Battle of Maling
341 BCE · Maling (around present-day Shen County, Shandong) · China · Ancient
Reducing its cooking fires to lure the enemy, the Qi army laid an ambush on the Maling road and wiped out the Wei army
Belligerents
Qi
- Commanders
- Tian Ji, Sun Bin
- Strength
- Qi army, about 100,000
Wei
- Commanders
- Pang Juan, Crown Prince Shen
- Strength
- Wei army, about 100,000
Background
Wei attacked Han, and Han appealed to Qi for help. Sun Bin again used the strategy of avoiding strength and striking weakness, feigning defeat to lure Pang Juan into a hasty pursuit with lightly equipped troops.
Course of the battle
- Relieving Han by attacking WeiThe Qi army headed straight for Daliang, forcing the Wei army to turn back in pursuit
- Fewer cooking fires to lure the enemyDay by day the Qi army reduced the number of cooking fires in its camps, luring the Wei army to advance recklessly
- Night ambush at MalingThe Qi army lay in ambush at Maling by night and loosed ten thousand crossbows at once; defeated, Pang Juan cut his own throat
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 341 BCE |
|---|---|
| Place | Maling (around present-day Shen County, Shandong) |
| Result | Reducing its cooking fires to lure the enemy, the Qi army laid an ambush on the Maling road and wiped out the Wei army |
| Winner | Qi |
| Casualties | The Wei army of 100,000 was annihilated, Pang Juan killed himself, and Crown Prince Shen was captured |
| Territorial change | With its elite forces lost, Wei never recovered, and hegemony in the east passed to Qi |
Impact
The turning point that ended Wei's hegemony and brought Qi to the height of its power; the stratagem of reducing the cooking fires became legendary.
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