Pang De
Encyclopedia
Pang De was a military general during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

 period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

. He served different warlords during his life-span, including the Han Dynasty imperial court under Emperor Ling
Emperor Ling of Han
Emperor Ling of Han, trad. ch. 漢靈帝;, sim. ch. 汉灵帝, py. hàn líng dì, wg. Han Ling-ti, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang. The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out during Emperor Ling's reign.Emperor Ling's reign saw yet another repetition of...

; the Liang Province forces led by Han Sui
Han Sui
Han Sui was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. For most of his life he was active in Liang Province and was involved in several rebellions against the Han Dynasty and against the warlord Cao Cao.-Biography:With the backing of the Qiang people who populated much of...

 and Ma Teng
Ma Teng
Ma Teng was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He controlled Liang Province together with his sworn brother Han Sui...

; the Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...

 warlord, Zhang Lu; and the chancellor-warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

. Although joining Cao's force later than most of his comrades, Pang was noted for his loyalty when he refused to surrender to the enemy at the Battle of Fancheng
Battle of Fancheng
The Battle of Fancheng was fought between the forces of warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

.

Early life and career

Pang De initially served his hometown of Nan'an as a civil clerk. When the Liang Province Rebellion broke out, he became a soldier of Ma Teng
Ma Teng
Ma Teng was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He controlled Liang Province together with his sworn brother Han Sui...

, who was a Major under supervision of the Inspector of Liang Province at the time. After the Inspector was killed in a mutiny, he followed Ma Teng to combine forces with Han Sui
Han Sui
Han Sui was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. For most of his life he was active in Liang Province and was involved in several rebellions against the Han Dynasty and against the warlord Cao Cao.-Biography:With the backing of the Qiang people who populated much of...

, who had already defected to the rebels two years earlier. Together, they placed Wang Guo as their puppet leader, and raided the region around Chang'an. After the crushing defeat at the battle of Chencang in 188 AD, the rebels started fighting amongst themselves, and during those battles, Pang De was credited with defeating the Qiang and Di
Di (ethnic group)
The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...

 units. His effort enabled Ma Teng to be one of the largest warlords of Liang Province, besides Han Sui, hence he was made a Colonel by Ma.

Service under Ma Chao

In AD 202, Yuan Shang
Yuán Shàng
Yuan Shang , style name Xianfu , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the third son of the warlord Yuan Shao, and succeeded his father...

 sent his general, Guo Yuan, to lead a combined force of Yuan Shang and Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...

 tribe to invade Hedong
Hedong Commandery
Hedong Commandery was a historical region in ancient China.During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Hedong Commandery was located in the area to the east of the Yellow River in Shanxi province . In Chapter one of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu states that he is from Xieliang County in the...

. Pang De and Ma Chao
Ma Chao
Ma Chao was the oldest son of Ma Teng and a military general during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he received the nickname "Ma Chao the Splendid" due to his elaborate armour and grand skill...

 were sent by Ma Teng to assist Cao Cao's Grand Administrator of Chang'an, Zhong Yao
Zhong Yao
Zhong Yao was a Chinese calligrapher and politician of Cao Wei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in modern Xuchang, Henan, he was at one time the Grand Administrator of Chang'an....

, to fight the advancing enemy. In the ensuing battle, Pang De led the vanguard to charge the enemy, who was by the time trying to cross a shallow point. With the formation broken, Guo Yuan was vulnerable, and was killed by Pang De in the chaos. It was recorded in the Brief History of Wei that, after the battle was over, the victorious side of Cao Cao could not locate the head of Guo Yuan. At night, when the generals gathered for the victory, Pang De threw out a head, which Zhong Yao (who had no sons by that time, and was the uncle of Guo Yuan) held with tears, claiming that to be Guo's head, Pang apologized to Zhong right away; but Zhong said to Pang, "Even I'm Guo Yuan's uncle, he is still a traitor of our country, why are you making apology to me?"

After Ma Teng was summoned to Xuchang, his son Ma Chao
Ma Chao
Ma Chao was the oldest son of Ma Teng and a military general during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he received the nickname "Ma Chao the Splendid" due to his elaborate armour and grand skill...

 took over his forces, and reconciled with Han Sui, and they initiated the Alliance of Warlords within Passes, which included Yang Qiu
Yang Qiu
Yang Qiu was a warlord who joined Ma Chao's rebellion against Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Upon the coalition's defeat in the Battle of Tong Pass, he fled to Anding but was forced to surrender to Cao Cao the next winter and was awarded a post as a marquis.-In...

, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others, to resist Cao Cao from the East of Tong Pass. However, the alliance was defeated at the battle of Tong Pass
Battle of Tong Pass (211)
The Battle of Tong Pass was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and a coalition of forces from Guanxi from March to September 211 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle was initiated by Cao Cao's western expansion, which triggered uprisings in Guanxi...

, Pang then followed Ma Chao to Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...

, where the latter submitted to the governor Zhang Lu.

Service under Cao Cao

When the western warlord Liu Zhang
Liu Zhang (Han prince)
Liu Zhang , formally Prince Jing of Chengyang , sometimes known in later historical accounts and literature by his earlier title, Marquess of Zhuxu , was an important political figure in the anti-Lü clan conspiracy during the Lü Clan Disturbance in 180 BC.He was created the Marquess of Zhuxu in...

's guest general and distant uncle, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

, betrayed and suddenly attacked the host, Ma Chao was sent by Zhang Lu to press on Liu Zhang's territories; however, incited by Liu Bei, Ma killed his colleague, Yang Bai, and confiscated Zhang's expedition force to join Liu Bei. Pang was sick at the time and stayed behind in Hanzhong, so he later surrendered to Cao Cao when the latter took over the city. Well aware of Pang's valour in battle due to his merits in the war against Guo Yuan years earlier, Cao Cao appointed him as General Who Establishes Honor (立義將軍).

When Hou Yin rebelled and took over the city of Wan, he was dispatched with Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...

 to quell the uprising. After they finished the task, Cao Ren was ordered to garrison at Fancheng
Fancheng
Fancheng District is a district of Xiangfan, Hubei, China.-History:Fancheng was an ancient Chinese city in Hubei, situated on the northern side of the Han River, opposite Xiangyang on the southern side of the river...

, while Pang was placed under Yu Jin
Yu Jin
Yu Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He joined Cao in the early years of the civil wars that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty...

, who would be sent to fight against the invasion of the now "King of Hanzhong", Liu Bei. The enemy commander was the famous general, Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...

, who had split his sizable forces to besiege Xiangyang
Xiangyang
Xiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty...

 and Fancheng. Due to the fact that Pang's elder brother Pang Rou (龐柔), and former master Ma Chao were both holding high positions in Liu's forces, many in the city of Fan suspected the allegiance of Pang De. As a proof of his loyalty, Pang personally led a small detachment out to battle Guan Yu, and forced the latter to retreat several times. On one occasion, Pang De shot an arrow that planted itself in Guan Yu's helm, because of this incident, Pang De was widely known among the enemy troops as General White Horse, from the white steed he often rode. As he was feared by many in Guan Yu's army, his raids into Guan's formation generated quite a headache for the invaders, and the standoff lasted for some time until summer.

After two weeks of heavy rain, the Han River next to Fancheng flooded, and Yu Jin's strong army perished in the natural disaster. Pang De and a few tens of men sought refuge on a dam outside the city walls. Guan Yu's troops fired upon them from large ships in the middle of the river, while Pang De fired back with amazing accuracy. At the time, most of Yu Jin's men floating on the river, who submitted to the enemy, were saved by Guan's mariners, so Pang De's aides, Dong Heng (董衡) and Dong Chao (董超), both suggested Pang to give up resistance. Pang had them both executed on the spot and continued his desperate fight.

The battle dragged from morning into the afternoon, and Guan Yu's attacks became more and more ferocious as time passed. Out of arrows, Pang De and his troops engaged their enemies in hand-to-hand combat. The water level was still rising and most of Pang De's soldiers had surrendered. With only three men, Pang De tried to row back to the city on a small boat, which was capsized.

Death

When he was captured and brought before Guan Yu, Pang De refused to kneel. Guan tried to persuade him to surrender, but Pang cursed and swore at his captor, saying that his loyalty still lay with Cao Cao and belittling Liu Bei as "mere common talent". Guan then had him executed. While Pang De refused to surrender, Yu Jin, the commander who had long served Cao Cao, however, begged Guan Yu for his life and surrendered. When Cao Cao heard of Pang De's unwavering determination, he compared Pang's loyalty to Yu Jin's and was moved to tears. Pang De was later given the posthumous name of "Marquis Zhuang" (壯侯), literally meaning "robust marquis".

Pang De was survived by four sons, including Pang Hui
Pang Hui
Pang Hui was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Pang De, who was captured and executed by Guan Yu after his defeat at the Battle of Fancheng...

, who also served a military post in Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...

.

Appointments and titles held

  • Assistant Officer at provincial level (州從事)
  • Colonel (校尉)
  • General of the Household (中郎將)
  • Marquis of Du (都亭侯)
  • General Who Establishes Righteousness (立義將軍)
  • Marquis of Guanmen (關門亭侯)
  • Marquis Zhuang (壯侯) - granted to Pang De posthumously

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...

's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

, Pang De made his first appearance in chapter 58 as a trusted general of Ma Teng
Ma Teng
Ma Teng was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He controlled Liang Province together with his sworn brother Han Sui...

 and his son Ma Chao
Ma Chao
Ma Chao was the oldest son of Ma Teng and a military general during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he received the nickname "Ma Chao the Splendid" due to his elaborate armour and grand skill...

. When Ma Chao had a dream, in which he was attacked by a pack of tigers in a snowy land, he consulted Pang De, who thought that it was a bad omen. True enough, they soon heard news of the death of Ma Teng, who was away in Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....

 planning a coup against Cao Cao.

The subsequent events more or less adhere to what is historically true. When it came to the Battle of Fancheng
Battle of Fancheng
The Battle of Fancheng was fought between the forces of warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

, however, the novel again deviates away from history to give a much more sentimental and exaggerated story on Pang De.

It was written that the city of Fancheng was besieged by the enemy general Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...

. Pang De then volunteered to command the vanguard force of the relief army to be sent to its help. Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

 was delighted and granted him the post.

Later, however, others advised Cao Cao to retrieve the order as Ma Chao, former lord of Pang De, and Pang De's elder brother both served Liu Bei. Cao Cao then called for Pang De, who knelt and kowtow
Kowtow
Kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. An alternative Chinese term is ketou, however the meaning is somewhat altered: kòu originally meant "knock with reverence", whereas kē has the general meaning of "touch upon ".In Han...

ed until his face was covered in blood. Seeing such sincerity in the general, Cao Cao then had no more doubts.

Pang De then ordered a wooden coffin, which he brought along to Fancheng as an expression of his determination to win the battle or lose his life. Outside Fancheng, Pang De engaged Guan Yu in a one-on-one duel, which ended in a tie after more than a hundred bouts.

The next day, the two generals rode forward to challenge each other again. After more than 50 bouts, Pang De feigned retreat and fired an arrow at the pursuing Guan Yu. The arrow hit its target on his left arm. Pang De then spun around and rushed forward to finish his enemy. However, Yu Jin
Yu Jin
Yu Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He joined Cao in the early years of the civil wars that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty...

, chief commander of the relief army, did not wish his subordinate to receive such high credits and ordered the retreat signals be sounded. The chance was then missed and Guan Yu was escorted back to his camp.

Heavy rain then began to fall ceaselessly for many days, causing the Han River to flood. Pang De and his 500 soldiers took refuge on a section of dam and withstood the enemies on boats. His force gradually decimated till only he was left fighting. Jumping onto a boat, Pang De then attempted to row to the city.

Zhou Cang
Zhou Cang
Zhou Cang is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.-Biography:A strong warrior with a dark face and a wiry beard, Zhou became caught up in the Yellow Turban Rebellion and joined the rebels. It was during this time that he first met Guan Yu, who...

, an enemy warrior, came along in a raft and capsized Pang De's boat. He then jumped into the water and captured Pang De. When brought to Guan Yu, Pang De refused to kneel. He cursed and swore at his captors when asked to surrender. Guan Yu then had him beheaded. Seeing Pang De's loyalty and fearlessness before death, Guan Yu was moved and gave him a proper burial.

Modern references


Pang De is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...

and Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...

video game series.
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