Quick Answer: Who Was Huo Qubing?
Huo Qubing (霍去病, Huò Qùbìng) commanded Western Han cavalry against the Xiongnu (匈奴, Xiōngnú). Wei Qing (卫青, Wèi Qīng) was his uncle.[1]
- Early campaign: Huo led a small mounted force in 123 BCE.[3]
- Hexi: In 121 BCE, he attacked in the Hexi Corridor (河西走廊, Héxī Zǒuláng) and received the surrender of a Xiongnu leader.[3]
- Mobei: In 119 BCE, Huo and Wei led separate armies north of the Gobi in the expedition known as Mobei (漠北, Mòběi).[3]
Huo died in 117 BCE. His tomb is associated with a monumental stone horse.[5]
Huo’s first detachment numbered in the hundreds. Within a few years he was leading tens of thousands of riders. His career shows the difference between a quick strike from a larger army and an expedition that had to take horses and supplies across the Gobi.
How Huo Rose from a Cavalry Raid to Command
In 123 BCE, Huo took 800 riders away from Wei Qing’s main force to strike the enemy. The Book of Han credits the detachment with a successful raid. The court rewarded him with the title Marquis of Guanjun (冠军侯, Guànjūn Hóu).[2]
What Changed in the Hexi Corridor in 121 BCE
The account of Huo’s spring campaign describes fighting near Mount Yanzhi (焉支山, Yānzhī Shān). In a second campaign that summer, his forces reached the Qilian Mountains (祁连山, Qílián Shān) even though the Han army meant to meet him lost its way.[2]
In the autumn, the Xiongnu ruler threatened to punish the Hunye king (浑邪王, Húnyé Wáng) for the western defeats. The king sought terms with the Han. Emperor Wu suspected a trap and sent Huo with troops. The king’s followers crossed into Han territory after Huo suppressed resistance among them.[2]
The corridor runs through what is now Gansu. Over time, Han administration there helped secure routes toward Central Asia that are part of Silk Road history.[4]
Why the Mobei Expedition Was Different
In 119 BCE, Emperor Wu of Han sent two forces across the Gobi. Wei Qing took on the Xiongnu supreme ruler’s forces. Huo’s army attacked on the eastern side of the expedition. Sima Qian gives each army an initial strength of 50,000 cavalry, with infantry and supply personnel following.[1]
The court proclamation reproduced in the Records of the Grand Historian credits Huo with capturing Xiongnu leaders and performing a victory rite at Mount Langjuxu (狼居胥山, Lángjūxū Shān). The court granted him additional estates.[1]
What the Tomb at Maoling Commemorates
Huo was buried near the imperial tomb complex at Maoling (茂陵, Màolíng). According to the Book of Han, the court shaped his mound to evoke the Qilian Mountains, the landscape associated with his western campaigns.[2]
A stone horse stands above a fallen Xiongnu figure. The Guimet Museum preserves a photograph from Victor Segalen’s 1914 travels that documents the tomb sculpture.[5]
The carving turns the outcome into a single image of victory. The written biography has a more complicated portrait. Sima Qian pairs praise for Huo’s courage with stories of soldiers going hungry while his own provisions went unused.[1]
FAQs About Huo Qubing
Was Huo Qubing related to Wei Qing?
Yes. Huo was the son of Wei Qing’s older sister. He served in the field under Wei before receiving a command of his own.[1]
How did Huo Qubing die?
Huo died in 117 BCE. The early histories describe his funeral honors but provide no clear cause of death.[2][5]
What does Feng Langjuxu mean?
The expression refers to the victory sacrifice at Mount Langjuxu recorded after the 119 BCE expedition. It recalls the ceremony as a marker of military success.[1]
出典
[1] Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian, volume 111, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing
[2] Ban Gu and others. Book of Han, volume 55, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing
[3] Turkic Atlas. Huo Qubing
[4] EBSCO Research Starters. Han Wudi
[5] Musée Guimet. The Tomb of General Huo Qubing