Meng Ao (蒙骜, Mông Ngao; d. 240 BC), native of the State of Qi, was the celebrated patriarch of the legendary Meng military family of the State of Qin, Grand General under King Zhaoxiang (King Zhaoxiang of Qin), King Xiaowen, King Zhuangxiang (King Zhuangxiang), and the young Qin Shi Huang.
Emigrating from Qi to Qin to offer his martial talents, Meng Ao conquered dozens of cities across the Central Plains. In 249 BC under King Zhuangxiang, Meng Ao commanded the army that extinguished Eastern Zhou, seizing Luoyang and annexing all ancestral Zhou territory into Qin. He captured over thirty cities from Han, Wei, and Zhao, including Taiyuan and Jinyang, creating the Sanchuan and Taiyuan commanderies. He was the father of General Meng Wu (Meng Wu) and grandfather of Great Wall conqueror Meng Tian (Meng Tian) and minister Meng Yi (Meng Yi), cementing the Meng clan as the foremost military pillar of Qin’s unification.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 5, Annals of Qin): “Meng Ao struck Han, took Chenggao and Xingyang, and established Sanchuan Commandery. He conquered Eastern Zhou, took thirty-seven cities of Zhao, and laid the foundations of the empire.”
Meng Ao — Historical & Literary Timeline
Warring States
Immigration to Qin
Travels from Qi to Xianyang; rises through merit under King Zhaoxiang.
249 BC
Extinction of Eastern Zhou
Captures Luoyang; extinguishes the final remnant of the Zhou Dynasty.
247–242 BC
Conquests in Han, Wei, and Zhao
Conquers over thirty cities, establishing Taiyuan and Sanchuan commanderies.
240 BC
Passing in Xianyang
Dies in Xianyang; honored as the grand founding general of the Meng dynasty.
Key Relationships
Family
- Son Meng Wu (蒙武): General who conquered Chu with Wang Jian.
- Grandsons Meng Tian (Meng Tian), Meng Yi (蒙毅): Famed Great Wall general and high minister of Qin Shi Huang.
Friends
- Monarch of Qin King Zhuangxiang of Qin: Ruler who entrusted him with supreme commands.
- Chancellor Lu Buwei (吕不韦): Collaborated on state expansion.
Enemies
- Allied Coalition Lord Xinling (Wei Wuji): Repulsed Meng Ao at the Yellow River in 247 BC.
- Rival Kingdoms States of Han, Wei, and Zhao: Shattered across decades of campaigns.
Other
- First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇): Ruler whom Meng Ao served in youth.
In Shiji
"Three generations of Meng generals held the iron vanguard of Qin; Meng Ao laid the stones upon which his grandsons built the Great Wall."
Historical Context
Meng Ao was the strategic architect who dismantled the central buffer states (Han and Wei), placing Qin's frontline bases directly adjacent to the capitals of the remaining Warring States.
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