View source for Zhang Han (Qin dynasty)

{{nofootnotes|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Zhang Han<br>章邯
| image = 
| image_size = 
| caption = 
| succession = King of Yong (雍王)
| reign = 207–205 BC
| reign-type = Tenure
| birth_date = Unknown
| death_date = 205 BC
| death_place = [[Xingping]], [[Shaanxi]]
| occupation = Military general
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Zhang (surname 章)|Zhang]]|lang=Chinese}}
'''Zhang Han''' (died {{circa}}July 205 BC<ref>According to Liu Bang's biography in ''Records of the Grand Historian'', Zhang Han killed himself in the 6th month of the 2nd year of Liu Bang's reign as King of Han. This corresponds to 27 Jun to 25 Jul 205 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar. ([汉二年]六月，.....。引水灌废丘，废丘降，章邯自杀.) ''Shiji'', vol.08</ref>) was a Chinese military general of the [[Qin dynasty]]. When uprisings erupted throughout China during the reign of [[Qin Er Shi]], Zhang Han led the Qin armies and successfully quelled several of these rebel forces. In 207 BC, Zhang Han was defeated by [[Xiang Yu]] of [[Chu (state)|Chu]] at the [[Battle of Julu]], after which he surrendered along with his 200,000 troops. He was conferred the title "King of Yong" (雍王) by Xiang Yu and given part of the lands in [[Guanzhong]] as his fief when Xiang split the former Qin Empire into the [[Eighteen Kingdoms]] after the fall of the Qin dynasty. Zhang Han's territory was conquered by [[Emperor Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] in 206 BC, and he committed suicide a year later.

==Life==
In 209 BC, the rebel army led by [[Chen Sheng]]'s deputy, Zhou Wen (周文), was the first to reach the Qin capital [[Xianyang]]. [[Qin Er Shi]] was shocked and discussed with his subjects how to counter the rebels. Zhang Han suggested to the emperor to grant amnesty to some of the convicts serving as labourers at [[Qin Shi Huang]]'s mausoleum, and organise them into an army to deal with the rebels. The emperor approved Zhang Han's proposal and put him in charge of the army to quell the rebel forces. Zhang Han emerged victorious against Zhou Wen, defeating and driving Zhou out of [[Guanzhong]]. The emperor then commissioned [[Sima Xin]] and [[Dong Yi (Qin dynasty)|Dong Yi]] to serve as Zhang Han's deputies.

Zhang Han's army continued to advance eastward and destroyed the rebel army of Chen Sheng. Zhang Han then led his men to attack the [[Wei (state)|Wei]] rebels, emerging victorious against Wei and enemy reinforcements from [[Qi (Shandong)|Qi]]. Zhang Han's armies moved on to attack [[Tian Rong]] (田榮) of Qi, while [[Xiang Liang]] of [[Chu (state)|Chu]] came to help Qi and defeated Zhang. Zhang Han scored another victory at the Battle of Dingtao against the Chu forces, killing Xiang Liang in battle.

In 207 BC, when Zhang Han attacked and besieged the [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]] forces at Julu, the Zhao ruler [[Zhao Xie]] (趙歇) sought help from [[Emperor Yi of Chu|King Huai II of Chu]]. King Huai II sent [[Xiang Yu]] to lift the siege and Xiang's army defeated Zhang Han's forces at the [[Battle of Julu]] despite being heavily outnumbered. Zhang Han sent Sima Xin to request for reinforcements from Xianyang but [[Zhao Gao]] deceived Qin Er Shi and the emperor refused to send aid. Sima Xin escaped from Zhao Gao's assassins on his return journey and reported to Zhang Han that the state power of Qin had fallen into the hands of Zhao. Zhang Han pondered over the situation and realised that he would not survive even if he attained victory over Xiang Yu, as Zhao Gao would have him killed on false charges of treason. Hence, Zhang Han and his 200,000 troops then surrendered to Xiang Yu and Zhang was conferred the title of "King of Yong" (雍王) by Xiang.

After the fall of the Qin dynasty in 206 BC, Xiang Yu divided the former Qin Empire into the [[Eighteen Kingdoms]], while Zhang Han and his two deputies were granted the region of [[Guanzhong]] as their fiefs. The three kingdoms were known as the [[Three Qins]] because they occupied the lands of the former [[Qin (state)|Qin state]]. Later that year, the forces of [[Emperor Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] (King of [[Han dynasty|Han]]) invaded Guanzhong and captured Zhang Han's territory in a surprise attack. Zhang Han retreated to Feiqiu (廢丘; present-day [[Xingping]], [[Shaanxi]]) and remained there. A year later, in {{circa}}July 205 BC, the Han army flooded Feiqiu and Zhang Han committed suicide after his defeat.

==References==
{{reflist}}

===General references===
* [[Sima Qian]]. ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'', volumes 7, 8.
* [[Ban Gu]] et al. ''[[Book of Han]]'', volumes 1, 31.

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{{Three Qins|state=collapsed}}
{{Eighteen Kingdoms|state=collapsed}}

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[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:205 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Chinese military personnel who died by suicide]]
[[Category:Chu–Han contention people]]
[[Category:Qin dynasty generals]]
[[Category:Suicides in the Chu–Han contention]]