Cai Qian (蔡牽) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Cai Qian as a bandit and rebel. This record brings together 9 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Cai Qian	蔡牽	Cai Qian
Personal name	Cai Qian	蔡牽	Cai Qian
Personal name	Cai Qian	蔡牽
Personal	Cai Qian	蔡牽

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · qingshigao:352:s0118
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:364:s0021

Roles

Bandit
Rebel

Life and dates

Death

Manner: destroyed in joint naval battle · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 嘉慶十四年秋 · Western Year: AD 1809
Explicit · qingshigao:364:s0033

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 嘉慶九年 · Western Year: AD 1804
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:362:s0132, qingshigao:362:s0133
Source Date: Text: 嘉慶五年至十四年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1800 · End: AD 1809
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:364:s0021, qingshigao:364:s0033
Source Date: Text: 嘉慶六年 · Western Year: AD 1801
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:352:s0117, qingshigao:352:s0118

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: pirate leader · Action: absorbed surviving pirates and repeatedly raided Zhejiang · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 嘉慶五年後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1800 · End: AD 1808
Explicit · qingshigao:364:s0021
Kind: piracy · Role: leader · Action: disturbed-Taiwan
Explicit · qingshigao:352:s0118

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 352Volume 352 Biographies 139: Jiang Cheng, Jin Guangti, Zu Zhiwang, Han Feng · 1 passage

Open chapter

蔡牽方擾台灣，海疆多事，崶籌軍備杜接濟甚力，遷湖南布政使。 With Cai Qian's pirates troubling Taiwan and the coast in turmoil, he worked hard to ready defenses and cut off their supplies, and was made provincial treasurer of Hunan.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 362Volume 362 Biographies 149: Fang Ji, Zhu Erhan, Yang Hu, Liao Yin, Chen Changqi, Zhu Ergenge, Cha Chonghua · 2 passages

Open chapter

時海寇蔡牽肆擾，昌齊修戰艦，簡軍伍，募人出海繪浙、閩海洋全圖，纖悉備具。 The pirate Cai Qian was then terrorizing the coast. Changqi refitted warships, culled the ranks, and hired men to sail out and chart the full coastline of Zhejiang and Fujian in meticulous detail.

嘉慶十四年，海盜蔡牽平，以功賜花翎。 In Jiaqing 14 the pirate Cai Qian was pacified, and Chonghua received the peacock feather for his service.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 364Volume 364 Biographies 151: Ruan Yuan, Wang Tingzhen, Tang Jinzhao · 6 passages

Open chapter

浙洋漸清，而餘盜為蔡牽所並，閩師不能制，勢益熾，复時犯浙。 Zhejiang waters grew calmer, but remnants were absorbed by Cai Qian; Fujian troops could not contain him, his power swelled, and he again raided Zhejiang.

李長庚巳擢提督，元集貲與造霆船成，配巨砲，數破牽於海上。 Li Changgeng had been promoted to provincial commander; Yuan raised funds to build "thunder" warships with heavy guns and repeatedly defeated Qian at sea.

偕總督玉德奏請以李長庚總督兩省水師，數逐蔡牽幾獲，而玉德遇事仍掣肘。 With Governor Yu De he asked that Li Changgeng command both provinces' fleets; Li several times nearly took Cai Qian, but Yu De still obstructed him.

秋，蔡牽、硃濆合犯定海，親駐寧波督三鎮擊走之，牽复遁閩洋。 That autumn Cai Qian and Zhu Fen jointly attacked Dinghai; he personally stationed at Ningbo to direct the three commands in driving them off, and Qian fled again to Fujian waters.

時用長庚部將王得祿、邱良功為兩省提督，協力勦賊，元議海戰分兵隔賊船之策，專攻蔡牽。 Wang Delu and Qiu Lianggong, former subordinates of Changgeng, were made commanders of the two provinces and cooperated against the pirates; Yuan urged dividing forces at sea to cut off enemy ships and focus on Cai Qian.

十四年秋，合擊於漁山外洋，竟殄牽，詳得祿等傳。 In autumn of year 14 they united in battle off Yushan in the open sea and finally destroyed Qian; details appear in the biographies of Delu and others.