Battle of Yongqiu
756 CE · Yongqiu (modern Qi County, Henan) · China · Early modern
Zhang Xun held Yongqiu with 2,000 defenders for more than 60 days, fighting over 300 engagements large and small; borrowing arrows with straw men and raiding the enemy camp by night, he repeatedly frustrated the rebels
Belligerents
Tang
- Commanders
- Zhang Xun
- Strength
- About 2000 defenders
An–Shi rebels
- Commanders
- Linghu Chao
- Strength
- About 40,000 rebels
Background
After An Lushan's rebels captured Luoyang and pushed east, Linghu Chao, the magistrate of Yongqiu, went over to the enemy, and Zhang Xun led a righteous army into the city to hold it.
Course of the battle
- Holding out at YongqiuWith 40,000 rebels besieging the city, Zhang Xun personally directed the fighting on the walls and repeatedly opened the gates to sally out
- Borrowing arrows with straw menWhen the city ran out of arrows, Zhang Xun lowered more than 1,000 straw men down the walls at night; the rebels shot at them wildly, yielding hundreds of thousands of arrows
- Night raid by a death squadLater he lowered 500 men ready to die down the walls; thinking these were straw men again, the rebels took no precautions, and their camp was raided and routed
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 756 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | Yongqiu (modern Qi County, Henan) |
| Result | Zhang Xun held Yongqiu with 2,000 defenders for more than 60 days, fighting over 300 engagements large and small; borrowing arrows with straw men and raiding the enemy camp by night, he repeatedly frustrated the rebels |
| Winner | Tang |
| Casualties | The rebels suffered heavy casualties, and Linghu Chao was defeated again and again |
| Territorial change | The Battle of Yongqiu pinned down the rebels' eastward advance; Zhang Xun later shifted to defending Ningling and Suiyang |
Impact
The defense of Yongqiu and Suiyang delayed the rebels' southward advance and preserved the revenue-rich lands of the Yangtze–Huai region.
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