Sima Shang 司馬尚 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

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Zhou Dynasty

Mar 6, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Sima Shang 司馬尚 was a general of the state of Zhao 趙 during the very late Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BCE). In 229 he and Li Mu 李牧 took over the defence of the capital of Zhao, Handan 邯鄲 (today in Hebei) against the mighty army of Qin. Yet the Qin commander, Wang Jian 王翦, bribed Guo Kai 郭開, a minion of the king of Zhao. Guo slandered the two generals by accusing them of planning a rebellion. Li Mu was executed, and Sima Shang dismissed. Instead of these two, the unexperienced officers Zhao Cong 趙蔥 and Yan Ju 顏聚 were entrusted with the defence command, and shortly later, Handan fell, and the state of Zhao was extinguished.

Sources:

Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. Shiji cidian 史記辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 149.

Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, ed. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 481.

Zhang Jianhua 張建華, ed. (1996). Handan cidian 邯鄲辭典 (Beijing: Kexue puji chubanshe), 409.

Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbo 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renwu cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 220.

Yan Jingye 閻敬業 (1992). "Qin po Zhao zhi zhan 秦破趙之戰”, in Chen Xiansi 陳顯泗, ed. Zhong-wai zhanzheng zhanyi da cidian 中外戰爭戰役大辭典 (Changsha: Hunan chubanshe), 15.