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Xu Kan
Xu Kan (died c.August 322) was a Chinese bandit and warlord during the Jin dynasty (266–420) and Sixteen Kingdoms period. Originally an outlaw, Xu Kan was made the Administrator of Taishan by Jin in 318 after driving out the position's initial candidate. Xu possessed autonomy over the commandery and constantly switched allegiance between Jin and its northern rival, Later Zhao whenever he saw fit until his capture by the Zhao general, Shi Hu in 322. Xu Kan had an unusual execution; he was ordered to be stuffed into a bag and thrown off a tall tower to his death before having his body cannibalized.
Xu Kan was from Taishan Commandery and was described as a brave individual. He began a life of banditry by robbing and plundering the local populace, and it was said that he committed his crimes "like a storm". In 318, Sima Yang (司馬颺) was appointed the Administrator of Taishan. According to the biography of Dai Yang (a Jin official and Taoist diviner) in the Jin Shu, Sima Yang was thinking of selling his mansion before departing. Dai Yang warned him not to, as he correctly predicted the prince would not take the post. He was unable to because Taishan was threatened by Xu Kan. That same year, Xu Kan was made Administrator of Taishan.
After his appointment, Jin's Interior Minister of Pengcheng, Zhou Fu (周撫), surrendered to the Han-Zhao general, Shi Le after killing Jin's Interior Minister of Pei, Zhou Mo (周默). In response, the Jin emperor, Sima Rui issued Liu Xia, Cai Bao and Xu Kan to campaign against him. The three generals fought Zhou Fu and decisively defeated him in early 319. After Zhou's defeat, Xu Kan pursued Zhou Fu with his army and beheaded him. Despite Xu's accomplishment, the Jin court honoured Liu Xia first and foremost. This angered Xu Kan, and in April 319, he rebelled in Taishan. He submitted to Shi Le and declared himself Inspector of Yanzhou as well as General Who Stabilizes the North.
Xu Kan raided the Ji (済, around modern day Jinan, Shandong) and Dai (岱, north of modern-day Tai'an, Shandong) regions before eventually breaching into Dongguan Commandery (東莞郡; around present-day Yishui County, Shandong). By June, he had defeated the Prefect of Dongguan, Hou Shimao (侯史旄), and occupied his fortress. As the problem escalated, Sima Rui's advisor, Wang Dao, recommended him to appoint a native of Taishan named Yang Jian to lead against Xu Kan. Yang was made commander with Liu Xia and Cai Bao serving under him. They were also helped from the north by the Xianbei general in Youzhou, Duan Wenyang.
Although Xu Kan had submitted to Shi Le (who by this point had declared independence from Han-Zhao), Shi Le sent his general Shi Hu to attack Taishan as well. Xu Kan panicked as he realized he was being attacked from both his north and south. Xu Kan quickly surrendered back to Jin to avoid total defeat.
Xu Kan once again rebelled in 320. Yang Jian camped himself at Xiapi while Cai Bao defeated Xu Kan at Tanqiu (檀丘, north-east of modern-day Linyi, Shandong). After his recent defeat, Xu Kan submitted to Shi Le's Later Zhao in September. When asked for reinforcements, Shi Le declined as he claimed was facing larger problems on his part, but on the contrary, he was also overly demanding toward Xu Kan. In the end, Shi Le only sent a few hundred cavalries under Wang Fudu (王伏都) to assist him, with Zhang Jing's (張敬) cavalries acting as reserves.
Relations between Shi Le and Xu Kan broke down further due to Wang Fudu's attitude. Wang displayed an arrogant demeanour toward Xu Kan, refusing to treat him as his equal and violating his wife. Xu Kan was furious and began to doubt his alignment with Shi Le. Zhang Jing then moved his army to Dongping and Xu Kan suspected he was about to be attacked. Xu Kan killed Wang Fudu and 300 of his men before attempting to re-submit to Jin.
This time, Sima Rui refused to accept Xu Kan. He had grown irritated with his actions and believed that he would rebel again in the near future. Instead, he ordered Yang Jian and Cai Bao to intensify the campaign against him. In spite of Sima Rui's order, Yang Jian was still too cautious and refused to advance in order to face Xu Kan. Because of this, he was accused of cowardice and removed from his offices. Cai Bao was chosen to take over his command.
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Xu Kan
Xu Kan (died c.August 322) was a Chinese bandit and warlord during the Jin dynasty (266–420) and Sixteen Kingdoms period. Originally an outlaw, Xu Kan was made the Administrator of Taishan by Jin in 318 after driving out the position's initial candidate. Xu possessed autonomy over the commandery and constantly switched allegiance between Jin and its northern rival, Later Zhao whenever he saw fit until his capture by the Zhao general, Shi Hu in 322. Xu Kan had an unusual execution; he was ordered to be stuffed into a bag and thrown off a tall tower to his death before having his body cannibalized.
Xu Kan was from Taishan Commandery and was described as a brave individual. He began a life of banditry by robbing and plundering the local populace, and it was said that he committed his crimes "like a storm". In 318, Sima Yang (司馬颺) was appointed the Administrator of Taishan. According to the biography of Dai Yang (a Jin official and Taoist diviner) in the Jin Shu, Sima Yang was thinking of selling his mansion before departing. Dai Yang warned him not to, as he correctly predicted the prince would not take the post. He was unable to because Taishan was threatened by Xu Kan. That same year, Xu Kan was made Administrator of Taishan.
After his appointment, Jin's Interior Minister of Pengcheng, Zhou Fu (周撫), surrendered to the Han-Zhao general, Shi Le after killing Jin's Interior Minister of Pei, Zhou Mo (周默). In response, the Jin emperor, Sima Rui issued Liu Xia, Cai Bao and Xu Kan to campaign against him. The three generals fought Zhou Fu and decisively defeated him in early 319. After Zhou's defeat, Xu Kan pursued Zhou Fu with his army and beheaded him. Despite Xu's accomplishment, the Jin court honoured Liu Xia first and foremost. This angered Xu Kan, and in April 319, he rebelled in Taishan. He submitted to Shi Le and declared himself Inspector of Yanzhou as well as General Who Stabilizes the North.
Xu Kan raided the Ji (済, around modern day Jinan, Shandong) and Dai (岱, north of modern-day Tai'an, Shandong) regions before eventually breaching into Dongguan Commandery (東莞郡; around present-day Yishui County, Shandong). By June, he had defeated the Prefect of Dongguan, Hou Shimao (侯史旄), and occupied his fortress. As the problem escalated, Sima Rui's advisor, Wang Dao, recommended him to appoint a native of Taishan named Yang Jian to lead against Xu Kan. Yang was made commander with Liu Xia and Cai Bao serving under him. They were also helped from the north by the Xianbei general in Youzhou, Duan Wenyang.
Although Xu Kan had submitted to Shi Le (who by this point had declared independence from Han-Zhao), Shi Le sent his general Shi Hu to attack Taishan as well. Xu Kan panicked as he realized he was being attacked from both his north and south. Xu Kan quickly surrendered back to Jin to avoid total defeat.
Xu Kan once again rebelled in 320. Yang Jian camped himself at Xiapi while Cai Bao defeated Xu Kan at Tanqiu (檀丘, north-east of modern-day Linyi, Shandong). After his recent defeat, Xu Kan submitted to Shi Le's Later Zhao in September. When asked for reinforcements, Shi Le declined as he claimed was facing larger problems on his part, but on the contrary, he was also overly demanding toward Xu Kan. In the end, Shi Le only sent a few hundred cavalries under Wang Fudu (王伏都) to assist him, with Zhang Jing's (張敬) cavalries acting as reserves.
Relations between Shi Le and Xu Kan broke down further due to Wang Fudu's attitude. Wang displayed an arrogant demeanour toward Xu Kan, refusing to treat him as his equal and violating his wife. Xu Kan was furious and began to doubt his alignment with Shi Le. Zhang Jing then moved his army to Dongping and Xu Kan suspected he was about to be attacked. Xu Kan killed Wang Fudu and 300 of his men before attempting to re-submit to Jin.
This time, Sima Rui refused to accept Xu Kan. He had grown irritated with his actions and believed that he would rebel again in the near future. Instead, he ordered Yang Jian and Cai Bao to intensify the campaign against him. In spite of Sima Rui's order, Yang Jian was still too cautious and refused to advance in order to face Xu Kan. Because of this, he was accused of cowardice and removed from his offices. Cai Bao was chosen to take over his command.