Su Dingfang
Encyclopedia
Su Dingfang (591–667), formal name Su Lie (蘇烈) but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing (邢莊公), was a general of the Chinese
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...

 dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 who succeeded in destroying the Western Tujue
Western Turkic Khaganate
The Western Turkic Khaganate was formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century after the Göktürk Khaganate had splintered into two politiesEastern and Western.The Western Turks initially sought friendly relations with the Byzantine Empire in order to expand their...

 in 657. He was born in Wuyi (武邑, in modern Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...

, Hebei
Hebei
' 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...

). Su Dingfang's victory over Western Tujue expanded the western borders of the Tang Empire to their farthest extent. He was also instrumental in conquering Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....

 in 660.

Background

Su Dingfang was born in 591, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...

. Toward the end of the reign of Emperor Wen's son and successor Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...

, the empire was engulfed in agrarian rebellions, and Su Dingfang's father Su Yong (蘇邕) led a local militia in combating the agrarian rebels. Su Dingfang was then in his teenage years, and often served as part of Su Yong's forward troops. After Su Yong died, Su Dingfang took over the militia and continued to battle the agrarian rebels. According to Su Dingfang's biography in the Book of Tang
Book of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...

, he was the one who defeated and killed one of the major rebel generals, Zhang Jincheng (張金稱), in battle. He also defeated another rebel general, Yang Gongqing (楊公卿).

Su Dingfang later followed the rebel ruler Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...

 the Prince of Xia, and he was particularly favored by Dou's major general Gao Yaxian (高雅賢), who treated him like a son. After Dou was defeated and captured by the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 general Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...

 the Prince of Qin (the later Emperor Taizong) in 621, Xia domain was initially taken over by Tang, but Gao and a number of other former Xia generals rose later in the year, supporting the Xia general Liu Heita
Liu Heita
Liu Heita was an agrarian rebel leader during China's transition period from Sui Dynasty to Tang Dynasty, who initially successively served under Hao Xiaode , Li Mi, and Wang Shichong. He eventually followed Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia...

 as the Prince of Handong, and Su served Liu in this campaign of resistance as well. After Gao's death in battle in 622, followed by Liu's defeat by Tang's crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

 Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng , formally Crown Prince Yin , nickname Pishamen , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor Emperor Gaozu and therefore was designated crown prince after the founding of the dynasty in 618...

 (Li Shimin's older brother) in 623, Su returned to his home territory.

Sometime after 626 (after Li Shimin became emperor, succeeding his father Emperor Gaozu
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...

), Su became a military officer under the prominent general Li Jing
Li Jing
Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...

. In Li Jing's campaign against Eastern Tujue in 629-630, in the final decisive battle where Li Jing crushed the forces of the Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi and killed his wife (Sui's Princess Yicheng) in battle, Su served as Li Jing's forward commander. After Li Jing returned to the Tang capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...

 victoriously, Su was promoted to a mid-level officer position.

Initial service during Emperor Gaozong's reign

Little is known about Su Dingfang's career during Emperor Taizong's reign, but as of 655, during the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...

, six years after Emperor Taizong's death, Su was still described to be at the same rank as he had achieved after the victory over Ashina Duobi. That year, Su served under the general Cheng Minzhen (程名振) in a campaign to harass the border territory of Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....

.

Later that year, Emperor Gaozong had the general Cheng Zhijie (程知節) command an army against Western Tujue's Shabolüe Khan
Shabolüe Khan
Ishbara Qaghan Ishbara Qaghan Ishbara Qaghan (Old Turkic: , Ϊšbara qaγan, 沙缽略可汗/沙钵略可汗, Pinyin: shābōlüè kěhàn, Wade-Giles: sha-po-lüeh k'o-han, personal name Ashina Helu (阿史那賀魯/阿史那贺鲁, āshǐnà hèlǔ, a-shih-na ho-lu) (before 620—658) was a khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate. He had served the...

 Ashina Helu, who had previously been a Tang vassal but who had broken away. Su served under Cheng in this campaign. Cheng's campaign was initially enjoying some success against Western Tujue's vassal tribes Gexianlu (歌暹祿), Chuyue (處月), Tuqishi (突騎施), and Chumukun (處木昆). Around the new year 657, Cheng's forces had finally encountered Western Tujue's main forces, and initial engagements, where Su led the forward troops, resulted in a victory. However, Cheng's deputy Wang Wendu (王文度) was jealous of Cheng, and ordered that, instead of immediately engaging the rest of Western Tujue troops, as Su advocated, that the forces should be put into a rectangular formation, with the military supplies in the middle. Wang further falsified an order from Emperor Gaozong, transferring the command of the forces from Cheng to him. Su warned Cheng that Wang's refusal to engage Western Tujue forces immediately would cause Tang forces to be worn out and pointed out that the order to put Wang in charge must be a forgery—suggesting that Cheng immediately put Wang under arrest and engage Western Tujue. Cheng refused. Subsequently, when some Western Tujue people surrendered, Wang, in avarice over their property, slaughtered them and took over their property, over Su's objections, and when Wang subsequently gave some of the property to Su, Su refused to accept. At some point, for reasons unknown, Tang troops withdrew, and Wang was discovered to have forged the imperial order, but was only reduced to commoner rank.

Campaign against Western Tujue

In spring 657, Emperor Gaozong again launched a campaign against Western Tujue, this time with Su Dingfang in command, assisted by the generals Ren Yaxiang
Ren Yaxiang
Ren Yaxiang was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.- Background :...

 and Xiao Siye (蕭嗣業), along with troops from Tang's ally Huige and also Western Tujue chiefs Ashina Mishe (阿史那彌射) and Ashina Buzhen (阿史那步真), who took a southern route relative to Su's main forces, which took a northern route. Su first attacked Chumukun, defeating it. Su soon engaged Ashina Helu's army of nearly 100,000 men, with less than 20,000 men himself. Ashina Helu, believing that he could crush Su's smaller army easily, ordered a charge, but could not break through Su's infantry formation, armed with long spears. Su then counterattacked with cavalry, defeating Ashina Helu and killing and capturing several tens of thousands of men. The next day, as Su continued to advance, the commanders of the five western tribes of Western Tujue (which consisted of 10 tribes), including the general Huluwu (胡祿屋), surrendered, and Ashina Helu fled along with his general Qulü (屈律). The commanders of the five eastern tribes surrendered to Ashina Buzhen.

As Su continued to advance to chase after Ashina Helu, he encountered snow storms, and when his subordinate generals suggested that they halt until the weather got better, Su pointed out that Ashina Helu would be surprised that they were continuing to chase him through the snow and could thus caught be surprised. He joined forces with Ashina Mishe and Ashina Buzhen, and made a surprise attack on the regrouping Ashina Helu, again defeating him and capturing or killing some tens of thousands of men.

Ashina Helu fled to Shi (石國, modern Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...

), a vassal of Western Tujue, but Shi, not willing to risk being attacked by Tang forces as well, captured and turned Ashina Helu over to Tang forces. The independent Western Turkic Khaganate was no more (although from time to time Tang and Tufan would create members of the royal family khans to try to pacify the region—as it immediately tried to do, creating Ashina Mishe Xingxiwang Khan (興昔亡可汗, literally "the khan who would raise what had been destroyed) and Ashina Mishe Jiwangjue Khan (繼往絕可汗, literally, "the khan who will continue what had been ended"), although Ashina Mishe would eventually be falsely accused of treason by Ashina Buzhen and killed, and after Ashina Buzhen's own death soon thereafter, the scheme fell apart).

When Su presented the captured Ashina Helu to Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Gaozong spared Ashina Helu and promoted Su to be a major general. He also created Su the Duke of Xing, while creating Su's son Su Qingjie (蘇慶節) the Duke of Wuyi.

Campaign against Izgil

In 659, a vassal of Western Turkic Khaganate
Western Turkic Khaganate
The Western Turkic Khaganate was formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century after the Göktürk Khaganate had splintered into two politiesEastern and Western.The Western Turks initially sought friendly relations with the Byzantine Empire in order to expand their...

 (Pin. Tujue) Duman (都曼), a commander of the Izgil
Esegel
Esegels were a, possibly,Turkic dynastic tribe that in the Middle Ages joined the Itil Bulgaria state and were assimilated to Bulgars; or was possibly a Bulgar tribe all along, as mentioned by Ibn Fadlan...

 () (Pin. Sijie 思結) tribe, rebelled against Tang suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...

, along with Western Turkic Khaganate subject kingdoms Shule
Shule
Shule may refer to:*Kashgar, ancient kingdom in Xinjiang*Shule County, county in Xinjiang*Shule, a minor figure in the Book of Mormon...

 (疏勒), Zhujubo (朱俱波), and Yebantuo (謁般陀) (all in or near modern Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...

, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...

). The joint forces commanded by Duman quickly defeated the Tang vassal Yutian
Yutian
Yutian may refer to* Yutian County, Hebei - a county in Hebei, China* Yutian County, Xinjiang - a county in Xinjiang, China* or may be a typing error for Yuxi in China...

 (于田, in modern Hotan, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...

). In winter 659, Emperor Gaozong sent Su Dingfang against Duman, and once he arrived in the vicinity of Duman's army, he selected 10,000 infantry soldiers and 3,000 cavalry soldiers and made a surprise attack on Duman. When he arrived at Duman's headquarters, Duman was surprised, and after Su initially defeated Duman, Duman was forced to withdraw within the city. Su put the city under siege, and Duman surrendered. In spring 660, Su took Duman back to the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...

, where Emperor Gaozong was at the time, to present Duman to him. Some officials requested that Duman be executed, but Su made a plea on Duman's behalf that he had promised Duman life before Duman surrendered, and Emperor Gaozong stated that while under the law Duman should die, he would honor Su's promise, and so he spared Duman.

The Old Tibetan Annals, a document in Classical Tibetan that was discovered at Dunhuang in the early 20th century, mentions another battle that Su Dingfang fought against the Tibetans in 659:
"Da Rgyal Mang Po Rjes (Chinese: Dayan Mangbuzhi) fought a battle with Su Dingfang of the Tang at the Dongdai 東岱 (a Tibetan regional administrative unit) of Wuhai 烏海 (southwest of Lake Qinghai). Da Rgyal was killed and his army of 80,000 men was defeated by 1,000 Tang troops."

Unfortunately, this battle is not mentioned in any other Tang or Tibetan sources, and it remains a mystery whether (not to mention where and how) Su Dingfang actually defeated a Tibetan army that was 80 times larger than his own.

Campaign against Baekje

Su Dingfang did not remain inactive. Also in spring 660, Tang's ally on the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...

, Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...

, sought aid from Tang due to attacks from Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....

. Emperor Gaozong put Su in command of a joint army and navy with 100,000 soldiers to attack Baekje, in joint action with Silla's King Muyeol
Muyeol of Silla
King Taejong Muyeol , born Kim Chunchu, was the 29th monarch of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla and ruled from 654 to 661. He is credited for leading the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...

. In summer 660, Su departed from Chengshan (成山, in modern Weihai
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...

, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

) and crossed the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

 to Baekje. Baekje forces tried to prevent Tang forces from landing, but could not. Tang forces directly attacked the Baekje capital Sabi
Sabi
Sabi was the capital of the Korean kingdom of Baekje from 538 until Baekje's fall to Silla in 660. The site of Sabi is located in modern-day Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province, in South Korea....

 and put it under siege. Baekje's King Uija
Uija of Baekje
Uija of Baekje was the 31st and final ruler of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His reign ended when Baekje was conquered by the alliance of the rival Korean kingdom Silla and China's Tang Dynasty.- Background :...

 and his crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

 Buyeo Yung
Buyeo Yung
Buyeo Yung was one of the sons of King Uija, the last king of Baekje. He was appointed as heir to the throne in 644, and would have been the kingdom's 32nd ruler....

 fled to the north, and as he did, his second son Buyeo Tae (扶餘泰) declared himself king. Buyeo Yung's son Buyeo Munsa (扶餘文思) pointed out to his father that this meant that even if they were able to repel Tang forces, Tae would kill them, and therefore surrendered. Many people surrendered with Munsa, and Tae was forced to surrender, along with King Uija and Prince Yung. Emperor Gaozong ordered that Baekje's territory be annexed into Tang. In winter 660, Su presented the captives to Emperor Gaozong in Luoyang, and Emperor Gaozong released King Uija and the rest of the captives and declared a general pardon. (It was noted, however, by historians that after the victory, Su's army mistreated the Baekje people, causing them to support a campaign of resistance started by King Uija's son Buyeo Pung
Buyeo Pung
Buyeo Pung, known as in Japan, was one of the sons of King Uija of Baekje. When Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, fell to the alliance of Silla and Tang Dynasty in 660, he was in the Wa state of Japan to ensure the alliance between Japan and Baekje. However, there is much dispute about...

, who returned from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 to claim the throne and to try to re-establish Baekje, which was not fully suppressed until 663. In particular, two Baekje generals, who later would become major generals for Tang after their eventual submission, Heukchi Sangji
Heukchi Sangji
Heukchi Sangji was a Baekje general who became a leader of the Baekje Revival Movement, and later a Tang Dynasty general.-Independence movement:...

 (黑齒常之) and Sataek Sangyeo (沙吒相如), were described to have resisted Su in light of pillages and killings carried out by Su's forces and were able to successfully hold out against Su's forces.)

Later activities

In winter 660, Emperor Gaozong ordered Su Dingfang, as well as other generals Qibi Heli (契苾何力), Liu Boying (劉伯英), and Cheng Minzhen to attack Baekje's ally Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....

. By fall 661, Su had placed Goguryeo's capital Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...

 under siege. By spring 662, however, after the general Pang Xiaotai (龐孝泰) was defeated and killed in battle with Goguryeo forces and Su could not capture Pyongyang he, faced with problems of severe snow storms, was forced to withdraw.

In summer 663, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

 launched a major attack against the Tang vassal Tuyuhun. Emperor Gaozong sent Su to lead an army to aid Tuyuhun, but while there was no further record at that time of the Tibetans being victorious over Tuyuhun, there were also no records that Su was able to stem the Tibetan tide. He died in 667.

Liu Xu, the lead editor of the Book of Tang, commented in this way about Su:
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