Qin Campaign against Southern China Territories
Encyclopedia
Qin Campaign against Southern China Territories, (214 BC
) was a campaign by the Qin Dynasty
to conquer the territories of modern day southern China.
In 214 BC Qin Shihuangdi secured his boundaries to the north with a fraction (300,000 men) of his large army, and sent the majority (500,000 men) south to seize still more land. At that time southern China is known for its fertile land, elephant tusks and jade
production. Prior to the events leading to Qin dominance over China, they had gained possession of much of Sichuan
to the southwest. The Qin army was unfamiliar with the jungle terrain, and was defeated by the southern tribes' guerrilla warfare
tactics with over 100,000 men lost. However in the defeat Qin was successful in building a canal to the south, which they used heavily for supplying and reinforcing their troops during their second attack to the south. Building on these gains, the Qin armies conquered the coastal lands surrounding Guangzhou
, and took the provinces of Fuzhou
and Guilin
. They struck as far south as Hanoi
. After these victories in the south Qin Shi Huang moved over 100,000 prisoners and exiles to the newly conquered area to colonize them.
214 BC
Year 214 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Verrucosus and Marcellus...
) was a campaign by the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
to conquer the territories of modern day southern China.
In 214 BC Qin Shihuangdi secured his boundaries to the north with a fraction (300,000 men) of his large army, and sent the majority (500,000 men) south to seize still more land. At that time southern China is known for its fertile land, elephant tusks and jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
production. Prior to the events leading to Qin dominance over China, they had gained possession of much of Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
to the southwest. The Qin army was unfamiliar with the jungle terrain, and was defeated by the southern tribes' guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
tactics with over 100,000 men lost. However in the defeat Qin was successful in building a canal to the south, which they used heavily for supplying and reinforcing their troops during their second attack to the south. Building on these gains, the Qin armies conquered the coastal lands surrounding Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, and took the provinces of Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
and Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
. They struck as far south as Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
. After these victories in the south Qin Shi Huang moved over 100,000 prisoners and exiles to the newly conquered area to colonize them.