Battle of Kunyang
23 CE · Kunyang (present-day Ye County, Henan) · China · Ancient
Liu Xiu led several thousand shock cavalry in an attack from within and without, routing the great army of the Xin dynasty in one stroke
Belligerents
Han (Lülin Gengshi army)
- Commanders
- Liu Xiu, Wang Feng
- Strength
- 8,000-9,000 defenders, several thousand reinforcements
Xin dynasty of Wang Mang
- Commanders
- Wang Yi, Wang Xun
- Strength
- Xin army, said to be 420,000
Background
In the last years of Wang Mang, the Lülin army rose up and the Gengshi regime besieged Wan. Wang Mang threw the troops of the whole realm into besieging Kunyang, hoping to crush the rebels in one blow.
Course of the battle
- Holding the isolated cityWang Feng and others held Kunyang to the last, as the Xin armies gathered to besiege it
- Liu Xiu fetches reinforcementsLiu Xiu breaks out and brings reinforcements back to relieve Kunyang
- Attacked from within and withoutLiu Xiu led a band of daredevils to charge the enemy lines, and amid a sudden violent storm the Xin army collapsed in rout
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 23 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | Kunyang (present-day Ye County, Henan) |
| Result | Liu Xiu led several thousand shock cavalry in an attack from within and without, routing the great army of the Xin dynasty in one stroke |
| Winner | Han |
| Casualties | The main Xin army collapsed, Wang Xun was killed, and countless men drowned or were trampled to death |
| Territorial change | The main military strength of the Xin dynasty of Wang Mang was destroyed, and Wang Mang's regime swiftly collapsed |
Impact
A famous battle in Chinese history in which the few defeated the many, it hastened the fall of the Xin dynasty and the rise of the Eastern Han.
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