Battle of Baideng facts for kids

The Battle of Baideng was a big fight between ancient Han China and the Xiongnu people. It happened in 200 BC. The Han army tried to take over Xiongnu lands. But the Xiongnu, led by their strong leader Modu Chanyu, surrounded the Han emperor Gaozu at a place called Baideng.

The emperor and his soldiers were trapped for seven days. To end the siege, the Han court, following a plan by Chen Ping, sent secret agents. These agents gave gifts to Modu's wife. This helped convince Modu to end the siege.

Some stories say the Xiongnu first attacked Shanxi in China. Emperor Gaozu chased them north. But then the Xiongnu trapped him on the Baideng plateau. This area is near Datong in northern Shanxi.

Why the Battle Happened

After a civil war, Emperor Gaozu wanted to make China's northern borders strong. He used defenses built by a famous general named Meng Tian. At the same time, the Xiongnu had taken over areas south of the Gobi Desert during China's civil war. They did not want to give up these new lands.

Modu Chanyu's Plan

Modu Chanyu brought together many nomadic tribes to form a large army. He crossed into Chinese territory. This attack looked like a simple raid for treasure. But Modu was a very smart leader. His main goal was to show his power to his own people, the tribes he had just united, and to the Chinese.

He planned to get valuable goods from China. This would help him keep the loyalty of the other tribes. It would also scare them with his strength. And it would send a clear message to the Chinese who were getting ready for war in the north.

The Xiongnu Attack

Modu Chanyu was a careful leader, even though his actions seemed daring. He made sure not to get his army trapped deep inside China. He first attacked Mai Fortress, a very important defense point in northern China. The leader of the fort was Xin of Han, a relative of the emperor.

When Prince Xin saw there was no help coming, he gave up. He then joined Modu Chanyu's side. Modu had achieved his goal: he had made Emperor Gaozu angry. The Emperor gathered a huge army and marched north to fight the Xiongnu.

Luring the Chinese Army

Modu Chanyu pulled his army back into the mountains. As he retreated, his soldiers attacked Chinese towns and took everything they could. He made the Emperor follow him, making it seem like he was just a disorganized raider. But Modu was actually leading the Chinese army into a clever trap.

Modu's Clever Tactics

The entire Xiongnu army was made of cavalry, meaning soldiers on horseback. They were ready for the cold weather because they came from a very cold region. They had warm clothes and gloves for winter.

The Chinese soldiers, however, were mostly infantry, meaning they fought on foot. They were regular people recruited for the army. As they chased the Xiongnu through the high mountains, they suffered greatly from the cold. Thousands of Chinese archers had their fingers freeze. This made a large part of China's army unable to fight. This was the first part of Modu Chanyu's trap.

The Chase and the Trap

Modu Chanyu quickly pulled his cavalry back, making it look like they were running away from the Chinese. The emperor was worried. He had two choices: let the Xiongnu go, or take his fastest troops and chase them. Emperor Gaozu chose the risky second option.

The Chinese army split into two groups. The Emperor led a smaller, faster group to chase the Xiongnu.

The Battle and Siege

Modu Chanyu, who had been retreating, suddenly stopped. He turned and attacked the Chinese. The Chinese were shocked by this sudden move. They met the Xiongnu near Baideng Fortress and suffered a heavy defeat.

The Battle of Baideng is a famous example of the "feigned retreat" tactic. This is when an army pretends to run away to trick the enemy into chasing them. Nomadic groups used this trick many times throughout history.

The emperor quickly retreated into the Baideng fortress in a panic. He hoped to gather his soldiers and figure out what to do. But the Xiongnu quickly surrounded the fort. Modu divided his army into four groups. They blocked all the ways out of the castle.

Army Sizes

The exact number of soldiers is not fully known. The total Chinese army had over 300,000 men. But it's unclear how many were trapped in the fort with the Emperor. Chinese historians say the Xiongnu army had 400,000 soldiers. However, this number is likely too high. The total population of the nomads probably wasn't enough to raise such a huge army. Also, each Xiongnu soldier needed at least two horses. Feeding so many horses during a siege would be very hard. So, the Xiongnu army was probably between 20,000 and 40,000 soldiers.

The Peace Treaty

The siege lasted for seven days. The emperor was trapped and ready to agree to almost any peace terms. He knew that even if he escaped, he couldn't win the war. He had seen how skilled and fast his enemy was. So, the emperor offered peace to the Xiongnu.

How Peace Was Made

Chinese historians say that Modu's wife was contacted. She was given gifts and convinced to help. They say she then influenced Modu to accept the peace. However, Modu Chanyu was a very smart leader. There might be another reason he agreed.

Modu had scared the Chinese, but he knew his own army had limits. He couldn't keep the siege going forever. If the main Chinese army came from behind, his forces could be caught between two enemies. Also, the peace offer was very good for him. Modu was too practical to try to invade all of China with just cavalry. So, he accepted the Chinese terms. He might have let it seem like his wife convinced him, so his show of strength wasn't weakened.

After the Treaty

Modu Chanyu continued to use psychological tactics. After the treaty, he let the Emperor leave the castle. But he placed his soldiers on both sides of the road. They pointed their arrows at the Emperor as he left. Emperor Gaozu never forgot this fear. He would give in to Modu's threats for the rest of his life.

Modu Chanyu also kept organizing small raids into China. This helped him remind the Chinese of his power. The Chinese kept the peace treaty as long as Modu was alive. This meant they gave annual "gifts" (taxes) to the Xiongnu. They also let the Xiongnu control trade and defense in the north. And they even gave a Chinese princess to the Xiongnu leader.

See also

• Han-Xiongnu wars
• Xiongnu invasion of Donghu