Battle of Ba

The Battle of Ba was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao between December 215 and April 216 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period. Following his victory over Zhang Lu at Yangping, Cao Cao appointed Pu Hu (朴胡), Ren Yue (任約) and Du Huo (杜濩) as Administrator of the three Ba commanderies but they were defeated by Huang Quan. Zhang He would later try to relocate citizens from Ba to Hanzhong but was also defeated by Zhang Fei.

Battle of Ba
DateDecember 215[1] – April 216[1]
Location
Ba (near present-day Hanzhong, Shaanxi), China
33°10′22.220″N 106°40′14.005″E
Result Liu Bei victory; Ba region is pacified
Belligerents
Liu Bei Cao Cao
Commanders and leaders
Zhang Fei
Huang Quan		 Zhang He
Pu Hu
Ren/Yuan Yue[lower-alpha 1]
Du Huo
Strength
At least 10 000 elite soldiers under Zhang Fei[2]
Unknown number of troops under Huang Quan		 Main army of Cao Cao in that region
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
Battle of Ba is located in China
Battle of Ba
Location within China
Battle of Ba
Traditional Chinese巴之戰
Simplified Chinese巴之战

Background

In July 215, Sun Quan sent envoys to Liu Bei asking him for the return of his territory in Jing Province. Liu Bei replied: "I will conquer Liang Province. Once, I have settled Liang then we may share Jing Province." Sun Quan was furious and he sent Lü Meng to retake southern Jing Province via a surprise attack. After Lü Meng and his colleagues captured the commanderies of Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang. Liu Bei returned to Gong'an County and ordered Guan Yu to lead troops to stop Lü Meng and take back the three commanderies.[3]

Around this time, Cao Cao led his army into Hanzhong and Zhang Lu fled to Bazhong. Huang Quan advised Liu Bei and told him: "If Hanzhong is lost then the three Ba commanderies will be in danger. This would be like severing the arms and thighs of the people of Shu." Therefore Liu Bei agreed to peace with Sun Quan, and they divided the territories in southern Jing Province between their respective domains along the Xiang River: Liu Bei would keep Nan, Lingling and Wuling commanderies in the west, while Sun Quan would take Changsha, Jiangxia and Guiyang commanderies in the east.[4][5]

The battle

In December 215, Liu Bei appointed Huang Quan as Army Protector (護軍) and sent him to welcome Zhang Lu. However, Zhang Lu had already surrender to Cao Cao. Still, Cao Cao tried to maintain a military presence in the region as he previously appointed the tribal kings Pu Hu (朴胡), Ren Yue (任約) and Du Huo (杜濩) as Administrator of Ba Commandery (巴郡太守), Badong (巴東; "East Ba") and Baxi (巴西; "West Ba") along with marquis titles. However, Huang Quan defeated and forced them to abandon the Ba region.[6][7]

In January 216, Cao Cao left Nanzheng and headed back to Ye (present-day Handan, Hebei), leaving behind General Who Attacks the West (征西將軍) Xiahou Yuan, Inspector of Yi Province (益州刺史) Zhao Yong and Zhang He to guard Hanzhong. Zhang He would often raid the area. Therefore Liu Bei alongside Zhang Fei and others led troops to oppose him.[8]

In late January or early February 216, as Zhang He led several battalions from the main army separately south to Baxi, intending to evacuate and relocate civilians to Hanzhong. He advanced to Dangqu (宕渠), Mengtou (蒙頭) and Dangshi (盪石) counties until he opposed Zhang Fei's army for approximately 50 days. Zhang Fei directed more than 10,000 soldiers through an alternate route to intercept and ambush Zhang He from another direction at Yangshi. Zhang He's army was divided and its divisions were unable to support each other because of difficulty traversing the mountain paths, and Zhang Fei subsequently greatly defeated Zhang He. Zhang He lost his horse and slipped into the hills. But, he managed to arrive at Nanzheng with more than ten of his personal guards via another road.[9][10]

Aftermath

With Ba region secure, Liu Bei returned to Chengdu in April 216. On the advice of Fa Zheng and Huang Quan, Liu Bei would launch the Hanzhong Campaign from Ba region in December 217.[11][12]

Notes
  1. Recorded as Ren Yue (任約) by Sima Guang and Yuan Yue (袁約) by Chang Qu.

References
  1. Sima (1084), vol. 67.
  2. (飛率精卒萬餘人，從他道邀郃軍交戰，山道迮狹，前後不得相救，飛遂破郃。) Sanguozhi vol. 36.
  3. (二十年，孫權使報先主，欲得荊州。先主報曰：「吾方圖涼州。涼州定，以荊州相與。」孫權怒，遣呂蒙襲奪長沙、零陵、桂陽三郡。先主下公安，令關羽「下」〔向〕益陽。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  4. (張魯之走巴中也，黃權言於劉備曰：「若失漢中，則三巴不振，此為割蜀之股臂也。」) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
  5. (會曹公入漢中，張魯走巴西。黃權進曰：「若失漢中，則三巴不振，此割蜀人股臂也。」於是先主與吳連和，分荊州。江夏、長沙、桂陽東屬，南郡、零陵、武陵西屬，引軍還江「夏」〔州〕。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  6. (備乃以權為護軍，率諸將迎魯；魯已降，權遂擊樸胡、杜濩、任約，破之。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
  7. (以權為護軍，迎魯。魯已北降曹公。權破公所署三巴太守杜濩、朴胡、袁約等。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  8. (〔曹〕公留征西將軍夏侯淵、益州刺史趙顒及張郃守漢中。公東還，郃數犯掠巴界。先主率張飛等進軍宕渠之蒙頭，拒郃。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  9. (魏公操使張郃督諸軍徇三巴，欲徙其民於漢中，進軍宕渠。劉備使巴西太守張飛與郃相拒，五十餘日，飛襲擊郃，大破之。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
  10. (相持五十餘日。飛從他道邀郃，戰於陽石，遂大破郃軍。郃失馬，緣山，獨與麾下十餘人從間道還南「也」〔鄭〕。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  11. (郃走還南鄭，備亦還成都。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
  12. (二十一年，先主還成都。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 6.
  • Chen, Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
  • Chang Qu (4th century). Chronicles of Huayang (Huayang Guo Zhi).
  • Pei, Songzhi. Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).
  • Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.
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