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Han Hao 韓浩

Jul 17, 2013 © Ulrich Theobald

Han Hao 韓浩, courtesy name Han Yuansi 韓元嗣, was a high official in the empire of Wei 曹魏 (220-265) during the Three Kingdoms period 三國 (220-280).

He came from Henei 河內 (modern Wuzhi 武陟, Henan) from a town that he successfully helped defending against the Yellow Turban rebels 黃巾. The local governor was highly impressed by his bravery and ordered him to command the troops resisting the army of the powerful general Dong Zhuo 董卓 at the Mengjin Ford 孟津. Dong Zhuo arrested Han Hao's uncle and tried forcing him to surrender, but Han refused. This heroic behaviour brought him fame throughout the empire.

The warlord Yuan Shu 袁術 made him commandant of cavalry (jiduwei 騎都尉), but Han Hao soon became a follower of general Xiahou Dun 夏侯惇. As the latter's advisor he cared for sufficient grain during a period of bad harvest. He suggested to the influential warlord Cao Cao 曹操 to create military agro-colonies (tuntian 屯田) to supply the army. Cao Cao made him Capital Protector (hujun 護軍). Han Hao took part in the conquest of Liucheng 柳城 and war awarded with the title of Military protector of the Capital (zhonghujun 中護軍). Cao Cao made appointed him administrator in a princedom (zhangshi長史) and then Minister of War (sima 司馬) and gave him the title of Neighbourhood Marquis of Wansui 萬歲亭侯.

In the next years Han Hao took part in the campaign against Zhang Lu 張魯, a Daoist sectarian leader who had created his own empire in the region of Hanzhong 漢中. When the campaign was ended it was suggested that Han Hao might stay in the region to secure it against further uprisings, but Cao Cao declined.

Source:
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (1992). Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 655.