Wang Jian 王翦

Names

Identity

Historicity

Historical

Identification

Named

Sex

Male

• Sex: male
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0170, shiji:088:s0010
• Value: male
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0117

Roles

• General
• Strategist

Family

• Ancestor of Wang Li (王離)
  Kinship Term: grandson / 孫 · Generation Distance: 2 · Line: paternal · Subject Role: grandfather · Object Role: grandson · Intermediary Person Ids: Wang Ben (王賁)
• Parent of Wang Ben (王賁)
  Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Line: paternal
  Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Relationship State: active

Career and standing

• Label: Qin general / 秦將
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182
• Status: retirement · Action: entered · Place: Pinyang / 頻陽
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0133
• Status: veteran-general · Label: veteran general / 宿將
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182

Places and affiliations

• Label: Qin / 秦 · Relation: served
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0118
• Polity: Qin / 秦 · Relation: served
  Explicit · hanshu:025:s0096, shiji:073:s0182, shiji:088:s0010
• Place: eastern village of Pinyang / 頻陽東鄉 · Relation: native-of
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0117
• Place: Pinyang / 頻陽 · Relation: retired-to
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0133

Works and attributed material

• Kind: judgment · Role: subject · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182, shiji:073:s0183, shiji:073:s0184
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: estimate that 600,000 troops were indispensable · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0129
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: explanation of requests for property · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0146
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: explanation that property requests would reassure the suspicious king · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0150, shiji:073:s0151, shiji:073:s0152
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: initial refusal of command on grounds of age and illness · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0139
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: judgment that his troops were ready · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0161
• Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Topic: renewed demand for 600,000 troops · Provenance: Mode: direct-quotation · Speaker Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0141

Events and relationships

• Kind: military · Action: accepted command of 600,000 troops for the Chu campaign after the ruler adopted his force estimate · Role: commander · Other Person Id: Qin Shihuang (秦始皇帝) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇二十年至二十六年間 · Western Interval: Start: BC 227 · End: BC 221
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0137, shiji:073:s0138, shiji:073:s0139, shiji:073:s0140, shiji:073:s0141, shiji:073:s0142, shiji:073:s0143
• Kind: military · Action: attacked Yan, pacified Ji, and returned · Role: commander · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇二十年 · Western Year: BC 227
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0121, shiji:073:s0122
• Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked · Other Person Id: Meng Wu (蒙武) · Target: Chu / 楚 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇二十三年 · Western Year: BC 224
  Explicit · shiji:088:s0010
• Kind: military · Action: captured nine cities in the Yanyu campaign · Role: commander · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇十一年 · Western Year: BC 236
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0119
• Kind: military · Action: conquered Zhao and organized its territory into commanderies · Role: commander · Other Person Id: King of Zhao (趙王) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇十八年至約十九年 · Western Interval: Start: BC 229 · End: BC 228
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0119, shiji:073:s0120
• Kind: military · Action: defeated and conquered Chu through a prolonged defensive campaign · Role: commander · Other Person Ids: Li Xin (李信), Xiang Yan (項燕), Chu King Fuchu (荊王負芻) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇二十年至二十六年間 · Western Interval: Start: BC 227 · End: BC 221
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0154, shiji:073:s0155, shiji:073:s0156, shiji:073:s0157, shiji:073:s0158, shiji:073:s0159, shiji:073:s0160, shiji:073:s0161, shiji:073:s0162, shiji:073:s0163, shiji:073:s0164, shiji:073:s0165, shiji:073:s0166
• Kind: military · Role: general · Action: employed in Qin’s conquest of the six states
  Explicit · hanshu:025:s0096
• Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: extinguished · Place: the six states / 六國 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 夷六國 · Western Interval: Start: BC 230 · End: BC 221
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182
• Relation: teacher-of · Person Id: Shihuang (始皇)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182

Assessments and attributes

• Assessment: could not assist Qin in establishing virtue and consolidating foundations; sought favor and accommodated himself, leading to ruin · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0182, shiji:073:s0183, shiji:073:s0184
• Assessment: likened to a wolfish man · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
  Explicit · hanshu:025:s0096
• Item: fine fields, residences, gardens, and ponds / 美田宅園池 · Relation: requested-for-descendants · Purpose: to reassure the suspicious Qin ruler
  Explicit · shiji:073:s0144, shiji:073:s0145, shiji:073:s0146, shiji:073:s0147, shiji:073:s0148, shiji:073:s0149, shiji:073:s0150, shiji:073:s0151, shiji:073:s0152