun Quan. Huang Gai received various titles throughout the years, including: Auxiliary Corps Commander, Acting Colonel of the Firm Attack, Chief Commandant of Danyang, General of the Gentlemen of the Household, and Governor of Wuling.
Appointments and titles held
- Filial and IncorruptXiaolianXiaolian , was the standard of nominating civil officers started by Emperor Wu of Han in 134 BC. It lasted until its replacement by the imperial examination system during the Sui Dynasty....
(孝廉) - nominated candidate to be a Gentleman Cadet (郎) - Senior Major (別部司馬)
- Chief of Chungu (春谷長)
- Prefect of Xunyang (尋陽令)
- Commandant of Danyang (丹楊都尉)
- General of the Household of Martial Edge (武鋒中郎將)
- Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
Modern references
Huang Gai appears as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series.