Army of the Western Garden
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{{Chinese, t=西園軍, s=西园军, p=Xī Yuán Jūn The Army of the Western Garden was an army established in 188 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling in the Eastern Han Dynasty.


History

Emperor Ling had endowed his brother-in-law, the General-in-Chief He Jin, with much military power. In September or early October 188, he established the Army of the Western Garden in the capital
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
and appointed eight colonels to command the Army. The eight colonels were: * Jian Shuo, Colonel of the Upper Army (上軍校尉) *
Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
, Colonel of the Central Army (中軍校尉) * Bao Hong (鮑鴻), Colonel of the Lower Army (下軍校尉) * Cao Cao, Colonel Who Arranges the Army (典軍校尉) * Zhao Rong (趙融), Left Colonel Who Assists the Army (助軍左校尉) * Feng Fang (馮芳), Right Colonel Who Assists the Army (助軍右校尉) *
Chunyu Qiong Chunyu Qiong (died 200), courtesy name Zhongjian, was a military officer serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He played a significant part in the Battle of Guandu in 200. Life Little is known about C ...
, Colonel of the Left Army (左軍校尉) * Xia Mou (夏牟), Colonel of the Right Army (右軍校尉) The other seven Colonels were under the command of Jian Shuo and the Army of the Western Garden comprised the main armed forces in
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
. As the Army took direct orders from Emperor Ling, its authority exceeded that of He Jin. In 189, Emperor Ling died and was succeeded by the young Emperor Shao. He Jin secretly plotted with
Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
and others to eliminate Jian Shuo and the eunuch faction in the imperial court. He also contemplated summoning the northwestern warlord
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
to lead his forces to
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
to assist him, but his idea was strongly opposed by
Zheng Tai Zheng may refer to: *Zheng (surname), Chinese surname (鄭, 郑, ''Zhèng'') *Zheng County, former name of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, China * Guzheng (), a Chinese zither with bridges *Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), emperor of the Qin Dynasty ...
(鄭泰) and Lu Zhi on the grounds that it would lead to political turmoil. By the time
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
entered
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
, He Jin had been assassinated by the eunuchs, so
Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
took charge of the Army of the Western Garden. In revenge, Yuan Shao and his colleagues led troops into the palace and slaughtered the eunuchs. Emperor Shao and his younger half-brother, the Prince of Chenliu, escaped from the palace during the chaos and were later found by
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
and brought back to
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
.
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
also seized the opportunity to monopolise state power and dominate the central government. Not long later, he deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with the Prince of Chenliu, who became known as
Emperor Xian Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220. Liu Xie was a so ...
. By then,
Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
, Cao Cao and others had left
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
and they later combined forces to start a
campaign against Dong Zhuo The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against the warlord Dong Zhuo in 190 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The members of the coalition claimed that Dong had the i ...
in 190. The Army of the Western Garden was disbanded after Yuan Shao and the others left.


References

* Fan Ye. '' Book of the Later Han''. *
Sima Guang Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
. ''
Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...
''. Military units and formations of the Eastern Han Dynasty Military units and formations established in the 2nd century