Battle of Yique facts for kids

The Battle of Yique was a major battle fought in 293 BC. It took place at a place called Yique, which is now known as Longmen in Luoyang, Henan province. This battle was between the powerful Qin kingdom and an alliance of two other kingdoms, Wei and Han.

The Qin army was led by a brilliant general named Bai Qi. Even though the Qin army was much smaller, they won a huge victory. They captured the alliance's general, Gongsun Xi, and took control of five cities, including Yique. This battle led to a massive loss of soldiers for the Wei and Han alliance. After their defeat, Wei and Han had to give up some of their land to Qin to get peace.

Why the Battle Happened

By 294 BC, the kingdom of Qin was becoming very strong. It was like a rising superpower in ancient China. Qin wanted to expand its territory. Its first targets were the nearby kingdoms of Wei and Han.

Wei and Han had been rivals for many years. They didn't pay much attention to Qin at first. But in 294 BC, Qin, under General Bai Qi, attacked Han and captured an important fortress. This made Wei and Han realize that Qin was a serious threat. So, they decided to put their differences aside and team up to stop Qin's expansion.

In 294 BC, Wei and Han gathered a huge army of 240,000 soldiers. They prepared to face Qin at Yique. The battleground was a large area with many fortresses, cities, and natural defenses like rivers and mountains. General Bai Qi's army was much smaller, with only 120,000 men. However, the Wei and Han alliance was worried about Qin's well-trained and well-equipped soldiers. They decided to defend their positions instead of attacking. This led to a long standoff, with no clear winner, until 293 BC.

How the Battle Unfolded

General Bai Qi was very clever. He noticed that even though Wei and Han were allies, they still didn't fully trust each other. He decided to use a strategy called "divide and conquer." This meant he would try to split the enemy forces and defeat them one by one.

Bai Qi carefully studied the enemy's defenses to find their weak spots. He sent small groups of soldiers to create minor attacks and ambushes. This made the main Han forces focus their attention on these small skirmishes. While Han was distracted, Bai Qi launched his main Qin army against the Wei positions, which were not as well defended.

The officers of Wei started to believe that Han was not helping them on purpose. This made the bad feelings between the two allies even worse. Han then decided to save its own soldiers and stopped trying to support Wei. Because of this, Bai Qi didn't have to fight both armies at once. Over the next few months, he managed to defeat the Wei positions one after another.

Once Wei was defeated, Bai Qi turned his full attention to the Han forces. The Han troops found themselves trapped by the Qin army and tried to escape. But the fast Qin cavalry (soldiers on horseback) chased them down, making sure very few got away. The alliance general, Gongsun Xi, was captured during this final push.

What Happened Next

The Battle of Yique was a huge win for Qin. It allowed Qin to gain influence in the central parts of China for the first time. The armies of Wei and Han were almost completely destroyed after this battle.

Both states had to give up land to Qin to get a temporary peace. But their defeat at Yique meant they would eventually lose their independence. Qin went on to conquer Han in 230 BC and Wei in 225 BC. This battle was a big step in Qin's journey to unite all of China.