Yuan Tan
Encyclopedia
Yuan Tan was the oldest son of the warlord Yuan Shao
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Tan split with his youngest brother Yuan Shang
over the successorship to their father's realm. Yuan Tan sought help from the warlord Cao Cao
and defeated Yuan Shang. The alliance, however, eventually broke and Yuan Tan was defeated and killed by Cao.
to station at Pingyuan to oversee the affairs in Qing Province. However, when Yuan Tan arrived Qing Province, the Yuan forces only controlled one city within the province, and Yuan Tan's position was only a commandant. Still, Yuan Tan soon attacked Kong Rong
in the east, and expelled Tian Kai
in the north to expand his domain in the province. Yuan Tan was quite successful on his expansion, and was welcomed by the common people of Qing Province. Although adept in military, Yuan Tan was inept at civil matters – the officials he picked plundered the countryside and accepted bribery, and the taxes that were collected was below one third of the estimated tax revenue.
against Cao Cao. Yuan Shao, however, was defeated in the conflict and fell sick shortly after returning to his base city of Ye
. All along, Yuan Shao had intended to pass on his legacy to his youngest son Yuan Shang
, who was favoured by Yuan Shao for his good looks, but the successorship had not been clearly established by the time Yuan Shao died in 202.
Many officials intended to make Yuan Tan the successor according to seniority of the heirs but Shen Pei
and Pang Ji, two influential advisors, supported Yuan Shang and pushed for him to succeed Yuan Shao. When Yuan Tan rushed back from his duty elsewhere, he could not revert the situation so instead he proclaimed himself "General of Chariots and Cavalry" (車騎將軍), his father's former title.
In autumn of the same year, Cao Cao launched an offensive against the Yuan brothers
. Yuan Tan stationed his troops in Liyang (northeast of present day Xun County
, Henan
) against the attack but his request for more troops was turned down by his brother, who feared Yuan Tan would take over military control. Yuan Shang then left Shen Pei to defend Ye and personally led a force to Liyang to assist in the defense. For half a year the battle went on but the Yuan brothers eventually gave up the city after a major defeat, and retreated to Ye.
then suggested that the Yuan brothers would fight between themselves in the absence of an external enemy. Cao Cao took the counsel and withdrew his troops to attack Liu Biao
in Jing Province (present day Hubei
and Hunan
). Meanwhile, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang indeed battled each other. After suffering initial defeats, Yuan Tan retreated to Pingyuan and sent out an emissary seeking to ally with Cao Cao. Cao Cao agreed, but his actual intention of allying with Yuan Tan was to make it easier to defeat Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi
, and with them gone, he would then eliminate Yuan Tan easily. On the other hand, however, Yuan Tan was trying to make use of the alliance to strengthen his position. He contacted two of his father’s former generals, who had surrendered to Cao Cao, and gave them seals of authority, in hope they would defect to him at the right time after Yuan Shang was taken care of. But his plan was sensed by Cao Cao, who even promised to marry a daughter to Yuan Tan in order to let his guard down.
. His force tried to converge with that in the city but the attempt was foiled. The defeated Yuan Shang then escaped to Zhongshan, and was attacked by Yuan Tan. Merging Yuan Shang's surrendered troops into his own, Yuan Tan violated the alliance with Cao Cao by taking Ganling (present day Qinghe County, Hebei
), Anping County
, Bohai Commandery (vicinity of present day Cangzhou
, Hebei) and Hejian
into his realm. Cao then turned his force against Yuan Tan, who retreated to Nanpi
. In 205, Yuan Tan was eventually defeated and killed in action in the Battle of Nanpi
against Cao Cao.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Yuan Tan was said to have sent Xin Ping
as an emissary to Cao Cao while besieged in Nanpi to seek surrender but was declined. When Xin returned, Yuan accused him of treason since his brother Xin Pi
served in Cao Cao's camp. The undue accusation angered Xin so much that he soon died, much to Yuan's regret.
The next morning, Yuan placed the commoners, who were hastily armed during the night, in front of his troops and marched into battle with Cao Cao outside the city. Yuan was subsequently killed in battle by Cao Hong
.
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
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...
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...
. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Tan split with his youngest brother Yuan Shang
Yuán Shàng
Yuan Shang , style name Xianfu , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the third son of the warlord Yuan Shao, and succeeded his father...
over the successorship to their father's realm. Yuan Tan sought help from the warlord 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...
and defeated Yuan Shang. The alliance, however, eventually broke and Yuan Tan was defeated and killed by Cao.
Pacifying Qing Province
In order to test his sons, Yuan Shao ordered Yuan Tan to leave YeYe, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
to station at Pingyuan to oversee the affairs in Qing Province. However, when Yuan Tan arrived Qing Province, the Yuan forces only controlled one city within the province, and Yuan Tan's position was only a commandant. Still, Yuan Tan soon attacked Kong Rong
Kong Rong
Kong Rong was a politician, scholar, and minor warlord of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also a 20th generation descendant of Kong Qiu . As he was once the chancellor of Beihai Commandery , he was also known as Kong Beihai. He was defeated by Yuan Tan in 196 and escaped to...
in the east, and expelled Tian Kai
Tian Kai
Tian Kai was an official serving as the Inspector of Qing province under the warlord Gongsun Zan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history....
in the north to expand his domain in the province. Yuan Tan was quite successful on his expansion, and was welcomed by the common people of Qing Province. Although adept in military, Yuan Tan was inept at civil matters – the officials he picked plundered the countryside and accepted bribery, and the taxes that were collected was below one third of the estimated tax revenue.
Internal conflict within the Yuan forces
In 200, Yuan Tan accompanied his father at the Battle of GuanduBattle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was a military conflict between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle, which concluded with victory for Cao Cao, was a turning point in the war between the two warlords...
against Cao Cao. Yuan Shao, however, was defeated in the conflict and fell sick shortly after returning to his base city of Ye
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
. All along, Yuan Shao had intended to pass on his legacy to his youngest son Yuan Shang
Yuán Shàng
Yuan Shang , style name Xianfu , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the third son of the warlord Yuan Shao, and succeeded his father...
, who was favoured by Yuan Shao for his good looks, but the successorship had not been clearly established by the time Yuan Shao died in 202.
Many officials intended to make Yuan Tan the successor according to seniority of the heirs but Shen Pei
Shen Pei
Shen Pei was a minister serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Shen was criticized by Cao Cao's advisor Xun Yu many times as being called "strong of will but without tact". Following the death of Yuan Shao, Shen went on to serve under Yuan Shang....
and Pang Ji, two influential advisors, supported Yuan Shang and pushed for him to succeed Yuan Shao. When Yuan Tan rushed back from his duty elsewhere, he could not revert the situation so instead he proclaimed himself "General of Chariots and Cavalry" (車騎將軍), his father's former title.
In autumn of the same year, Cao Cao launched an offensive against the Yuan brothers
Battle of Liyang
The Battle of Liyang during the end of Han Dynasty in China was an invasion attempt by the warlord Cao Cao against the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, sons of Cao Cao's rival Yuan Shao. The battle in the ninth Chinese month of 202 was the first between the two factions since the death of Yuan...
. Yuan Tan stationed his troops in Liyang (northeast of present day Xun County
Xun County
Xun County is a county of Henan, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hebi. Xùn literally means "sturgeon" in English....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) against the attack but his request for more troops was turned down by his brother, who feared Yuan Tan would take over military control. Yuan Shang then left Shen Pei to defend Ye and personally led a force to Liyang to assist in the defense. For half a year the battle went on but the Yuan brothers eventually gave up the city after a major defeat, and retreated to Ye.
Alliance with Cao Cao
Cao Cao's advisor Guo JiaGuo Jia
Guo Jia was a strategist and advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During his 11 years of service, Guo Jia's brilliance greatly aided Cao Cao in his victories over rival warlords Lü Bu and Yuan Shao, as well as chief of the Wuhuan tribe, Tadun...
then suggested that the Yuan brothers would fight between themselves in the absence of an external enemy. Cao Cao took the counsel and withdrew his troops to attack Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
in Jing Province (present day Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and 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...
). Meanwhile, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang indeed battled each other. After suffering initial defeats, Yuan Tan retreated to Pingyuan and sent out an emissary seeking to ally with Cao Cao. Cao Cao agreed, but his actual intention of allying with Yuan Tan was to make it easier to defeat Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Yuan was described in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "intelligent but weak and indecisive", in contrast to his older brother Yuan Tan, who was described as...
, and with them gone, he would then eliminate Yuan Tan easily. On the other hand, however, Yuan Tan was trying to make use of the alliance to strengthen his position. He contacted two of his father’s former generals, who had surrendered to Cao Cao, and gave them seals of authority, in hope they would defect to him at the right time after Yuan Shang was taken care of. But his plan was sensed by Cao Cao, who even promised to marry a daughter to Yuan Tan in order to let his guard down.
Death
Yuan Shang soon led a force to attack his brother again but had to retreat when he heard news of Cao Cao's siege on YeBattle of Ye
The Battle of Ye of 204 took place during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and Yuan Shang, son and successor of Cao Cao's rival Yuan Shao, in the Yuan clan's headquarters Ye...
. His force tried to converge with that in the city but the attempt was foiled. The defeated Yuan Shang then escaped to Zhongshan, and was attacked by Yuan Tan. Merging Yuan Shang's surrendered troops into his own, Yuan Tan violated the alliance with Cao Cao by taking Ganling (present day Qinghe County, 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...
), Anping County
Anping County
Anping County is county of Hengshui, Hebei province, China.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Anping , Madian , Nanwangzhuang Townships:...
, Bohai Commandery (vicinity of present day Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei) and Hejian
Hejian
Hejian is a county-level city in the Cangzhou prefecture, in Hebei province, China. In 2004, Hejian population was ca. 770.000 inhabitants and the city territory was...
into his realm. Cao then turned his force against Yuan Tan, who retreated to Nanpi
Nanpi County
Nanpi County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Cangzhou City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Nanpi Town , Pingjiakou , Zhaizi , Baoguantun , Wangsi , Wumaying Townships:...
. In 205, Yuan Tan was eventually defeated and killed in action in the Battle of Nanpi
Battle of Nanpi
The Battle of Nanpi happened in the first month of 205, during the period known as the end of the Han Dynasty. The battle spelled the annihilation of Yuan Tan, one of Yuan Shao's sons vying to succeed their father, by their common enemy Cao Cao, one of the serving Three Ducal Ministers...
against Cao Cao.
In fiction
In chapter 33 of Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Yuan Tan was said to have sent Xin Ping
Xin Ping
Xin Ping , style name Zhongzhi , was a minister serving under the warlord Han Fu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Following the death of Han Fu, Xin went on to serve Yuan Shao, acting as an adviser to Yuan Tan, Yuan Shao's oldest son. Once, Xin was invited by Cao Cao to serve...
as an emissary to Cao Cao while besieged in Nanpi to seek surrender but was declined. When Xin returned, Yuan accused him of treason since his brother Xin Pi
Xin Pi
Xin Pi, style name Zuozhi , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He originally served the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period. He had an older brother, Xin Ping. He switched allegiance to Cao Cao after Yuan's defeat and served as a...
served in Cao Cao's camp. The undue accusation angered Xin so much that he soon died, much to Yuan's regret.
The next morning, Yuan placed the commoners, who were hastily armed during the night, in front of his troops and marched into battle with Cao Cao outside the city. Yuan was subsequently killed in battle by Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
.