Qiao Deng
Qiao Deng | |
|---|---|
| 譙登 | |
| Administrator of Zitong (梓潼太守) | |
| In office ?–311 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Huai of Jin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Langzhong, Sichuan |
| Died | 311 Chengdu, Sichuan |
| Relations | Qiao Zhou (grandfather) |
| Parent | Qiao Xian (father) |
| Courtesy name | Shenming (慎明) |
Qiao Deng (died 311), courtesy name Shenming, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). After his father was killed by Cheng-Han forces, Qiao Deng volunteered himself to lead Jin reinforcements into the Ba-Shu region to exact revenge on his father's killer. He was successful, but as Jin forces were being driven out, he and his followers held out in Fucheng for two years. He was eventually captured, and the emperor of Cheng, Li Xiong ordered his execution.
Life
[edit]Background
[edit]Qiao Deng was the grandson of the famous Shu Han scholar, Qiao Zhou, and while records do not explicitly name him, his father was in all likelihood Qiao Xian (譙賢).[1] When he was young, Qiao Deng was known for being honest and loyal. He was appointed an Officer of Merit in Baxi Commandery and later appointed a Registrar and aide-de-camp in Liang province. He was then transferred to Administrator of Yinping Commandery. During his time in Yinping, the Five Officials (五官掾) were appointed by the local gentry families and notoriously oppressed the Han and Qiang people in the area. In response, Qiao Deng had the Five Officials killed and brought stability to the commandery.[2]
Avenging his father
[edit]In 301, refugees in the Ba-Shu region, led by the Ba-Di leader, Li Te rebelled against the Western Jin dynasty. In 304, his son, Li Xiong ousted the provincial inspector, Luo Shang out from Chengdu and established the Cheng-Han dynasty. When Qiao Deng's hometown of Baxi fell to Cheng around this time, his father was killed by Cheng Administrator of Baxi, Ma Tuo (馬脫). Qiao Deng traveled east to Jing province where he requested the inspector, Liu Hong for soldiers to carry out his revenge. However, because the Central Plains was in turmoil, he was unable to receive his soldiers for three years.[3]
In the end, Liu Hong recommended him as General Who Spread Vehemence and Interior Minister of Zitong and granted him permission to recruit volunteers. Qiao Deng was able to gather 2,000 refugees from the Ba-Shu region to fight for his cause. In 309, he led them to Ba Commandery, where Luo Shang was camped to ask him for more troops to fight Li Xiong, but to no avail. Nonetheless, Qiao Deng attacked Dangqu and killed Ma Tuo, going as far as eating his liver.[4]
Defense of Fucheng
[edit]Qiao Deng returned to Ba to ask Luo Shang for troops again. Luo Shang's advisors and subordinates all felt there was nothing to gain from granting his request. Qiao Deng became angry and berated them, even placing the blame of the whole situation on Luo Shang, but Luo Shang did nothing more than dismissed him. Meanwhile, the Cheng general, Li Li was killed by Luo Yang (羅羕), who then offered to surrender Zitong to Jin. Qiao Deng responded by marching to Fucheng, during which he repelled an attack from Li Xiong.[5]
In 310, the Cheng general, Li Xiang attacked Qiao Deng at Fucheng. By this point, Luo Shang had already died. His son, Luo Yu (羅宇) and the rest of his staff all hated Qiao Deng, and so they cut off his food supply. When Luo Shang's replacement, Pi Su (皮素) heard of their inaction, he was furious and planned to punished them, but Luo Yu killed him first when he arrived at Ba. In turn, Luo Yu was the killed by the Commandant of Jianping, Bao Zhong (暴重), throwing Ba into chaos. Pi Su's generals, Zhang Shun (張順) and Yang Xian (楊顯), who were sent to assist Qiao Deng, also withdrew when they knew of he had died.[6]
Realizing that no reinforcements were coming to Fucheng, Li Xiang intensified his assault. A famine broke out in the city, and the inhabitants resorted to eating mice. Although many starved to death, it was said that no one defected. Earlier, Qiao Deng had brought with him to Fucheng Li Xiang's son, Li Shou, who was captured by Luo Shang in 304, hoping to entice his father. Now that he was surrounded with no where to go, Qiao Deng decided to return Li Shou to Li Xiang. In the end, Fucheng fell to Cheng in 311.[7]
Death and posthumous event
[edit]Qiao Deng was captured in the aftermath and sent to Chengdu before Li Xiong. Initially, Li Xiong wanted to treat him Qiao Deng with mercy, but he spoke impassionedly and cried uncontrollably. Convinced that Qiao Deng would never surrender, he had him executed in the end.[8]
The Huayang Guozhi tells of a story that after his death, his former soldiers were all turned into slaves and distributed among the soldiers of Cheng. Afterwards, there were only clouds and rain for more than a hundred day. Li Xiong believed that he had angered Qiao Deng's spirit by mistreating his soldiers, so he declared an amnesty pardoning the soldiers.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Qiao Zhou's biography in the Sanguozhi states that he had three sons: Qiao Xi (譙熙), Qiao Xian (譙賢) and Qiao Tong (譙同). Qiao Xi and Qiao Tong are mentioned in Qiao Zhou's biography in the Huayang Guozhi as his uncles, leaving Qiao Xian as his father. (譙登，字慎明，巴西西充國人，譙周孫也。「仲」〔伯〕父熙，察孝廉，本部大中正，沔陽令。叔父同，字彥紹，少知名，拒州郡之命。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- ^ (登少以公亮義烈聞。郡命功曹，州辟主簿，別駕從事。領陰平太守。郡五官，素大姓，豪擅，侵淩羌、晉，登誅之，郡中皆肅。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- ^ (後以李特作亂，本郡沒寇，父〔賢〕為李雄巴西太守馬脫所殺。乃東詣鎮南劉公請兵。時中原亂，守公三年，不能得兵。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- ^ (初，譙周有子居巴西，成巴西太守馬脫殺之，其子登詣劉弘請兵以復讎。弘表登爲梓潼內史，使自募巴、蜀流民，得二千人；西上，至巴郡，從羅尚求益兵，不得。登進攻宕渠，斬馬脫，食其肝。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.87
- ^ (巴西賊破，復詣尚求軍。尚參佐多以必無利；登憤恚，數淩折之。又加責於尚，尚但下之而已。會羅羕殺雄太尉李離，舉梓潼來降，登逕進涪城。雄自攻登，為登所破。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- ^ (成太傅驤攻譙登於涪城。羅尚子宇及參佐素惡登，不給其糧。益州刺史皮素怒，欲治其罪；十二月，素至巴郡，羅宇使人夜殺素，建平都尉暴重殺宇，巴郡亂。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.87
- ^ (驤知登食盡援絕，攻涪愈急。士民皆熏鼠食之，餓死甚衆，無一人離叛者。驤子壽先在登所，登乃歸之。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.87
- ^ (永嘉「三」〔五〕年，為驤所生得，輿登致雄。言辭慷慨，涕泣歔欷，無服降臣折情，雄乃殺之。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- ^ (囚其軍士，皆以為奴虜，畀兵士。而連陰雨百餘日，雄中以登為枉，而所領無辜，怒氣感天。〔雄〕下赦，出登軍士湮沒者。) Huayang Guozhi, vol.11
- Chang, Qu (4th century). Chronicles of Huayang (Huayang Guozhi)
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.