Conquest of Wu by Jin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conquest of Wu by Jin
Part of the wars of the Three Kingdoms period
A map showing the Jin conquest of Wu
Date c. December 279 or January 280 – 1 May 280 Location Southern China Result Decisive Jin victory; unification of China under the Jin dynasty
Belligerents
Jin dynasty	Wu
Commanders and leaders
Jia Chong Wang Jun Du Yu Wang Rong Hu Fen Sima Zhou Wang Hun	Sun Hao  Zhang Ti  †
Strength
200,000	230,000
Casualties and losses
15,000

The conquest of Wu by Jin was a big military attack. The Jin dynasty launched it against the state of Wu. This happened from late 279 to mid-280. It was at the very end of the Three Kingdoms period in China.

The campaign started in December 279 or January 280. It ended with a full victory for the Jin dynasty on May 1, 280. The Wu emperor Sun Hao gave up. After this war, the Jin emperor Sima Yan changed his reign name to "Taikang". So, this campaign is also called the Taikang campaign.

This war is very important in Chinese military history. It ended the messy Three Kingdoms period. China was reunited under the Jin dynasty. It was also the first time a huge army successfully crossed the Yangtze River. The way Jin attacked from many sides, by land and water, and sent a navy down the river, influenced many future battles in China.

Why the War Happened

The Three Kingdoms Period

Map of China divided between the Jin dynasty (blue) and Eastern Wu (red) in the year 266.

After the Eastern Han dynasty ended in 220, three states fought for control. These were Wei, Shu, and Wu. Wei was the strongest. It had the best army, money, people, and land. Shu and Wu teamed up against Wei in 223.

The Jin Dynasty Rises

By 262, the Wei leader Sima Zhao planned to conquer Wei's rivals. He decided to attack Shu first. Invading Wu needed a lot of money and work. They had to build many ships. He thought if Wei took Shu, they could use Shu's rivers. They could send a navy downriver to attack Wu. In late 262, Wei started building warships for a future Wu invasion.

In early 266, after Shu surrendered, Sima Zhao's son Sima Yan took the throne. He started the Jin dynasty. Sima Yan listened to his advisors. He treated the former Shu people kindly. He also offered rewards to Wu people who joined Jin. He made the former Shu emperor a duke. Many former Shu officials got new titles and jobs.

On April 29, 269, Sima Yan ordered Yang Hu to lead military matters in Jing Province.

Wu's Problems Begin

In 264, the Wu emperor Sun Xiu died. His nephew Sun Hao became emperor. Sima Zhao sent a letter to Sun Hao. He said Wu could not win against Wei. He offered Sun Hao good treatment if he surrendered.

Sun Hao sent people to meet Sima Zhao in 265. They wanted peace between Wei and Wu. Sima Zhao was impressed by them.

Sima Zhao died in 265. In 266, Sima Yan started the Jin dynasty. Sun Hao sent people to a memorial service for Sima Zhao. One of them, Ding Zhong, told Sun Hao to attack a Jin area. He said it was not well guarded. Sun Hao thought about it but decided not to attack. He remembered that Wu's ally, Shu, had just fallen.

Wu had more problems than Wei or Jin. Sun Hao was a harsh ruler. He did not prepare for Jin's invasion. He ignored advice to make Wu stronger. He even killed officials who gave good advice. Because of this, many people and commanders in Wu lost faith in him. Some even joined the Jin dynasty.

At the same time, Sima Yan sent messages to Wu to stop fighting. He wanted to gain time to prepare. Sun Hao thought this was a sign of Jin's weakness. He became even less careful.

Jin Gets Ready for War

Sima Yan always wanted to conquer Wu. On April 29, 269, he set up three main bases for the invasion. He gave jobs to three generals:

• Yang Hu was in Xiangyang to lead in Jing Province.
• Wei Guan was in Linzi to lead in Qing Province.
• Sima Zhou was in Xiapi to lead in Xu Province.

Yang Hu did a great job in Jing Province. He earned the trust of the local people. Many Wu people joined Jin because of him. He also used fewer soldiers for border patrol. He sent them to farm instead. His troops had enough food for ten years.

Building a Navy in Yi Province

In 272, Yang Hu told Sima Yan they could attack Wu from Yi Province. They could send a navy down the Yangtze River. He suggested Wang Jun to lead this project. Wang Jun became the Inspector of Yi Province. He was also put in charge of military matters there.

Wang Jun had his soldiers build ships for the invasion. His assistant, He Pan, said they needed 10,000 workers from each area. The project could be done in a year. He Pan also advised Wang Jun to start the project first. Then, they should tell the government. The government might not approve so many workers. Wang Jun followed this advice.

Wang Jun built many large ships. They had strong ram bows. The biggest ships were 120 bu long. They could carry up to 2,000 soldiers. These ships had tall viewing towers. They also had three-story wooden forts. Doors on all sides made it easy for troops to get on and off. Horses could even run on board. It took Wang Jun seven years to build this navy. After that, they just needed to train the soldiers.

Yang Hu's Plan

In late 276, Yang Hu wrote a plan to Sima Yan. He suggested attacking Wu from many directions:

• Jin forces in Yi Province would attack from the west by land and water.
• Jin forces in Jing Province would attack Jiangling.
• Jin forces in Yu Province would attack Xiakou.
• Jin forces from other provinces would attack Moling.

He explained that attacking from many sides would confuse Wu. It would make Wu forces lose hope. He said the Yangtze was Wu's only strong defense. But once Jin broke through, Wu would hide in cities. Then, Jin's land army would have the advantage. He also noted that Sun Hao was a bad ruler. Many Wu people would join Jin.

Sima Yan liked Yang Hu's plan. But many officials disagreed. They said Jin had to deal with rebels in the northwest first. Only Du Yu and Zhang Hua supported Yang Hu.

In 278, Yang Hu became sick. He moved to Luoyang. He told Zhang Hua to conquer Wu while Sun Hao was still in power. He said Sun Hao's bad rule made people want to join Jin. He also suggested Du Yu take his place in Jing Province. Yang Hu died on December 27, 278.

Other Preparations

By October 276, preparations were mostly done. Yang Hu suggested attacking. His idea was accepted but then delayed. This was because of a tribal rebellion in northwestern China. In July 277, more generals were given roles for the campaign:

• Wang Hun was in charge of Yang Province.
• Sima Liang was in charge of Yu Province.
• Hu Fen was in charge of the northern Yangtze River shore.

After Yang Hu died, Du Yu took over his role in Jing Province in November 278.

Wu's Preparations

In February 270, the Wu general Ding Feng attacked Jin's southern border. Jin forces pushed him back. In May of that year, the Wu emperor Sun Hao put his general Lu Kang in charge of military matters in western and southern Hubei.

Before Lu Kang died in 274, he knew Xiling was a key place for Wu's defense. He told Sun Hao to pay more attention to it. After Lu Kang's death, Sun Hao divided Lu Kang's command among his five sons.

Meanwhile, wood scraps from Wang Jun's ship project floated downriver into Wu territory. A Wu officer named Wu Yan found them. He realized Jin was building a navy to attack Wu. He sent the wood to Sun Hao as proof. He told the emperor to send more troops to Jianping. Sun Hao ignored him. So, Wu Yan ordered his troops to block the river with heavy iron chains. This was to stop enemy ships.

Prelude to the Invasion

Between December 279 and January 280, Jin sent over 200,000 soldiers to invade Wu. Jin's navy was now as strong as Wu's. However, Jin did not have more soldiers than Wu. Wu had about 230,000 troops and over 5,000 ships. But Jin's soldiers were much more confident. Wu's forces were spread out over a very long border. This made it easy for Jin to attack small groups of Wu soldiers. Jin attacked Wu along the Yangtze in five main directions. This supported the navy coming from Yi Province. The Jin invasion forces came from six different areas:

• Sima Zhou led an army from Xiapi to attack Tuzhong.
• Wang Hun led an army from Shouchun to attack Jiangxi.
• Wang Rong led an army from Xiangcheng to attack Wuchang.
• Hu Fen led an army from Jiangxia Commandery to attack Xiakou.
• Du Yu led an army from Xiangyang to attack Jiangling County.
• Wang Jun and Tang Bin led a navy from Yi Province downriver. They attacked Wu areas in Jing Province.

To help these six groups work together, Sima Yan gave orders. Wang Jun's navy would take orders from Du Yu after taking Jianping. They would take orders from Wang Hun after reaching Moling.

Sima Yan made Jia Chong the main commander. He would lead the campaign from Xiangyang. Yang Ji was his second-in-command. Jia Chong first said he was too old. But Sima Yan said he would lead it himself if Jia Chong refused. So, Jia Chong accepted. Sima Yan also made Zhang Hua in charge of supplies for the campaign.

Wu's Strategy

The Wu emperor Sun Hao did not believe Jin could conquer Wu. He was too confident in the Yangtze River as a natural defense. So, Wu did almost nothing to prepare. Wu did put iron spikes linked by chains in the Three Gorges. This was to stop ships. But Sun Hao and his followers were so sure this would work. They did not even send one soldier to guard the area.

Wang Jun and Tang Bin's Attack

Between January and March 280, Wang Jun started from Chengdu. He met his deputy Tang Bin at Badong Commandery. From there, they led the Jin navy. It had 50,000 or 70,000 soldiers. They sailed down the Yangtze to attack Wu's eastern border. At Jianping Commandery, they met strong resistance from Wu Yan. They could not take Jianping. So, they went around and moved east to Danyang. On March 18, 280, they conquered Danyang. They captured its defender, Sheng Ji.

Breaking the Blockade at Xiling Gorge

After taking Danyang, the Jin navy sailed to Xiling Gorge. There, they found the blockade Wu Yan had set up. Wu Yan had put iron spikes, each over one zhang long, linked by heavy chains in the water. This was to block enemy ships. But the Jin navy knew about it. Yang Hu had learned about it from captured Wu spies. So, they were ready.

Wang Jun ordered his men to build a dozen large rafts. Each was over 100 bu wide. They put straw dummies on them. They also put huge torches, over ten zhang long, on each raft. These torches were soaked in oil. They sent the rafts ahead of their fleet towards the blockade. When the rafts got stuck, Wang Jun ordered his men to set them on fire. After burning for hours, the iron spikes and chains melted. This cleared the way for the Jin navy to pass.

Xiling, Jingmen, and Yidao Fall

On March 20, 280, Wang Jun and his forces conquered Xiling. They killed the Wu officers Liu Xian, Cheng Ju, and Yu Zhong. Two days later, they took Jingmen and Yidao. They killed the Wu officer Lu Yan.

When Wang Jun conquered Xiling, Du Yu wrote to him. He told Wang Jun to keep moving east along the Yangtze. He told him to conquer Moling, the Wu capital. Wang Jun was so happy. He sent Du Yu's letter to the Jin emperor Sima Yan.

Du Yu and Hu Fen's Attacks

Between February and March 280, Du Yu's Jin army broke through all Wu defenses. They moved towards Jiangling County. When they got there, Du Yu ordered his troops to surround Jiangling. He also sent his officers to clear a path along the Yangtze. This was for Wang Jun's navy coming from the west. They captured all Wu areas along the way in ten days.

Lexiang Falls

Du Yu also sent Zhou Zhi, Wu Chao, and Guan Ding. They led 800 soldiers to cross the Yangtze at night. They planned to attack Lexiang. When they reached Mount Ba, they lit many fires. They put up many flags. This made Wu defenders think the Jin army was huge. At the same time, they attacked key places around Lexiang. This confused and scared the enemy. Sun Xin, the Wu officer guarding Lexiang, was terrified. He wrote to Wu Yan, who was defending Jiangling: "The armies from the north must have flown across the river."

Zhou Zhi, Wu Chao, and Guan Ding hid outside Lexiang. Meanwhile, Wang Jun's navy was coming from the west. Sun Xin sent troops out of Lexiang to fight them. But they failed. When Sun Xin's defeated troops returned, the three Jin officers and their 800 men sneaked into the city. They quickly took control of Lexiang. They captured Sun Xin in his camp. They sent him to Du Yu as a prisoner.

On March 25, 280, Jin forces took Lexiang. They killed the Wu naval officer Lu Jing. A Wu general, Shi Hong, surrendered to them.

Jiangling and Jiang'an Fall

Du Yu ordered his troops to attack Jiangling County harder. Wu Yan pretended to surrender to Du Yu. But he told his men to stay ready on the city walls. On April 3, 280, Du Yu broke through Wu Yan's defenses. He conquered Jiangling County. Wu Yan was killed in the battle.

Around the same time, Hu Fen's Jin army also conquered Jiang'an.

Jin Forces Move Again (April 4, 280)

On April 4, 280, Sima Yan gave new orders. He made Wang Jun a general. He put him in charge of military matters in Yi Province. He also gave new orders for the six Jin army groups:

• Wang Jun and Tang Bin would go further east. They would conquer Baqiu. Then, they would help Hu Fen and Wang Rong. They would sail downriver to the Wu capital, Moling.
• Hu Fen would attack Xiakou. Wang Jun and Tang Bin would help him. After taking Xiakou, Hu Fen would give 7,000 troops to Wang Jun.
• Wang Rong would attack Wuchang. Wang Jun and Tang Bin would help him. After taking Wuchang, Wang Rong would give 6,000 troops to Tang Bin.
• Du Yu would take control of three areas in southern Jing Province. Once these areas were peaceful, Du Yu would give 10,000 troops to Wang Jun and 7,000 to Tang Bin.

Jia Chong, the main commander, was ordered to move to Xiang County. He would coordinate the movements of all six groups.

Jiao and Guang Provinces Surrender

After Jiangling County fell, the leaders of Wu areas south of the Yuan and Xiang rivers surrendered. These areas included Jiao and Guang provinces. They surrendered to Du Yu's Jin forces. Du Yu accepted their surrender. He appointed officials to govern the new areas. He brought peace to Jing Province. Many Wu citizens joined the Jin dynasty on their own.

Hu Fen and Wang Rong's Attacks

From April 4 to April 16, 280, the Jin navy led by Wang Jun and Tang Bin helped. They helped Hu Fen and Wang Rong's armies. They attacked and captured Xiakou and Wuchang.

At Wuchang, Wang Rong ordered his officers to attack the city first. The Wu officers Yang Yong and Sun Shu, and the Jiangxia leader Liu Lang, surrendered to Wang Rong.

After taking Wuchang, Wang Rong's army moved south. They reached the northern banks of the Yangtze. During this time, a Wu officer named Meng Tai convinced Wu defenders at Qichun County and Zhu County to surrender. These two areas then came under Jin control.

Wang Hun's Attack

On March 13, 280, Wang Hun's Jin army moved towards Hengjiang. They broke through Wu's defenses. Wang Hun also sent his officers to attack Xunyang and Laixiang. They succeeded. They defeated Wu forces and captured five Wu officers.

Wang Hun's army moved further. They defeated more Wu forces. Many Wu soldiers were captured or killed. Two Wu generals, Chen Dai and Zhu Ming, were so scared that they surrendered to Wang Hun.

Battle of Ban Bridge

Between April 17 and 30, 280, the Wu emperor Sun Hao ordered his leader Zhang Ti and generals Shen Ying, Zhuge Jing, and Sun Zhen to lead 30,000 troops. They crossed the Yangtze from Moling to attack the Jin invaders. When they reached Niuzhu, Shen Ying thought the Jin navy would break through Wu's defenses. He told Zhang Ti to stay and defend the lower Yangtze. Zhang Ti disagreed. He thought Wu's morale would drop if Jin reached Moling. He wanted to attack the Jin invaders now. If they won, they could join other Wu forces.

In mid-April 280, Zhang Ti led Wu forces to attack the Jin officer Zhang Qiao. Zhang Qiao had 7,000 troops. Zhang Qiao surrendered. Zhuge Jing told Zhang Ti to kill all the captured soldiers. He thought they were faking surrender. He warned they could be a threat. Zhang Ti refused. He thought it was wrong to kill soldiers who surrendered.

When Wang Hun heard about the Wu attack, he sent his officers to fight. At Ban Bridge, both sides got ready to fight. Shen Ying led 5,000 elite Wu soldiers. They charged into the Jin lines many times. But Jin forces held their ground. The rest of the Wu army lost hope. They became messy when their commanders called for a retreat. Two Jin officers launched a strong counterattack. The Wu army fell apart. Soldiers ran in different directions. Their commanders could not stop them. At the same time, Zhang Qiao and his men, who had surrendered to Wu, turned against them. They attacked from behind. The Wu generals Sun Zhen and Shen Ying, and 7,000 to 8,000 Wu soldiers, died in the battle.

The Wu general Zhuge Jing escaped with 500 to 600 men. He met Zhang Ti and asked him to retreat. Zhang Ti refused. Zhuge Jing tried to hold him. But Zhang Ti would not flee. He wanted to stay loyal to Wu. Zhuge Jing sadly let him go. Jin soldiers caught up with Zhang Ti and killed him.

After the Battle of Ban Bridge, the Wu minister He Zhi and general Sun Yan surrendered to Wang Hun's Jin army.

Wang Hun's Refusal to Attack Moling

After the Jin victory, a Jin officer told his superior, Wang Hun, to cross the Yangtze. He wanted them to surround the Wu capital, Moling. This would pressure the Wu emperor Sun Hao to surrender. The officer agreed. But he knew Wang Hun would not agree. Wang Hun was not allowed by the Jin emperor to attack Moling. The officer was right. Wang Hun refused to attack Moling.

Sima Zhou's Attack

Sima Zhou led his army towards Tuzhong. He ordered his deputy to lead troops to the northern bank of the Yangtze. This was across from the Wu capital, Moling. Later, after Jin won at Ban Bridge, Sima Zhou ordered his chief clerk to cross the Yangtze. They attacked Wu positions along the river. They captured Cai Ji, the Wu officer in charge of river defenses. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Wu soldiers died or surrendered. The Wu general Zhuge Jing, who fled after the Battle of Ban Bridge, brought his colleague to surrender to Sima Zhou.

Wu's Last Efforts

Between April 17 and 30, 280, the Jin navy led by Wang Jun and Tang Bin kept going. After helping other Jin armies, they sailed down the Yangtze towards the Wu capital, Moling. Since leaving Chengdu in early 280, they had easily conquered all Wu areas. They had not lost many soldiers. By the time they neared Moling, their army had grown. It started with 50,000 or 70,000 soldiers. Now it had about 80,000 or 100,000. They got 30,000 more troops from other Jin armies.

When the Jin navy reached Sanshan, the Wu emperor Sun Hao ordered his general Zhang Xiang to lead 10,000 troops to fight them. Zhang Xiang knew he could not win. He surrendered to Wang Jun without a fight.

Around this time, the Wu officer Tao Jun returned to Moling. He met Sun Hao. The emperor asked about the Wu navy. Tao Jun said, "The enemy ships from Shu are small. If we have 20,000 troops and our bigger ships, we can beat them." Sun Hao quickly put together another navy. He put Tao Jun in charge. But most of the Wu soldiers ran away the night before they were supposed to attack the Jin fleet.

Sun Hao Surrenders

Remains of a stone wall at the Stone City (Shitou) in present-day Nanjing where Sun Hao surrendered to Wang Jun on 1 May 280.

By April 30, 280, Sun Hao was very scared. He heard that Wang Jun's navy and other Jin armies were outside Moling. He was even more terrified when he learned how huge Wang Jun's fleet was. Its flags, weapons, and armor covered the whole river. Sun Hao felt that fighting was useless. He finally listened to his advisors, Xue Ying and Hu Chong. He officially surrendered to the Jin forces. He wrote a surrender document. He sent copies to Wang Jun, Sima Zhou, and Wang Hun.

The next day, May 1, 280, Sun Hao gave his last order as emperor. He told his people not to be sad about Wu ending. He told them to get ready to be Jin subjects. Then, he took off his upper clothes and tied himself up. This was a way to show he was a prisoner. He brought a coffin. He went to Shitou to surrender to Wang Jun. This officially ended the Eastern Wu kingdom. Wang Jun accepted Sun Hao's surrender. He freed him and burned the coffin. He then sent Sun Hao as a prisoner to the Jin capital, Luoyang. He was presented to Sima Yan.

When Wu fell, Jin collected official maps and documents. Wu's lands covered four provinces, 43 areas, and 313 counties. It had 2.3 million people and 523,000 households. It also had 32,000 officials and 230,000 soldiers.

What Happened After

The fall of Jianye and Sun Hao's surrender ended the kingdom of Eastern Wu. It also ended the Three Kingdoms period. After almost 100 years of fighting, China was finally reunited under the Western Jin dynasty. The Jin commanders who fought in the campaign received great rewards. Interestingly, Jia Chong, who had been against the campaign, got the biggest reward. He received tax income from 8,000 households. Wang Hun was very angry that Wang Jun took Jianye. He complained to the Jin court. He said Wang Jun disobeyed orders and stole war treasures. Wang Jun wrote back, saying Wang Hun was lying. But Wang Hun was more powerful in the Jin court. His followers suggested Wang Jun be jailed. In the end, Sima Yan stopped the conflict. He gave Wang Jun a good reward too.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the old novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhong Hui is given credit for building Jin's navy. This was before Shu fell. Zhong Hui told Sima Zhao that building a big navy was a trick. It would make Shu less careful. Then, when it was time to attack Wu after Shu fell, the navy would be ready. But in real history, the idea to build a big navy came from Wang Jun and Sima Yan. The plan started only after Shu fell.

In the novel, the last event before the war ended was Zhang Xiang's surrender. He led a 10,000-strong navy against Jin. Since the Wu court had not heard about his surrender, Wang Jun told Zhang Xiang to go back to the Wu capital. He was to trick the Wu defenders into opening the city gates. Zhang Xiang did as he was told. Jin forces quickly took Jianye. The Wu emperor Sun Hao surrendered. This marked the end of Wu. But in history, before Sun Hao surrendered, there was one last battle. It was at Sanshan, near Jianye. Wang Jun's army fought a smaller force led by Wu general Tao Jun.

Images for kids

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  Map of China divided between the Jin dynasty (blue) and Eastern Wu (red) in the year 266.

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  Remains of a stone wall at the Stone City (Shitou) in present-day Nanjing where Sun Hao surrendered to Wang Jun on 1 May 280.