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Xiahou Dun
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Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun (ⓘ) (died 13 June 220), courtesy name Yuanrang, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He served for a few months under Cao Cao's successor, Cao Pi, before his death. As one of Cao Cao's most trusted generals, Xiahou Dun aided the warlord in his campaigns against Lü Bu, Liu Bei, Sun Quan and others.
Xiahou Dun lost his left eye when he was a hit by a stray arrow during a battle against Lü Bu in the late 190s, and subsequently became known among the army as "Blind Xiahou". His image as a one-eyed warrior was popularized by the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which he ripped the arrow from the socket, devoured his own eyeball, and rejoined the battle.
Xiahou Dun was from Qiao County (譙縣), Pei State (沛國), in present-day Bozhou, Anhui. He was a descendant of Xiahou Ying, who served under the Han dynasty's founding emperor, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao). Though the family hadn't reached national prominence in the centuries since, they were a leading family in Pei, often intermarrying down the generations with the other prominent local Ding and Cao clans. Xiahou Dun first gained recognition when he killed a man who insulted his teacher when he was 13 years old.
In the 180s, possibly when Cao Cao was appointed Cavalry Commandant to help fight Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan, Xiahou Dun helped Cao Cao raise troops, and from then on would follow him across many a battle as his second in command. In 190, when Cao Cao was raising an army to participate in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Xiahou Dun became his Major (司馬), and when they were defeated by Xu Rong at Suanzao, Xiahou Dun went with Cao Cao to recruit more troops in Yang Province, though they would face a mutiny among their new soldiers. Xiahou Dun was sent to garrison Boma (白馬; near present-day Hua County, Henan), later promoted to Colonel Who Breaks and Charges (折衝校尉), and as Cao Cao became Governor of Yan in 192, Dun succeeded him as the Administrator (太守) of Dong Commandery (東郡; the areas around present-day Puyang, Henan and Liaocheng, Shandong).
In 193, Cao Cao left his base in Yan Province on a campaign against Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, whom he held responsible for the murder of his father Cao Song. Xiahou Dun was left behind in Dong commandery, stationed to hold its capital Puyang.
While Cao Cao was away in Xu Province, his subordinates Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled in Yan Province and invited the warlord Lü Bu to take Yan. However, Zhang Miao's attempt to reassure Xun Yu of Lü Bu's intent instead tipped Xun Yu off to the revolt, prompting Xun Yu to write to Xiahou Dun requesting that he reinforce Juancheng County. Xiahou Dun led a lightly armed force towards Juancheng, but he encountered Lü Bu's army on the way and engaged the enemy in battle. Lü Bu withdrew his forces and took advantage of Xiahou Dun's absence to conquer Puyang, capturing much of Xiahou's supplies and equipment. Lü Bu later sent his men to pretend to surrender to Xiahou Dun, who fell for the ruse and was taken hostage by the enemy in his own camp. Lü Bu's men demanded a heavy ransom, and Xiahou Dun's troops panicked, but Xiahou Dun's personally recruited subordinate Han Hao settled the troops and ordered an attack on the surprised hostage-takers, who surrendered. Han Hao had them executed, and Xiahou Dun was rescued.
Xiahou Dun then continued eastwards to Juancheng, reinforcing the small garrison there where a number of military officials had been plotting to join the revolt. The night he arrived, Xiahou Dun executed the plotters and settled the army. He also urged Xun Yu not to endanger himself by meeting with the wavering Inspector of Yu Province, Guo Gong, whose army had camped outside the city gates, fearing the consequences of losing such a prominent official as Xun Yu. Xun Yu, however, went out and was able to persuade Guo Gong to withdraw. Xiahou Dun, Xun Yu and the local official Cheng Yu would comprise the core of the Cao loyalists preserving the slim remnant Cao holdings in eastern Yan.
When Cao Cao learned of the rebellion, he withdrew his army from Xu Province and returned to Yan Province to attack Lü Bu. Xiahou Dun participated in the campaign and was struck in the left eye by a stray arrow during a skirmish. As a result, when Dun and his cousin Xiahou Yuan had both reached the rank of General (putting this from 209 onwards), he was given the nickname "Blind Xiahou" (盲夏侯) in Cao Cao's army. Xiahou Dun hated this nickname and would throw a mirror to the ground whenever he saw his own reflection. Lü Bu and Cao Cao fought near Puyang for over one-hundred days, during which time Xiahou Dun's Major Dian Wei distinguished himself and was transferred to Cao Cao's personal guard. Eventually, famine forced both armies to withdraw, and in 195 Cao Cao drove Lü Bu out of Yan.
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Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun (ⓘ) (died 13 June 220), courtesy name Yuanrang, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He served for a few months under Cao Cao's successor, Cao Pi, before his death. As one of Cao Cao's most trusted generals, Xiahou Dun aided the warlord in his campaigns against Lü Bu, Liu Bei, Sun Quan and others.
Xiahou Dun lost his left eye when he was a hit by a stray arrow during a battle against Lü Bu in the late 190s, and subsequently became known among the army as "Blind Xiahou". His image as a one-eyed warrior was popularized by the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which he ripped the arrow from the socket, devoured his own eyeball, and rejoined the battle.
Xiahou Dun was from Qiao County (譙縣), Pei State (沛國), in present-day Bozhou, Anhui. He was a descendant of Xiahou Ying, who served under the Han dynasty's founding emperor, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao). Though the family hadn't reached national prominence in the centuries since, they were a leading family in Pei, often intermarrying down the generations with the other prominent local Ding and Cao clans. Xiahou Dun first gained recognition when he killed a man who insulted his teacher when he was 13 years old.
In the 180s, possibly when Cao Cao was appointed Cavalry Commandant to help fight Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan, Xiahou Dun helped Cao Cao raise troops, and from then on would follow him across many a battle as his second in command. In 190, when Cao Cao was raising an army to participate in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Xiahou Dun became his Major (司馬), and when they were defeated by Xu Rong at Suanzao, Xiahou Dun went with Cao Cao to recruit more troops in Yang Province, though they would face a mutiny among their new soldiers. Xiahou Dun was sent to garrison Boma (白馬; near present-day Hua County, Henan), later promoted to Colonel Who Breaks and Charges (折衝校尉), and as Cao Cao became Governor of Yan in 192, Dun succeeded him as the Administrator (太守) of Dong Commandery (東郡; the areas around present-day Puyang, Henan and Liaocheng, Shandong).
In 193, Cao Cao left his base in Yan Province on a campaign against Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, whom he held responsible for the murder of his father Cao Song. Xiahou Dun was left behind in Dong commandery, stationed to hold its capital Puyang.
While Cao Cao was away in Xu Province, his subordinates Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled in Yan Province and invited the warlord Lü Bu to take Yan. However, Zhang Miao's attempt to reassure Xun Yu of Lü Bu's intent instead tipped Xun Yu off to the revolt, prompting Xun Yu to write to Xiahou Dun requesting that he reinforce Juancheng County. Xiahou Dun led a lightly armed force towards Juancheng, but he encountered Lü Bu's army on the way and engaged the enemy in battle. Lü Bu withdrew his forces and took advantage of Xiahou Dun's absence to conquer Puyang, capturing much of Xiahou's supplies and equipment. Lü Bu later sent his men to pretend to surrender to Xiahou Dun, who fell for the ruse and was taken hostage by the enemy in his own camp. Lü Bu's men demanded a heavy ransom, and Xiahou Dun's troops panicked, but Xiahou Dun's personally recruited subordinate Han Hao settled the troops and ordered an attack on the surprised hostage-takers, who surrendered. Han Hao had them executed, and Xiahou Dun was rescued.
Xiahou Dun then continued eastwards to Juancheng, reinforcing the small garrison there where a number of military officials had been plotting to join the revolt. The night he arrived, Xiahou Dun executed the plotters and settled the army. He also urged Xun Yu not to endanger himself by meeting with the wavering Inspector of Yu Province, Guo Gong, whose army had camped outside the city gates, fearing the consequences of losing such a prominent official as Xun Yu. Xun Yu, however, went out and was able to persuade Guo Gong to withdraw. Xiahou Dun, Xun Yu and the local official Cheng Yu would comprise the core of the Cao loyalists preserving the slim remnant Cao holdings in eastern Yan.
When Cao Cao learned of the rebellion, he withdrew his army from Xu Province and returned to Yan Province to attack Lü Bu. Xiahou Dun participated in the campaign and was struck in the left eye by a stray arrow during a skirmish. As a result, when Dun and his cousin Xiahou Yuan had both reached the rank of General (putting this from 209 onwards), he was given the nickname "Blind Xiahou" (盲夏侯) in Cao Cao's army. Xiahou Dun hated this nickname and would throw a mirror to the ground whenever he saw his own reflection. Lü Bu and Cao Cao fought near Puyang for over one-hundred days, during which time Xiahou Dun's Major Dian Wei distinguished himself and was transferred to Cao Cao's personal guard. Eventually, famine forced both armies to withdraw, and in 195 Cao Cao drove Lü Bu out of Yan.
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