Battle of Changping facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Changping |
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| Part of Warring States Period | |||||||
 Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| State of Zhao | State of Qin | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lian Po Zhao Kuo † Feng Ting † |
Wang He Bai Qi Teng |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 450,000 | 550,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 400,000 dead (large portion executed after capture) | c. 250,000 dead | ||||||
The Battle of Changping was a huge military fight in ancient China. It happened during the Warring States period, a time when different states fought for control. This battle took place from 262 BC to 260 BC near what is now Gaoping in Shanxi province.
The two main powers fighting were the State of Qin and the State of Zhao. After two long years, the Qin army won a big victory. Sadly, most of the captured Zhao soldiers were executed. This caused a massive loss of people and military strength for the Zhao state.
This battle is known as one of the bloodiest battles in history. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died. Some historical records say about 450,000 Zhao soldiers and 250,000 Qin soldiers died. Later, a Chinese emperor named Emperor Xuanzong of Tang built a temple where many remains were found. Even today, bones and mass graves are still discovered there.
Contents
Why the Battle Started
In 265 BC, the Qin state attacked the State of Han. They captured an important area called Qinyang. This cut off Han's Shangdang region from the rest of its territory. Shangdang became like an island, surrounded by Qin.
Instead of letting Qin take Shangdang, its leader, Feng Ting, offered the land to the Zhao state. Shangdang was a rich and important area. It was also close to Zhao's capital city, Handan. If Qin took it, they could easily attack Zhao. So, King Xiaocheng of Zhao accepted the offer. He sent his top general, Lian Po, to protect Shangdang from Qin.
The Battle Begins
Early Fights and Stalemate
In 262 BC, the Qin army, led by General Wang He, marched into Shangdang. Feng Ting and his people had to leave the area. The Zhao army, under Lian Po, arrived and set up strong defenses. They built three lines of defense near Changping Pass.
The Qin army first met the Zhao army in April. Qin won some early fights, taking Gaoping Pass and other Zhao strongholds. General Lian Po saw how strong the Qin army was. He decided not to fight them in open battles. Instead, he focused on building strong walls and forts along the Dan River. He hoped to make the Qin army tired. Qin's supply lines were long and difficult, so Lian Po thought they would run out of supplies.
The Qin army tried to cross the Dan River and even broke through Zhao's defenses once. But they couldn't hold their ground and were pushed back. By July, both armies were stuck in a long standoff across the river. This lasted for two years. Both sides brought in many more soldiers, with about a million fighters in total by 260 BC.
A Risky Change in Zhao's Plan
Lian Po's plan was working to wear out the Qin army. But back home, King Xiaocheng of Zhao was getting impatient. The war was costing a lot of money and resources. The Qin state also sent spies to spread rumors. They said Lian Po was too old and scared to fight.
The king believed the rumors. He decided to replace Lian Po with Zhao Kuo. Zhao Kuo was the son of a famous general, Zhao She. He was very confident but had never led an army in a real battle. Zhao Kuo's father had warned his wife never to let their son command an army. He thought Zhao Kuo saw war as an easy game and was too proud. Zhao Kuo's mother and a minister named Lin Xiangru tried to stop the king. But their pleas failed.
When Qin heard that Zhao Kuo was in charge, they secretly made a change too. They replaced Wang He with their most famous general, Bai Qi. Bai Qi was known for winning battles by completely destroying the enemy. Qin kept Bai Qi's appointment a secret. Anyone who told Zhao would be put to death.
Zhao's Defeat
In July 260 BC, Zhao Kuo took command of the Zhao army at Changping. He ignored all of Lian Po's careful defense plans. Instead, he decided to attack the Qin army directly. He moved his main force north to cross the Dan River. He wanted to hit the Qin army's left side, hoping for a quick win. But he left most of his army's food and supplies far behind. This made his supply lines very weak.
Zhao Kuo didn't know that Bai Qi had guessed his plan. Bai Qi had made his left side look weak on purpose. When Zhao Kuo attacked, the Qin soldiers on the left pretended to run away. Zhao Kuo chased them into the hills. Meanwhile, Bai Qi sent two groups of soldiers to sneak around Zhao Kuo's army. One group of 25,000 men went north through the mountains. They cut off Zhao's supply lines from the north. Another group of 5,000 horsemen crossed the Dan River. They cut off Zhao Kuo's army from their main supply base in the south. Bai Qi's main army then moved in to trap Zhao Kuo's forces.
Zhao Kuo's attack stopped when he met strong Qin defenses in the hills. He then realized his army was surrounded and running out of food. He tried to pull back across the river, but the Qin army attacked hard. Zhao Kuo's army suffered heavy losses. They dug in on a hill, hoping for help.
However, Zhao had not been good at making friends with other states. So, no help came from the State of Chu or the State of Qi. The King of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, used this chance to call up even more soldiers. He ordered every able-bodied man over 15 to join the army. The king himself went to the front lines to make sure the encirclement was strong.
With Zhao's army trapped, Bai Qi attacked them again and again. He wanted to wear them down and stop them from escaping. Zhao Kuo's army was under attack for 46 days. By September, winter was coming. The Zhao soldiers were starving. They ate their horses and, it is said, even resorted to eating each other. The fighting was so fierce that half of the Qin soldiers were killed. But the Zhao army was too tired and hungry to break out. Zhao Kuo was killed by Qin archers while leading a final attempt to escape. With their leader dead, the remaining Zhao soldiers gave up and surrendered.
What Happened Next
General Bai Qi wanted to attack Zhao's capital, Handan, right away. But he had a problem: what to do with the huge number of captured Zhao soldiers? Feeding them would be a massive burden. Releasing them was not an option, as they might join revolts. So, Bai Qi made a terrible decision. He ordered almost all the captured Zhao soldiers to be executed. They were reportedly buried alive. Only 240 of the youngest soldiers were spared and sent back to Zhao. This was meant to spread fear. The historian Sima Qian wrote that over 450,000 Zhao soldiers died during and after the battle.
The next year, Qin did attack Handan. But Zhao got help from other states and Qin was defeated at the Battle of Handan. This stopped Qin's advance for a while.
In the long run, the Battle of Changping changed everything. Before this battle, Zhao was one of the strongest states. It was perhaps the only one that could stop Qin from growing bigger. But Zhao never recovered from losing so many people at Changping. Qin also suffered greatly, but they recovered within ten years. Qin then became the most powerful state. Forty years later, in 221 BC, Qin used its power to conquer all the other states and unite China.
