Zhang Shijie () was a Chinese admiral, military general, and politician during the Mongol invasion of China. Zhang was born to a prosperous family in present-day

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

(part of the Liao empire, then Jin empire). After the fall of the Jin to the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

, Zhang joined the Mongol army and was stationed in present-day

Henan province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...

under the command of Zhang Rou, a

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

general of the Mongol Empire. Zhang Shijie defected from the Mongols to the

Southern Song The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending ...

dynasty after he committed a crime, to evade punishment. Zhang Shijie gained his position in the Song administration after passing his

civil service examination Civil service examinations are examinations implemented in various countries for recruitment and admission to the civil service. They are intended as a method to achieve an effective, rational public administration on a merit system for recruiti ...

, eventually becoming a successful administrator overseeing civil, military, and naval duties for the

. After the fall of the capital Lin'an (modern-day

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

), Zhang commanded the Song naval forces during the Mongol invasion of China in 1276, and served as the last commander of the Song fleet, during the attempt to escort

Emperor Bing of Song Zhao Bing (12 February 1272 – 19 March 1279), also known as Emperor Bing of Song or Bing, Emperor of Song (宋帝昺), was the 18th and last emperor of the Song dynasty of China, who ruled as a minor between 6 and 7 years of age. He was als ...

and other Imperial officials as they fled the Mongols in 1279. However, Zhang's fleet was intercepted by Mongol forces under the command of

Zhang Hongfan Zhang Hongfan (; 1238–1280) was a Chinese military general of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan ...

(the son of Zhang Shijie's former commander Zhang Rou) off the coast of

Xinhui Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,50 ...

and destroyed at the Battle of Yamen on 19 March 1279. Prime Minister Lu Xiufu committed suicide, drowning the child Emperor with him, following their defeat. Although Zhang Shijie was able to escape with his remaining ships, he was said to have died a few days later during a storm at sea. Along with Lu Xiufu and

Wen Tianxiang Wen Tianxiang (; June 6, 1236 – January 9, 1283), noble title Duke of Xin (), was a Chinese statesman, poet and politician in the last years of the Song dynasty#Southern Song, 1127–1279, Southern Song dynasty. For his resistance to Kublai K ...

, Zhang is considered one of the "Three Loyal Princes of the Song".

References

*Giles, Herbert A. ''A Chinese Biographical Dictionary''. Taipei, 1975. 1279 deaths Chinese admirals Deaths due to shipwreck at sea Generals from Hebei Politicians from Baoding Song dynasty generals Year of birth unknown {{China-mil-bio-stub