sbdcsierra Chapter 119 The Strongest Diplomat - Ban Chao
Chapter 119 The Strongest Diplomat - Ban Chao
[Stories about Ban Chao, the most powerful diplomat in the Han Dynasty, and his family history]
[He was originally from a famous family, but he gave up his pen and joined the army. With only 36 men, he burned down the Hun army camp, killed foreign generals with his sword, and swept across 55 countries in the Western Regions.]
[He didn’t want soldiers or money, but went deep into the tiger’s den. He controlled the Western Regions for 31 years with his personal courage and genius diplomatic means.]
[If Huo Qubing was a sharp sword bestowed by God on the Western Han Dynasty, then Ban Chao was the indestructible wall that the Eastern Han Empire stood in front of the Xiongnu.]
[In this video, let us follow the chronological order and understand Ban Chao's legendary life in one go. 】
——"Is he Tyson with those thirty-six? That's too fierce."
——"Tyson is not enough, at least thirty-six Lu Bu-level people will do."
——"Sometimes the feats performed by the ancients are really jaw-dropping. Let alone other things, even if I were to lead 36 people and add hot weapons, I don't think I could pacify the 50 countries in the Western Regions."
[Born in 32 AD, Ban Chao died of illness in Luoyang in 102 AD at the age of 71.]
[He followed Dou Gu to attack the Northern Xiongnu and spent 50 years on the mission to the Western Regions. He brought only people with him. Backed by the prestige of the country, he conquered more than countries in the Western Regions and created idioms such as "If you don't venture into the tiger's den, how can you get the grain?".]
——"This is also a master of idioms."
——"I can't help it. I am a cultured person. With cultured people and military talent, it is easy for me to create idioms."
[It laid a solid foundation for the Eastern Han Dynasty to completely eliminate the Northern Huns. To fully understand Ban Chao's life story, we have to start from the beginning. ]
[Ban Chao was born in 32 AD into a prominent family. His father, Ban Biao, was a famous historian in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his elder brother was Ban Gu, who pioneered the writing of dynastic history and compiled the Book of Han.]
[Ban Chao was influenced by his surroundings and read a large number of historical books since he was a child. He was trained as a liberal arts student and his grades were not inferior to those of his father and brothers. His eloquence was particularly outstanding.]
When Ban Chao was 31 years old, his elder brother Ban Gu was summoned to Beijing to serve as a teacher. Ban Chao and his mother also moved to Luoyang.
[Ban Chao's family was poor, so he could only make a living by copying documents for the government. Later, because of Ban Gu, he was appointed as the Lanting Lingshi by Emperor Ming of Han. He was in charge of memorials and documents.]
[But not long after, Ban Chao was dismissed for his mistakes. At this time, the vassal states in the Western Regions had been separated from the jurisdiction of the central dynasty since Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty and were controlled by the Northern Xiongnu.]
[After receiving human and material support from the Western Regions, the Northern Xiongnu became much stronger and repeatedly invaded the counties in Hexi, causing great suffering to the people in the border areas of the Han Dynasty.]
[In 73 AD, Ban Chao decided to join the army and followed the imperial carriage commander Dou Gu to the Western Regions.]
[During the Eastern Han Dynasty, people usually referred to the area west of the Hexi Corridor, east of the Pamir Plateau, north of the Kunlun Mountains, and north and south of the Tianshan Mountains as the Western Regions.]
[There are dozens of countries of all sizes living in this dry land. Ban Chao showed his unique talents as soon as he joined the army. He led his troops to fight against the Northern Huns and won many victories, so he was deeply appreciated by Dou Gu. ]
[Soon after, Dou Ku sent Ban Chao on his first diplomatic mission to the Western Regions. Ban Chao led a delegation of 37 people and first came to Shanshan, which was once called Loulan and was a must-go place for people from the Central Plains to the Western Regions.]
【What Ban Chao did not expect was that the Xiongnu also sent more than 100 warriors to Shanshan. Ban Chao decisively decided not to venture into the tiger's den and not to catch the tiger's cub. That night, he led 100 men to attack the Xiongnu envoy's station and wiped out more than Xiongnu warriors. 】
[The king of Shanshan also rekindled his confidence in following the Eastern Han Empire, and from then on Ban Chao kicked off his 30-year legendary years in the Western Regions.]
"Well, you are a real warrior!"
Emperor Wu of Han looked at the sky curtain and couldn't help but praise loudly.
He is truly a talented person. In a foreign country, even though he had fewer people than the enemy, he still dared to take the initiative to attack and won a great victory. This is truly a brave and resourceful act.
It's not just Emperor Wu of Han.
Huo Qubing and Wei Qing outside the palace also couldn't help but praise him.
Especially Huo Qubing, his eyes lit up like lanterns when he saw this.
Originally, Tianmu said that he was the sharp sword of the Western Han Dynasty, and Ban Chao was the strong wall of the Eastern Han Dynasty!
He was still a little unconvinced, but after seeing this, if nothing else, he at least admired Ban Chao's courage.
"You are worthy of being on par with me. You are really capable." Huo Qubing said arrogantly.
Wei Qing was speechless after hearing this, and couldn't help but glance at him: "Look at your behavior, don't be too arrogant, be careful not to fall down in the future."
"Hey, I know, uncle."
……
Eastern Han Dynasty.
Liu Xiu also praised loudly: "I didn't expect that there is such a talent in my Eastern Han Dynasty. It's a pity that we were not born in the same era. Otherwise, I would definitely reward him well."
After Liu Xiu finished speaking, the civil officials below were fine, but the military generals all felt a little jealous.
They are not bad, okay? Your Majesty, isn't it a bit hurtful for you to say that?
"What? You're still not convinced?"
"Then let you take thirty-six people to pacify the Western Regions? If anyone is capable, raise your hand. I am very generous and will give you three hundred and sixty people. Do you think it is possible?"
There was a sudden silence below.
……
[In 74 AD, Ban Chao led his troops again, advancing towards the Western Regions along the Taklimakan Desert, and along the southern route of the Western Regions, he recovered various countries one by one.]
[This time, the Xiongnu arrived in Khotan earlier than Ban Chao and sent a wizard to seduce the king of Khotan. When Ban Chao learned about this, he first designed to kill the wizard, and then used his prestige in Shanshan, who only killed Xiongnu, to persuade the king of Khotan to submit to the Eastern Han Dynasty.]
[In this way, Ban Chao, with his strategy and decisiveness, completely conquered the Western Regions Male Road, and set his next target on the Shule Kingdom, which was near the intersection of the two roads in the north and south of the Western Regions.]
[At this time, the Xiongnu's ally, Qiuci, had killed the king of Shule and established a puppet king who obeyed them. Ban Chao first sent his subordinate Tian Lu to capture the new king, and then re-established the old king's nephew as the new king of Shule, causing Shule to return to the Han Dynasty.]
[At the same time, Dou Gu also led his army to defeat the powerful Cheshi Kingdom in the north, cutting off the connection between the Xiongnu and the Kingdom of Qiuci and the Kingdom of Yan and Qi. He echoed Ban Chao in the south, and finally made the Western Regions return to the Han Dynasty. ]
[The Western Regions Protectorate was restored, and Ban Chao and his thirty-six brothers stayed in Shule State and continued to serve the country.]
[In 75 AD, Emperor Ming of Han died. With the support of the Xiongnu, the Kingdoms of Qiuci and Yanqi took advantage of the Han Dynasty's great mourning to capture the Western Regions Protectorate. Ban Chao, who had only subordinates, became the only remaining military force of the Eastern Han Empire in the Western Regions and was besieged in the Kingdom of Shule.]
[The Kingdom of Kucha and the Kingdom of Yanqi also repeatedly sent troops to attack Shule, a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. Ban Chao and the King of Shule supported each other and gathered in Pantuo City. Although they were alone, they still persisted for more than a year.]
[A year later, Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Zhuang, ascended the throne. He was worried that Ban Chao would be alone in the border area and would have difficulty supporting himself, so he issued an edict ordering Ban Chao to return home. Upon learning of this, the people of Shule and Yutian burst into tears, unwilling to see Ban Chao leave.]
[In order to defend the hard-won Western Regions for the Han Dynasty, Ban Chao decided to disobey the orders of the troops outside the country, disobey the order of Emperor Zhang of Han to withdraw troops, and stay in Shule State to continue to shoulder the heavy responsibility of guarding the Western Regions.]
[In 78 AD, Ban Chao led more than 1 soldiers from Sule and other vassal states to attack Gumo State, killing more than 700 enemy soldiers and isolating Qiuci. He then wrote to Emperor Zhang of Han, stating that he did not need the court to send troops or money, and that as long as he was allowed to stay in the Western Regions with people, the flag of the Western Regions would fly forever.]
[When Emperor Zhang of Han saw that this guy was so capable and didn't need to pay for it himself, he readily agreed to Ban Chao's request and symbolically sent him 1000 soldiers.]
——"Thirty-six people are so strong, if we give them another thousand, wouldn't they be invincible? (dog head)"
[After 6 years of preparation, Ban Chao thought the time had come and prepared to mobilize the troops of Shule and Yutian to attack Shache. The Eastern Han court also sent He Gong as acting Sima to lead 800 elite soldiers to reinforce Ban Chao. ]
——"No, buddy, you only sent a few people to the war to destroy the country? Do you think it's just a small-time Warring States village fight?"
——"It's really outrageous. In fact, the emperor's attitude is to let him go. He didn't dare to give Ban Chao too many troops, and Ban Chao has been wandering outside for too long."
[However, unexpectedly, King Zhaba secretly bribed the King of Shule with a large gift, causing the King of Shule to rebel and occupy Wuji City. Ban Chao then appointed a new King of Shule, and after two years of hard fighting, he subdued the rebellion of Shule, making the southern route to the Western Regions open again.]
——"Why do you think this is necessary? Is it worth it for that little money?"
——"Xie Baoqing, Xie Baoqing, why did you mess with Li Yunlong?"
[In 87 AD, Ban Chao led the troops of Khotan and other countries to attack Brake again. The Kingdom of Kucha, Gumo and other countries combined 5 troops to rescue Brake. Faced with the situation that the enemy was strong and we were weak, Ban Chao used the strategy of luring the main force of the enemy away from the mountain, and took the opportunity to attack Brake's base camp. He finally repelled the coalition forces of Kucha and forced Brake to return to the Han Dynasty.]
[In 90 AD, the Great Yuezhi sent 7 troops to attack Ban Chao. Ban Chao predicted that the enemy would run out of food and grass and would definitely send people to Qiuci for help, so he set up an ambush in advance and killed the messenger, eventually forcing the Great Yuezhi to pay tribute to the Han Dynasty every year.]
[A year later, the states of Kucha and Dayuezhi sent envoys to pledge their loyalty. The Eastern Han Empire re-established the Protectorate of the Western Regions and appointed Ban Chao as the Protectorate of the Western Regions. By this time, only three states, namely Yanqi, Weixu and Yuli, had not yet surrendered, while the rest had been pacified.]
[In 94 AD, Ban Chao mobilized troops from eight vassal states, including Qiuci and Shanshan, totaling more than people, to attack Yanqi, Weixu and other three states. In less than a year, the Eastern Han Empire once again unified the entire Western Regions.]
[In order to commend Ban Chao for his meritorious service, the imperial court issued an edict to confer him the title of Marquis of Dingyuan, with a fief of 1,000 households. Later generations called him Ban Dingyuan.]
[During his reign over the Western Regions, Ban Chao also sent Gan Ying as an envoy to the Roman Empire, but Gan Ying was eventually blocked by the Persian Gulf and had to return to the Western Regions.]
[After living in the Western Regions for 30 years, Ban Chao felt that he had lived in a remote and foreign land for a long time and gradually began to miss his hometown. The 36 brothers who had fought with him in the past were no longer alive.]
[In 100 AD, Ban Chao requested to return to his hometown as a minister to Emperor He of Han. Emperor He was moved by Ban Chao's memorial and summoned him back to the court. Ban Chao lived in the Western Regions for 31 years.]
[In 102 AD, Ban Chao returned to Luoyang and was appointed as the Shesheng Schoolmaster. Ban Chao had a chest and rib disease, which worsened soon after he entered the court. One month after returning to Luoyang, Ban Chao died.]
[When the Xiongnu invaded again, Ban Chao's son Ban Yong led 500 soldiers and spent five years to open up the Western Regions for the third time, making the sound of camel bells ring again on the Silk Road.]
——"Great! Like father, like son! He is a hero, and his son is also a hero."
——"The Ban family is very talkative, just like the Huo family, they are all a little outrageous at first."
[Ban Chao used his extraordinary political and military talents to fight in the Western Regions for 31 years. He always correctly implemented the Han Dynasty's policy of cutting off the right arm of the Xiongnu. From beginning to end, he was based on winning over the majority, dividing and disintegrating the minority, and expelling the Xiongnu forces.]
【Therefore, he won every battle and conquered every city, and successfully recovered more than 50 countries in the Western Regions. He not only maintained the security of the Eastern Han Dynasty, but also strengthened the relationship with the vassal states in the Western Regions, and made outstanding contributions to the return of the Western Regions. He was promoted to the title of Protector General of the Western Regions, Marquis Dingyuan, and was known as Ban Dingyuan.】
——"It's really amazing. He didn't need money, light, or people, but he managed to rule the Western Regions for decades."
——"To be honest, he is the king of kings in the Western Regions. His words are more effective than those of the emperor. If you don't obey, he will really punish you, and he will definitely succeed. This is the most terrifying thing. Whenever he says he wants to destroy someone in the Western Regions, he has never failed."
——"Marquis Guanjun, Marquis Dingyuan, these are truly unique people in history."
——"What are the directors and screenwriters doing? Can you please stop filming those love stories every day? Isn't this a ready-made cool script? Start making it!"
——"To be honest, it won't be fun. It's just fighting, fighting, and more fighting. It's very boring."
——"Did the Chechi Kingdom have the Sheep Horn Immortal at that time?"
——"I don't think so. Tang Seng hasn't come down to earth yet. There's no need to go to work so early."
——"It is wonderful that a famous general emerged from a family of scholars and that he took up arms and became a soldier."
——"Ban Biao had three children. One of them wrote the "Book of Han" and pioneered the "dynastic" style. Another led 36 people on a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, pacified the Western Regions, and was named Marquis Dingyuan. The last daughter continued to write the "Book of Han" and became the first female historian in Chinese history. (Thumbs up)"
——"People only know about the 300 Spartan warriors, but they don't know that Ban Chao and his 36 men pacified the Western Regions and ruled them for decades. Kobe and his men were much more powerful."
——"There are so many famous people in the Han Dynasty. Even in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there were many talented people."
——"After all, the two Han dynasties lasted a total of 400 years, and the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty was a time of chaos, so they may not be counted among the talents of the Han Dynasty."