| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 韩桓惠王, 韓桓惠王, Hán Huánhuì Wáng |
| Other name | Hàn Hoàn Huệ Vương |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Xinzheng, State of Han (韩国新郑; Tân Trịnh, nước Hàn) |
| Died | 239 BC |
| Death Reason | Natural causes |
| FAMILY | |
| Children | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | State of Han (Warring States Period) |
King Huanhui of Han (韩桓惠王, Hán Hoàn Huệ vương; reigned 272–239 BC), was the monarch of the State of Han during the catastrophic twilight of the Warring States period, son of King Xi of Han.
Facing relentless military devastation from Qin, King Huanhui made the desperate strategic decision in 262 BC to surrender Han’s isolated commandery of Shangdang to the State of Zhao, inadvertently triggering the cataclysmic Battle of Changping where Qin buried four hundred thousand Zhao troops alive. In a desperate bid to deplete Qin’s economic resources and prevent further invasion, King Huanhui dispatched water engineer Zheng Guo (郑国) to Qin to persuade King Zheng (Qin Shi Huang) to construct a massive irrigation canal. Ironically, while the Zheng Guo Canal cost Qin immense treasury funds, it ultimately turned Qin’s Guanzhong basin into an agricultural paradise, providing the boundless grain that allowed Qin to conquer Han and all of China.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 29, Treatise on the Rivers and Canals): “Han feared Qin’s invasion; King Huanhui sent Zheng Guo as a spy to dig a vast canal, hoping to exhaust Qin’s labor. Qin completed the canal, watering forty thousand qing of alkali soil, and the granaries of Qin overflowed with grain to swallow the empire.”
King Huanhui of Han — Historical & Literary Timeline
272 BC
Accession in Xinzheng
Succeeds King Xi of Han; rules under continuous Qin aggression.
262 BC
The Ceding of Shangdang
Offers Shangdang to Zhao, unintentionally sparking the Battle of Changping.
246 BC
The Zheng Guo Canal Scheme
Dispatches hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to divert Qin’s resources into massive canal construction.
239 BC
Passing & Succession
Passes away in Xinzheng; succeeded by King An of Han, the last king of Han.
Key Relationships
Family
- Father King Xi of Han (韩厘王): Preceding monarch of Han.
- Son King An of Han (韩王安 – Han An): Last ruler of Han, captured when Qin annexed the state in 230 BC.
Friends
- Water Engineer / Spy Zheng Guo (郑国, Trịnh Quốc): Engineer who dug the legendary Zheng Guo Canal.
Enemies
- Qin Conqueror Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇 – King Zheng of Qin): Whose empire was ironically strengthened by Han’s canal scheme.
- Qin General Bai Qi (白起, Bạch Khởi – Lord Wu’an): Shattered Han and Zhao at Changping.
Other
- Philosopher Prince Han Feizi (Han Feizi): Royal kinsman who penned foundational Legalist treatises.
In Shiji
The Irony of the Canal
"Han's scheme was subtle, but Heaven turned it to Qin's glory; the waters of the Jing River fed the spears that extinguished the house of Han."
Historical Context
The Zheng Guo Canal scheme under King Huanhui is one of the most famous examples of espionage backfiring in ancient history, cementing Qin's agricultural hegemony.
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