Lord Wuan Bai Qi | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Ren Tu |
Born | c. 332 BC Mei county |
Died | 257 BC Duyou |
Allegiance | Qin |
Bai Qi (Chinese: 白起; c. 332 BC – c.January 257 BC[1]), also known as Gongsun Qi (公孫起),[2] was a Chinese military general of the Qin state during the Warring States period. Born in Mei (present-day Mei County, Shaanxi), Bai Qi served as the commander of the Qin army for more than 30 years, being responsible for the deaths of over one million,[3] earning him the nickname Ren Tu (人屠; lit. 'human butcher'). According to the Shiji, he seized more than 73 cities from the other six hostile states, and to date no record has been found to show that he suffered a single defeat throughout his military career. He was instrumental in the rise of Qin as a military hegemon and the weakening of its rival states, thus enabling Qin's eventual conquest of them. He is regarded by Chinese folklore as one of the four Greatest Generals of the Late Warring States period, along with Li Mu, Wang Jian, and Lian Po;[4] he is also remembered as the most fearsome amongst the four.