Tian Ji facts for kids
Tian Ji (Chinese: 田忌; pinyin: Tián Jì), also known by his courtesy name Qi, was a military general from the Qi state in ancient China. He lived during the early Warring States period (4th century BC), a time when different states in China were often fighting each other.
Tian Ji is well-known for working with Sun Bin, a very smart military strategist. Tian Ji helped Sun Bin meet King Wei of Qi, who then made Sun Bin an important advisor. Together, Tian Ji and Sun Bin led the Qi armies to big victories against the Wei state in famous battles like the Battle of Guiling and the Battle of Maling.
Contents
Biography
Tian Ji came from a noble family in the State of Qi. King Wei of Qi later chose him to be a military general. Around 340 BC, Sun Bin arrived in Qi. He had left the State of Wei and was looking for a new home. Tian Ji was very impressed by Sun Bin's amazing knowledge of military strategy. He invited Sun Bin to live at his home as a special guest and advisor.
One day, King Wei invited Tian Ji to a horse-racing event. Sun Bin suggested a clever way for Tian Ji to win. Tian Ji raced his slowest horse against the king's fastest horse. Then, he raced his average horse against the king's slowest horse. Finally, he raced his fastest horse against the king's average horse. Tian Ji lost the first race but won the other two, winning the whole event!
The king was amazed by Tian Ji's victory. Tian Ji told the king that he had followed Sun Bin's advice. Because of this, Tian Ji recommended Sun Bin to the king. The king then made Sun Bin a top military strategist and advisor.
In 354 BC, the Wei state attacked the State of Zhao. Their army was led by a general named Pang Juan. Zhao asked Qi for help. King Wei of Qi ordered Tian Ji and Sun Bin to lead an army to help Zhao. Sun Bin came up with a smart plan called "Besieging Wei to rescue Zhao." This meant attacking Wei's home territory instead of going directly to Zhao.
Tian Ji followed the plan and attacked Wei. This forced Pang Juan to turn his army around and go back to defend Wei. This clever move lifted the siege on Zhao and saved them.
Later, in 341 BC, Wei attacked the State of Han. Han was an ally of Qi, so Qi sent an army to help again. This time, Sun Bin was the main commander, and Tian Ji was his second-in-command. The Qi army won a huge victory in the Battle of Maling in 342 BC. Wei suffered a terrible defeat, and Pang Juan was killed.
Tian Ji had some disagreements with Zou Ji, who was the chancellor (a high-ranking official) of Qi. Zou Ji said bad things about Tian Ji to King Wei. Tian Ji could not clear his name, so he left Qi and found safety in the State of Chu. After King Xuan became the new king of Qi, Tian Ji was invited back and given his old job as a general.
Tian Ji’s Horse Racing Strategy
The Story Behind It
Tian Ji’s Horse Racing Strategy comes from a famous old Chinese story found in a book called The Records of the Grand Historian. It tells how General Tian Ji, with the help of Sun Bin, won a horse race against the King of Qi. The interesting part is that Tian Ji's horses were actually not as fast as the king's horses!
In the original story, Tian Ji knew how the king would arrange his horses. This allowed him to pick the best way to arrange his own horses to win. Later, this story was used to create a game theory problem. In this newer version, players don't know what the other person will do beforehand. This makes the game more about chance and smart choices. Our explanation is based on the original story's idea of a clever strategy.
How the Game Worked
Tian Ji and the King of Qi both loved horse racing and often bet on the races. They each had three horses, which they called "good," "better," and "best." Even the king's "good" horse was faster than Tian Ji's "best" horse.
The race had three rounds. To win the whole game, you had to win at least two out of the three rounds. Each horse could only race once. The winner of each round got 1 point, and the loser got -1 point. The total score from the three rounds decided who won the game.
The Winning Strategy
Sun Bin's brilliant strategy for Tian Ji was simple but very effective:
- Tian Ji raced his slowest horse against the King's fastest horse. (Tian Ji lost this round, but it saved his faster horses for other races.)
- Tian Ji raced his average horse against the King's slowest horse. (Tian Ji won this round!)
- Tian Ji raced his fastest horse against the King's average horse. (Tian Ji won this round too!)
By losing one race but winning two, Tian Ji won the overall competition against the king, even though his horses were generally slower. This showed how smart planning can lead to victory.
