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Guanqiu Jian 毌丘儉

Jun 2, 2016 © Ulrich Theobald

Guanqiu Jian 毌丘儉 (d. 255), wrongly written Muqiu Jian 母丘儉 or Wuqiu Jian 毋丘儉, courtesy name Zhonggong 仲恭, was a military commander of the Wei period 曹魏 (220-265).

His native town was Wenxi 聞喜 in the commandery of Hedong 河東 (today in Shanxi). His father Guanqiu Xing 毌丘興 had participated in the suppression of the Yellow Turban rebellion 黃巾起義 and rewarded with the title of Township Marquis of Gaoyan 高陽鄉侯. Jian was therefore given the post of instructor (wenxue 文學) of the Marquis of Pingyuan 平原侯. During the reign of Emperor Ming 魏明帝 (r. 226-239 CE) he advanced to the post of secretarial court gentleman (shangshu lang 尚書郎), and was then made *supervisor of the palace guard (yulin jian 羽林監). Afterwards he was appointed *director of the agricultural office (diannong 典農) of Luoyang 洛陽 and finally regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Jingzhou 荊州 (approx. modern Hubei).

During the Qinglong reign-period 青龍, Guanqiu Jian was entrusted with a pacification campaign in the region of Liaodong 遼東 (modern Liaoning) to fight the rebel Gongsun Yuan 公孫淵. For this purpose he was appointed regional inspector of Youzhou 幽州 and given the title of General Passing River Liao (duliao jiangjun 度遼將軍). Victory brought him the title of Marquis of Anyi 安邑侯. In 244 and 246 he was sent out to repell an invasion from the state of Koguryŏ 高句麗 on the Korean peninsula. Victory over the invadors was commemorated on a stone tablet which is still surviving (Guanqiu Jian ji gong bei 毌丘儉紀功碑). He was then granted the title of General to the Left (zuo jiangjun 左將軍) and sent out as regional inspector of Yuzhou 豫州 (approx. Henan). His merits earned him the titles of General Pacifying the South and the East (zhennan jiangjun 鎮南將軍, zhendong jiangjun 鎮東將軍) and the appointment as Commander-in-chief (dudu 都督) of the province of Yangzhou 揚州 (approx. Jiangsu).

In 255, he conspired with Wen Qin 文欽, General to the Front (qian jiangjun 前將軍) and regional inspector of Yangzhou, and forged an imperial decree ordering them to suppress the alleged rebellion of General-in-chief (da jiangjun 大將軍) Sima Shi 司馬師. Both were very discontent with the rising power of the Sima family which threatened the Cao-Wei dynasty. Yet Guanqiu's campaign failed utterly, and Guanqiu Jian was killed.

Sources:
Dongbei renwu da cidian bianweihui 《東北人物大辭典》編委會, ed. (1992). Dongbei renwu da cidian 東北人物大辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe/Liaoning jiaoyu chubanshe), 5.
Yang Qingwang 楊慶旺, Ha Hua 哈鏵, eds. (1987). Zhongguo junshi zhishi cidian 中國軍事知識辭典 (Beijing: Huaxia chubanshe), 216.
Yi Xingguo 衣興國, ed. (1988). Shiyong Zhongguo mingren cidian 實用中國名人辭典 (Changchun: Jilin renmin chubanshe), 228.
Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, eds. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renmin da cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 347.
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (1992). Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 84.
On the family name, see Murong Yi 慕蓉翊, ed. (1985). Zhongguo gujin xingshi cidian 中國古今姓氏辭典 (Ha’erbin: Heilongjiang renmin chubanshe), 71.
Chen Mingyuan 陳明遠, Wang Zonghu 汪宗虎, eds. (1987). Zhongguo xingshi daquan 中國姓氏大全 (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe), 115.
Wang Wanbang 王萬邦, ed. (1991). Xingshi cidian 姓氏詞典 (Zhengzhou: Henan renmin chubanshe), 122.