Qian ShiZheng
Encyclopedia
Qian Shizhen was a Ming dynasty
general who particapated in the Imjin war. His chosen name is Zhisun, and his nickname was Sanqi. He was the author of "The records of the Eastern Expedition (征東實紀)" and "Comments on archery" (射評).
city, the son of a scholar. His father was able to pass several levels in the Ming dynasty
Imperial exam, but only served briefly as an administrator before continuing life as a free scholar back home.
Qian was said to have been a brilliant child, with a strong grasp of literature at an early age, yet he also showed strong interest and an uncanny ability for martial skills.
Qian officially decided to pursue the path of a military career instead of an academic one at age 21, (a rather uncommon choice by the standards of the day) and succeeded in passing the military version of the imperial exam in 1589.
By 1592, just prior to the Imjin war, he was a minor officer in charge of 500 men as part of the logistical corp along the Grand Canal.
Qian along with Wu Weizhong
was part of the vanguard of the major Ming
expedition in 1593 directed by Song Yingchang
and led by Li Rusong
.
According to Qian's records, on 1/1 1593 he encounted a small scouting party of Japanese and killed its leader in the ensuing skirmish. In the following days, he was part of the forces that retook PyongYang from the Japanese forces under Konishi Yukinaga
. Qian's records complained that although Li Rusong
commanded the Ming army to not take any heads during the battle, he realized after the battle that Li's own men and the Northern troops closer to him had basically ignored the order.
Qian noted that by then the Korean logistics were already lagging behind the Ming forces, and only until nearly a week later did the grain shipments finally arrive in sufficient number for the Ming forces to continue forward.
Qian was part of the forces that retook Kaesong
on the 19th. During this time he met a small group of Japanese forces, whose opposing commander challenged him to a duel. Qian accepted the challenge and killed the samurai
, but afterwards he was denied of the claim because he did not know the name of his foe.
His records also stated that the general Cha Da So was responsible for misleading Li Rusong
and the Ming forces to the debacle in the battle of Byeokjegwan
in late January that year. After the battle of Byeokjegwan
, the Ming army stalled; disease and grudges between the generals of different origins also contributed to the problem.
After peace talks began, Qian was sent to escort the Japanese delegation group. He recorded that they went hunting around Busan
(where Qian captured a large feral horse) along with other daily conversations and interactions.
Qian returned to China along with the main Ming host in September of 1593.
He was a close friend with the famous Ming politician Xu Guangqi
.
Qian died in 1642, just two years before the collapse of the Ming dynasty
. His son was also a military officer in the Ming.
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
general who particapated in the Imjin war. His chosen name is Zhisun, and his nickname was Sanqi. He was the author of "The records of the Eastern Expedition (征東實紀)" and "Comments on archery" (射評).
Early life
Qian was born in what is today ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
city, the son of a scholar. His father was able to pass several levels in the Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
Imperial exam, but only served briefly as an administrator before continuing life as a free scholar back home.
Qian was said to have been a brilliant child, with a strong grasp of literature at an early age, yet he also showed strong interest and an uncanny ability for martial skills.
Qian officially decided to pursue the path of a military career instead of an academic one at age 21, (a rather uncommon choice by the standards of the day) and succeeded in passing the military version of the imperial exam in 1589.
By 1592, just prior to the Imjin war, he was a minor officer in charge of 500 men as part of the logistical corp along the Grand Canal.
Imjin war
Qian was promoted to a low ranking general as a result of the Imjin War, and after he arrived at Beijing on his latest logistical run along the Grand Canal he quickly took 1,000 men to Liaodong. Upon arriving at Liaodong, he learned of his mother's death back home, but choose to hide the information from others so he could continue to participate in the war.Qian along with Wu Weizhong
Wu WeiZhong
Wu Weizhong was a military commander for the Ming dynasty. He is from the county of Yiwu in Zhejiang province , his chosen name is Ruchen and his nickname is Yunfeng he was one of the Ming generals that fought in the Imjin War....
was part of the vanguard of the major Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
expedition in 1593 directed by Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang was an administrative official during the Ming dynasty, most famously known for managing the first Ming campaign of the Imjin war during 1592-1593 .-Career:...
and led by Li Rusong
Li Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
.
According to Qian's records, on 1/1 1593 he encounted a small scouting party of Japanese and killed its leader in the ensuing skirmish. In the following days, he was part of the forces that retook PyongYang from the Japanese forces under Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was the son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa...
. Qian's records complained that although Li Rusong
Li Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
commanded the Ming army to not take any heads during the battle, he realized after the battle that Li's own men and the Northern troops closer to him had basically ignored the order.
Qian noted that by then the Korean logistics were already lagging behind the Ming forces, and only until nearly a week later did the grain shipments finally arrive in sufficient number for the Ming forces to continue forward.
Qian was part of the forces that retook Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
on the 19th. During this time he met a small group of Japanese forces, whose opposing commander challenged him to a duel. Qian accepted the challenge and killed the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, but afterwards he was denied of the claim because he did not know the name of his foe.
His records also stated that the general Cha Da So was responsible for misleading Li Rusong
Li Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
and the Ming forces to the debacle in the battle of Byeokjegwan
Battle of Byeokjegwan
The Battle of Byeokjegwan was a battle fought on January 27, 1593 , between the armies of the Ming Dynasty led by Li Rusong, and the Japanese forces under Tachibana Muneshige, Ukita Hideie, and Kobayakawa Takakage...
in late January that year. After the battle of Byeokjegwan
Battle of Byeokjegwan
The Battle of Byeokjegwan was a battle fought on January 27, 1593 , between the armies of the Ming Dynasty led by Li Rusong, and the Japanese forces under Tachibana Muneshige, Ukita Hideie, and Kobayakawa Takakage...
, the Ming army stalled; disease and grudges between the generals of different origins also contributed to the problem.
After peace talks began, Qian was sent to escort the Japanese delegation group. He recorded that they went hunting around Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
(where Qian captured a large feral horse) along with other daily conversations and interactions.
Qian returned to China along with the main Ming host in September of 1593.
Later life
Qian began to rise quickly after returning from Korea, eventually topping out as the Zhongbin (highest level of generals in the Ming) in 1620, but he retired before officially taking office.He was a close friend with the famous Ming politician Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi
Xu Guangqi , was a Chinese scholar-bureaucrat, agricultural scientist, astronomer, and mathematician in the Ming Dynasty. Xu was a colleague and collaborator of the Italian Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Sabatino de Ursis and they translated several classic Western texts into Chinese, including part of...
.
Qian died in 1642, just two years before the collapse of the Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. His son was also a military officer in the Ming.
Sources
- Famous Qian figure biographies
- The records of JianDing county (嘉定縣誌人物傳)
- Qian Shizhen; "The records of the eastern expedition" (征東實紀 錢世楨 著)