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Zhang Guang (259–313), courtesy name Jingwu, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was involved in several significant military campaigns under the Jin, all of which he served with distinction and was eventually assigned to guard the Hanzhong region as the Inspector of Liang province (梁州; not to be confused with the Liang province (涼州) of modern-day Gansu which also existed at the time). Due to the fall of Western Jin, the Hanzhong was isolated from Jin control, and Zhang Guang was forced to govern the region with limited resources and pressure from the Cheng-Han dynasty, Chouchi and rebellious refugee groups. In the end, he was surrounded and died of illness while under siege.

Early life and career

Zhang Guang was a native of Zhongwu County (鐘武; in present-day on Hengnan County, Hubei) in Jiangxia Commandery. He was described in records as eight chi tall with a beautiful face and a loud but pleasant voice. His family owned a private army for several generations. In his youth, he was a subordinate official to the administrator of Jiangxia and later became Officer of the Standard. He distinguished himself during the Conquest of Wu by Jin in 280, and was promoted to Colonel of the western region of Jiangxia. He was eventually transferred to Colonel of Beidi Commmandery.

Qi Wannian's Rebellion

In 291, the Prince of Zhao, Sima Lun was assigned to guard the Guanzhong region. He was arbitrary in his governance, rewarding and punishing as he pleased, incurring the anger of the local Di and Qiang tribes. As a result, a large-scale rebellion in Guanzhong broke out in 296. The administrator of Beidi, Zhang Sun (張損) and several other officials were killed in battle. Zhang Guang led over a hundred men to defend the north of Mount Malan (馬蘭山; in present-day Tongchuan, Shaanxi), where they were besieged by the rebels for more than 100 days.

Fortunately for Zhang Guang and his men, the Prince of Liang, Sima Rong sent his general, Suo Jing to rescue them. The soldiers all reportedly cried as they were saved, and after they returned to Chang'an, Sima Rong sent a report of Zhang Guang's deeds to the imperial court, comparing him to the Han dynasty general, Geng Gong and insisting that they reward him. Thus, Zhang Guang was promoted to Administrator of Xinping.

Assisting Liu Chen

In 304, the Prince of Changsha, Sima Ai was besieged in Luoyang by the Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong and the Prince of Chengdu, Sima Ying. During the siege, Sima Ai sent an edict to the Inspector of Yong province, Liu Chen and convinced him to attack Sima Yong's base in Chang'an. Zhang Guang was one of the administrators in the region who supported Liu Chen, but the latter entrusted most of his strategy to the Inspector of Qin province, Huangfu Zhong, a member of noble clans in the region. Huangfu looked down on Zhang Guang and refused to heed any of his suggestions. After Liu Chen was defeated, Zhang Guang was captured by Sima Yong, who questioned him about his strategy. With a stern expression, Zhang Guang replied, "It is precisely because Liu of Yongzhou refused to adopt my plans that you, Great King, are in this position." The prince was pleased with his answer and treated him with feasts. He then recommended Zhang Guang to become Guard General of the Right.

Chen Min's rebellion

In 305, Sima Yong was now at war with the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue. At the same time, the Jin general, Chen Min rebelled by occupying the Jiangnan region south of the Yangzi River and planned to invade Jing province. Yong appointed Zhang Guang as the administrator of Shunyang and promoted him to General of Mound and River before sending him with 5,000 infantry and cavalry units to campaign against Chen Min in Jing. The Inspector of Jing, Liu Hong respected Zhang Guang and even referred to him as a "talent of southern Chu".

Liu Hong's general, Tao Kan led the Jin forces to confront Chen Min's general, Qian Duan (錢端) at Zhangqi (長岐; in present-day Jiangxia District, Hubei). Just as they were about to fight, the commander of the infantry, Pi Chu (皮初) ordered Zhang Guang to set an ambush and wait for the right moment. Meanwhile, the commander of the navy, Miao Guang (苗光) hid his boats along the Mian river (沔水). After Pi Chu and the others began fighting, Zhang Guang led his forces to join in the attack, and the rebels were defeated both on land and water. Chen Min's invasion was thus repelled.

Liu Hong was rooting for Sima Yue to win the civil war, so the administrator of Nanyang, Wei Zhan (衞展) pointed out to him that Zhang Guang was a confidant of Sima Yong, and that he should execute him to show his allegiance. However, Liu Hong refused, believing that it was dishonourable to endanger another person's life to save his own. Instead, he sent a petition to the court requesting that they further promote Zhang Guang.

As Inspector of Liang province

Reclaiming Hanzhong

In 308, Zhang Guang was appointed Lumber Office General and Inspector of Liang province. Prior to his appointment, Deng Ding (鄧定) and 2,000 other refugees from Qin province fled to the Hanzhong region and occupied Chenggu, where they used it as a base to plunder the surrounding area. The previous Inspector of Liang, Zhang Yin (張殷) had sent the administrator of Baxi, Zhang Yan (張燕) to attack them, but Yan was bribed by Deng Ding into delaying his advance. While Zhang Yan was at standstill, Deng Ding contacted the emperor of Cheng-Han, Li Xiong in Sichuan, and the Cheng sent their forces to assist the refugees. Zhang Yan was defeated, causing Zhang Yin and the administrator of Hanzhong, Du Mengzhi (杜孟治) to abandon their posts.

Zhang Guang was unable to take up his post in Hanzhong, so stationed himself at Weixing (魏興; in present-day Ankang, Shaanxi) and planned with the local administrators to recover lost territory. Zhang Yan suggested that they must wait for a "hero" before they can reclaim the Hanzhong, but the administrator of Weixing, Du Zhengchong (杜正沖) blamed the fall of Hanzhong on him for accepting the bribe. Zhang Guang was furious and decided to have Zhang Yan executed as an example. He then organized his army and fought with the Cheng many times over the course of several years and finally recaptured Hanzhong in 311. He pacified the peasants in the region as they cultivated the land, and they all willingly submitted to him, thus allowing him to guard the Hanzhong.

War with Yang Hu and death

In 313, followers of the refugee leader, Wang Ru, flocked to Hanzhong from Xiangyang after their leader surrendered to Jin. Initially, Zhang Guang sent his troops to block them from entering, but his general, Jin Miao (晉邈), received bribes from the refugees and convinced Zhang Guang to allow them to settle in Chenggu. However, Jin Miao was still tempted by the treasure in the refugees' possession, so he slandered them to Zhang Guang by stating they were planning to rebel. Zhang Guang ordered Jin Miao to attack them, and he killed two of their leaders, Li Yun (李運) and Wang Jian (王建). Wang Jian's son-in-law, Yang Hu (楊虎) gathered his remaining followers to camp at the E river (厄水; in present-day Nanzheng District, Shaanxi) and attack Zhang Guang. In response, Zhang Guang sent his son, Zhang Mengchang (張孟萇) to campaign against the rebels, but was unable to win.

Both Zhang Guang and Yang Hu contacted Yang Maosou, ruler of the Di-led Chouchi polity, to send them reinforcements. Maosou opted to side with Zhang Guang, so he sent his son, Yang Nandi with cavalry to assist. However, Nandi had a grudge with Zhang Guang due to an prior incident where Zhang Guang had his adopted son whipped to death for illegally selling a slave. When Nandi arrived, his request for funds was rejected by Zhang Guang. Meanwhile, Yang Hu was bribing him with his treasure, so Nandi was adamant on switching sides. Zhang Guang sent an army to fight Yang Hu, with Zhang Mengcheng leading the front and Nandi leading the rear. Once the battle began, Nandi defected, and he and Yang Hu attacked Mengcheng from both sides, killing him and his younger brother, Zhang Yuan (張援).

Zhang Guang was forced to withdraw into his own city. In September or October 313, the stress of the situation had caused Zhang Guang to fall ill. His subordinates and followers urged him to retreat to Weixing, but Zhang Guang drew his sword and said, "I have accepted a great responsibility for my country. If I cannot defeat the bandits, then I will accept my death as if I were to become an immortal. Why should I retreat?" He then died not long after at the age of 55, and his death was mourned by people near and far.

The people of Liang province entrusted his son, Zhang Mai (張邁) with provincial affairs, but he was later lost when fighting Yang Nandi's forces. Leadership then fell to his subordinate, Hu Zixu (胡子序), but he soon abandoned the city and allowed Hanzhong to fall to Yang Nandi and Yang Hu. The administrator of Nanping, Ying Zhan, suggested to the commander-in-chief, Wang Dun that they should honour Zhang Guang with a posthumous award, but Wang Dun ignored him.

References

1. (張光，字景武，江夏鐘武人也。身長八尺，明眉目，美音聲。少為郡吏，家世有部曲，以牙門將伐吳有功，遷江夏西部都尉，轉北地都尉。) Jin Shu, vol.57
2. (夏，郝散弟度元與馮翊、北地馬蘭羌、盧水胡俱反，殺北地太守張損，敗馮翊太守歐陽建。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.82
3. (初，趙王倫為關中都督，氐、羌反叛，太守張損戰沒，郡縣吏士少有全者。光以百餘人戍馬蘭山北，賊圍之百餘日。光撫厲將士，屢出奇兵擊賊，破之。光以兵少路遠，自分敗沒。會梁王肜遣司馬索靖將兵迎光，舉軍悲泣，遂還長安。肜表光「處絕圍之地，有耿恭之忠，宜加甄賞，以明獎勸」。於是擢授新平太守，加鼓吹。) Jin Shu, vol.57
4. (屬雍州刺史劉沈被密詔討河間王顒，光起兵助沈。沈時委任秦州刺史皇甫重，重自以關西大族，心每輕光，謀多不用。及二州軍潰，為顒所擒，顒謂光曰：「前起兵欲作何策？」光正色答曰：「但劉雍州不用鄙計，故令大王得有今日也。」顒壯之，引與歡宴彌日，表為右衛司馬。) Jin Shu, vol.57
5. (陳敏作亂，除光順陽太守，加陵江將軍，率步騎五千詣荊州討之。刺史劉弘雅敬重光，稱為南楚之秀。時江夏太守陶侃與敏大將錢端相距於長岐，將戰，襄陽太守皮初為步軍，使光設伏以待之，武陵太守苗光為水軍，藏舟艦于沔水。皮初等與賊交戰，光發伏兵應之，水陸同奮，賊眾大敗。) Jin Shu, vol.57
6. (南陽太守衞展說弘曰：「張光，太宰腹心，公旣與東海，宜斬光以明向背。」弘曰：「宰輔得失，豈張光之罪！危人自安，君子弗爲也。」乃表光殊勳，乞加遷擢。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.86
7. (光不得赴州，止于魏興，乃結諸郡守共謀進取。燕唱言曰：「漢中荒敗，迫近大賊，克復之事，當俟英雄。」正沖曰：「張燕受賊金銀，不時進討，阻兵緩寇，致喪漢中，實燕之罪也。」光於是發怒，呵燕令出，斬之以徇。綏撫荒殘，百姓悅服。光於是卻鎮漢中。) Jin Shu, vol.57
8. (王如餘黨涪陵李運、巴西王建等自襄陽將三千餘家入漢中，梁州刺史張光遣參軍晉邈將兵拒之。邈受運、建賂，勸光納其降，光從之，使居成固。旣而邈見運、建及其徒多珍寶，欲盡取之，復說光曰：「運、建之徒，不修農事，專治器仗，其意難測，不如悉掩殺之，不然，必爲亂。」光又從之。五月，邈將兵攻運、建，殺之。建壻楊虎收餘衆擊光，屯于厄水；光遣其子孟萇討之，不能克。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.88
9. (初，氐王楊茂搜之子難敵，遣養子販易於梁州，私賣良人子一人，張光鞭殺之。難敵怨曰：「使君初來，大荒之後，兵民之命仰我氐活，氐有小罪，不能貰也？」及光與楊虎相攻，各求救於茂搜，茂搜遣難敵救光。難敵求貨於光，光不與。楊虎厚賂難敵，且曰：「流民珍貨，悉在光所，今伐我，不如伐光。」難敵大喜。光與虎戰，使張孟萇居前，難敵繼後。難敵與虎夾擊孟萇，大破之，孟萇及其弟援皆死。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.88
10. (光嬰城固守，自夏迄冬，憤激成疾。佐吏及百姓咸勸光退據魏興，光按劍曰：「吾受國厚恩，不能翦除寇賊，今得自死，便如登仙，何得退還也！」聲絕而卒，時年五十五。百姓悲泣，遠近傷惜之。) Jin Shu, vol.57

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.

• Jin dynasty (266–420) generals
• 259 births
• 313 deaths