Battle of Zhuxianzhen near Kaifeng in Henan where Yue Fei defeated the Jin army in 1140. Painting on the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace in Beijing.
Battle of Zhuxianzhen near Kaifeng in Henan where Yue Fei defeated the Jin army in 1140. Painting on the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace in Beijing.
General Yo Fei was one of China's most commended officers and a national legend of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was conceived in a poor and humble family, but later turned into a proficient general and a man of trustworthiness. As a valiant and astute officer, he once crushed an adversary said to be 500,000 in number with just 800 warriors.
Background
Conceived toward the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, Yo Fei was born in 1103 and died in 1142AD. Through old memoirs telling his story and a sanctuary committed to his memory, in Chinese legend Yo Fei is a continuing image of steadfastness. His name "Fei" derives it meaning from the word "fly", because at the time he was born, "a large bird like a swan landed on the roof of his house", as it's been stated in the History of Song.
Education
He didn't want to pursue his career in the civil Service; he was trained and educated by his father only in various areas like historical, literary, and military classics. Anyone can see their dedication from the impressive writing style they had which can be seen in the extant specimens of his calligraphy.
The youthful Yo Fei later turns into the embraced child and understudy of the Wang family's educator, Zhou Tong, a popular expert of military abilities. Zhou shows Yo and his three sworn siblings - Wang Gui, Tang Huai and Zhang Xian - abstract lessons on odd days and military lessons, including bows and arrows and the eighteen weapons of war, on even days.
Following quite a while of practice, Zhou Tong enters his understudies into the Tangyin County military examination, in which Yo Fei wins ahead of all comers by shooting a progression of nine bolts through the bull's eye of an objective 240 paces away.
Yo lived during a time of political tumult and outside attack. He joined the armed force early and separated himself as an awesome fighter. As Yo Fei was transitioning, China was attacked from the north by the Jurchens, and the majestic court was in urgent need of able warriors. Yo Fei confronted a predicament. On the one hand he needed to fight the trespassers and safeguard his nation; however then again he likewise needed to stay back and deal with his elderly mother. Torn between contending Chinese temperances of devotion and obedient devotion, he didn't comprehend what to do.
In order to support his son, his mother requested him to remove his shirt, then she tattooed his back with four Chinese characters namely, jing zhong bao guo to state that he need to "serve the nation loyally." Now ready to satisfy both his mom's desire and his obligation to the nation, Yo Fei speedily went off to fight.
Yo Fei's dad utilized his family's plot of area for compassionate endeavors; however after it was devastated in the surge, the youthful Yo Fei was compelled to help his dad work in the fields to survive. Yo got the vast majority of his essential instruction from his dad. In 1122 Yo joined the armed force, yet needed to return home soon thereafter after the demise of his father. In antiquated China, a man was required by law to incidentally leave from their employment when their folks passed on so they could watch the standard time of mourning. For example, Yo would have needed to grieve his dad's demise for a long time, yet in all quite 27 months. Amid this time, he would wear coarse grieving robes, tops, and shoes, while swearing off smooth garments. In 1127, the Jurchens assaulted the Northern Song capital of Kaifeng, taking the ruler, his dad, and many royal residence authorities detainee. The sovereign's more youthful sibling circumvented, crossing the Yangtze River and building up the Southern Song government. When his mom kicked the bucket in 1136, he resigned from an unequivocal fight against the Jin tradition for the grieving time frame, however he was compelled to stop the deprivation since his commanders beseeched him to come back.
Yo's military crusade comprised of two phases: elimination of the manikin administration of Liu Yü, who, with the Tatars' bolster, set himself up as sovereign in 1130; and recuperation of the North involved by the Tatar powers under Wu-shu, the Chin president.
Liu Yü drove his troops south and possessed a few vital urban communities south of the Yellow River in 1133. Yo ousted Liu Yü's powers and in the next years recovered an extensive region from guerilla pioneers.
In 1136 Yo's vanguard had progressed to the Yellow River, and he looked for endorsement to push the fight toward the North. Be that as it may, Ch'in kuei, the head administrator, was agreeable to peace and restricted the arrangement.
In the interim, Wu-shu, having dropped Liu Yü, continued to the triumph of the Sung domain. In 1140 the Tatar troops pushing south sought after the Sung armed forces in Shun-chang (Anhwei) and Fufeng (Shensi). At that point Yo drove his armed force over the Yellow River and made straight for Yencheng (Honan), where Wu-shu summoned his migrant rangers, called Kuei-tzu Ma (that is, three sent steeds connected together to frame a fight unit). Yo's armed force, too firmly dug in to be pushed back, more than once smashed the surges of the Tatar rangers. "It is anything but difficult to move a mountain, however hard to smash the Yo fighters" was the remark of the Tatars. Exactly when Yo was inside a pro of recovering Pien-liang (K'ai-feng, the previous capital), Emperor Kao Tsung, on the guidance of Ch'in Kuei, requested a withdrawal.
Ch'in Kuei stripped Yo of his charge in 1141, then had him detained on an imaginary allegation, lastly orchestrated him and his child Yo Yün to be executed. However, in 1162 Emperor Hsiao Tsung assigned Yo a Hero of Loyalty and recognized him as the Prince of Yo; in 1179 the Emperor sanctified Yo as the Saint of War. A sanctuary bearing his name at Lin-a (Hangchow, the capital), where he was covered, was inherent his honor.
Despite the fact that the Song powers withdrew, Yo Fei was undefeated in fight and was a national image of trust amid troublesome times. Once, with just 500 men, he crushed 100,000 Jurchen warriors, compelling them to escape.
Other than his courage and military aptitude, Yo Fei was celebrated for securing regular citizens and administering to his warriors off the front line. He was strict with his fighters and precluded them from exploiting normal people in the towns they went through.
Quite a long while after the new Southern Song Dynasty was built up; Yo Fei was sent to smother an uprising. He did, however, after the insubordination was squashed, the Southern Song ruler requested him to execute everybody in the town. Yo Fei dithered, arguing over and again that customary nationals' lives be saved. He inevitably persuaded the head to just execute the individuals who had incited the uprising. The townspeople expressed gratitude toward Yo Fei and the ruler gave him a flag that read, "The most elevated faithfulness of Yo Fei," praising his dedication to the welfare of the general population and also to the throne.
Yo Fei likewise administered to his men. In the event that they fell sick, he would by and by manage drug to them. In the event that they passed on in fight, he would help their families. At the point when accepting prizes from the royal court, he imparted the riches to his troopers.
Be that as it may, Yo Fei's achievements provoked envy among a few authorities near the head, who talked him into trusting that, a long way from the capital, Yo Fei may turn out to be too intense and hazardous. Thus Yo Fei was compelled to come back to the royal residence, leaving the zones he had secured to be re-vanquished by adversary armed forces. Yo Fei is said to have commented, "Ten years' exertion devastated in a glimmer."
Tragically, the general's inconveniences did not end with his arrival to the royal residence. Yo Fei was stripped of his energy and after a year, an officer named Qin Hui sentenced him to death on fabricated charges. Yo Fei was 39 years of age.
There is not much evident information about his religious beliefs.
Politics
Yo lived during a time of political disorder and remote attack. He joined the armed force early and separated himself as an extraordinary warrior. His announcement—"Common authorities ought not to be insatiable of cash; nor ought to military officers fear demise"— has been the primary guideline of Chinese government.
Views
Yo's military crusade comprised of two phases: elimination of the manikin administration of Liu Yü, who, with the Tatars' bolster, set himself up as sovereign in 1130; and recuperation of the North possessed by the Tatar powers under Wu-shu, the Chin president. He is an image of national resistance against outside animosity.
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
He had great scholarly interest as well as has unique and gifted physical strength and also became highly skilled in swordsmanship, archery as well as the use of the lance.
Interests
At the age of 30, Yue supposedly wrote his most celebrated poem, "Man Jiang Hong" ("Entirely Red River") with a subtitle of "Xie Huai" ("Writing about What I Thought").
Connections
Yo is solicited to wed the little girl from Li Chun, an old companion of Zhou and the province officer who managed the military examination. Nonetheless, Zhou soon passes on of a sickness and Yo lives by his grave through the winter until the second month of the new year when his sworn siblings come and tear it down, compelling him to return home and deal with his mom.
Father:
Yue He
Spouse:
Li Chun
Son:
Yue Yun
References
Yue Fei | Chinese general | Britannica.com
One of China’s greatest generals and national heroes. In 1126 North China was overrun by the nomadic Juchen (Jin), and the Song capital at Kaifeng was taken. The former emperor...