| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 章邯, 章邯, Zhāng Hán |
| Other name | Chương Hàm |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | ? BC |
| Birth Place | Xianyang, State of Qin (秦国咸阳; Hàm Dương, nước Tần) |
| Died | 205 BC |
| Death Reason | Committed suicide after fall of Feiqiu to Han Xin |
| FAMILY | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Qin / Western Chu |
Zhang Han (章邯, Chương Hàm; d. 205 BC; King of Yong 雍王), was the brilliant last great general of the Qin Dynasty, whose tactical genius temporarily saved the Qin Empire before being destroyed by court treachery and Xiang Yu.
Serving as Minister of the Treasury (Shaofu) when rebel general Zhou Wen led hundreds of thousands of insurgents to the gates of Xianyang in 209 BC, Zhang Han proposed an audacious plan: liberate and arm hundreds of thousands of convicts and laborers working on Qin Shi Huang’s Mount Li Mausoleum. Leading this convict army, Zhang Han shattered Zhou Wen, crushed and killed rebel leader Chen Sheng in Dazexiang, annihilated Wei and Qi forces, and killed supreme Chu commander Xiang Liang at the Battle of Dingtao, nearly suffocating the entire anti-Qin rebellion in its cradle.
However, during the epic Siege of Julu in 207 BC, Xiang Yu routed Zhang Han’s subordinate Wang Li. While Zhang Han held his lines, treacherous eunuch Zhao Gao executed his messengers in Xianyang and prepared to frame Zhang Han for treason. Trapped between Xiang Yu’s ferocious attacks and Zhao Gao’s executioners, Zhang Han wept and surrendered his two-hundred-thousand-man army to Xiang Yu at the River Yin. Ennobled by Xiang Yu as King of Yong to guard the Guanzhong approaches against Liu Bang, Zhang Han was outmaneuvered in 206 BC when Han Xin secretly crossed Chencang. Besieged in Feiqiu for ten months, Zhang Han fought until the city was flooded with river waters, cutting his throat with his sword rather than surrender to Han.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 73, Biography of Bai Qi and Wang Jian): “Zhang Han freed the convicts of Mount Li and broke Chen Sheng; he slew Xiang Liang and laid siege to Julu. Yet Zhao Gao poisoned the capital, and Zhang Han met Xiang Yu at the river, weeping as he knelt before Western Chu.”
Zhang Han — Historical & Literary Timeline
209 BC
The Convict Army of Mount Li
Arms Mount Li laborers; crushes Zhou Wen and Chen Sheng.
208 BC
Triumph at Dingtao
Slays Chu supreme commander Xiang Liang in a night assault.
207 BC
The Siege of Julu & Surrender
Shattered by Xiang Yu at Julu; framed by Zhao Gao, surrenders 200,000 men to Chu.
206 BC
King of Yong
Ennobled as King of Yong by Xiang Yu in Guanzhong.
205 BC
The Flooding of Feiqiu & Suicide
Besieged by Han Xin; commits suicide when Feiqiu is flooded.
Key Relationships
Family
- Brother Zhang Ping (章平): General who defended Guanzhong with him.
Friends
- Qin Generals Sima Xin (Sima Xin), Dong Yi: Subordinates who surrendered to Chu with him.
Enemies
- Treacherous Eunuch Zhao Gao (赵高, Triệu Cao): Betrayed Zhang Han and framed his messengers.
- Hegemon Conqueror Xiang Yu (Hạng Vũ): Defeated him at Julu and buried his 200,000 troops alive at Xin’an.
- Han Strategist Han Xin (Hàn Tín): Outmaneuvered him through Chencang.
Other
- Slain Rebel Xiang Liang (项梁): Chu commander slain by Zhang Han at Dingtao.
In Shiji
The Tears of the Last General
"Zhang Han met Xiang Yu by the river and shed bitter tears: 'I fought for Qin until my hair grew white; yet in Xianyang, the blades of Zhao Gao awaited my return!' Xiang Yu took his hand and made him King of Yong."
Historical Context
Zhang Han was the final shield of the Qin Dynasty; his tragic surrender at Julu irrevocably extinguished Qin's imperial authority over China.
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