Yue Fei
Yue Fei (岳飛, * 1103 ; † February 3, 1142 , executed) was a Chinese folk hero and military leader of the national Chinese Song Dynasty , which was fighting for its existence at the time , in the Empire of China .
At the end of 1126, the Jurchen ( Jin Dynasty ) captured the Song Emperor Huizong , his son Qinzong and almost the entire court in Kaifeng and deported them to Manchuria . In 1129/30 they crossed the Yangtze , also conquered Nanjing , Hangzhou and were only persuaded to retreat by peasant revolts and the existence of an enemy fleet on the Yangtze.
In the following years, Yue Fei was the most successful troop leader of the southern Song and was considered to be popular and caring. He originally worked for a landowner, then joined the army and organized the farmers in it. In 1134/35 he recaptured the fortress Xiangyang and ousted the Jurchen and their Chinese vassal Liu Yu. The latter had been installed as ruler in Kaifeng in 1128/32 , as the Jin did not yet have the will and experience to administer the conquered land. With the defeat to Yue Fei, Liu Yu became worthless and in 1137 deposed.
During the battles of the Song military with the Jurchen and with a pirate fleet on the Yangtze River, a fleet of paddle-wheel boats was used, as well as gas and explosive bombs. Yue Fei defeated the technically superior pirate fleet of the Yang Yao using driftwood that blocked the paddle-wheel drive of the enemy ships.
In 1138, Yue Fei was marching on Kaifeng when the war-weary Emperor Gaozong, under the advice of his Chancellor Qin Hui (* 1090, † 1155, since 1131 Chancellor) concluded a first agreement.
In October 1141, the Jin general, Prince Zongbi, made his demands for the border on the Huai River and an annual tribute of silk and silver, which were accepted two months later. In return, the Song Emperor enforced the return of his mother and the repatriation of his late father. This brought about peace in 1142.
The popular Yue Fei - an advocate for the reconquest of North China - was arrested by the court and executed in prison as a prerequisite for the peace treaty , which puts his opponent Qin Hui in the worst possible light. It was said that the court had chosen this policy in order to prevent the military leaders from being granted power and freedom of action: a reduced China with central civil authority was preferred to a united China threatened by decentralization and military force. On the other hand, Qin Hui owned extensive land near Nanjing, which was particularly affected by the troop levies, and in this respect also pursued self-interest.
"Do not tear down a house because you need firewood, not even if you are cold and do not steal from the people, even if you are hungry."
literature
- M. Yamauchi: YÜEH FEI . In: Herbert Franke (Ed.): Sung Biographies . Volume 2. Steiner, Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-515-02412-3 , pp. 1266-1271, ( Munich East Asian Studies 16).
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Yue Fei |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Yüeh Fei; 岳飛 (Chinese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chinese general of the Song Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1103 |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 3, 1142 |