Sunzi

I know I promised last time to write about three titans of Chinese philosophy, but I found that attempting to tackle all three in one blog post would either create a summary barely worth anything, or make a post so long as to be unwieldy. Instead, I'm going to tackle Confucius later, when I get to an examination of Emperor Wu of Han, and talk about Sunzi now, since he will be quite influential during the examination of the Warring States period.

Do note that this will form the first of several blog entries dedicated to Chinese military history/theory, and I will endeavour to cite a bit better in it than I have been in the previous posts.

Sunzi (Wade-Giles: Sun Tzu), born Sun Wu, was a famous general of the state of Wu, traditionally considered to have lived from 544BCE to 496BCE. His most obvious claim to fame is that he is considered to have been the author of the Art of War 《孙子兵法》(sun zi bing fa). Although there is some debate over his having existed, it is generally agreed that he lived in the State of Wu in tail end of the Spring and Autumn period. His birthplace is disputed. The Spring and Autumn Annals state that he was born in Qi, whilst the Records of the Grand Historian claim that he was a native of Wu.

An artist's representation of Sunzi from a later dynasty

There is also some debate as to whether or not he penned the Art of War. Historian Ralph Sawyer is of the opinion that it is likely that Sun Wu both existed and penned the core of the Art of War, though he acknowledges that a fair amount of the text consist of commentaries and later additions to the core work (1).

Of Sun Wu's life, one memorable tale stands out. According to Sima Qian's Record of the Grand Historian, Sun Wu was tested by King Helu of Wu before being employed by him, giving him a harem of 180 women to train into soldiers. Sun Wu split them into two companies and appointed the King's two favourite concubines as officers. He then ordered them to face right, and was met by giggles. He stated that the general was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the command, and reiterated his order. They giggled again, and he then ordered the execution of the two 'officers'. Sun Wu insisted on his order when the King protested, stating that if the soldiers understood the general's commands and failed to heed them, it was the fault of the officers. He also maintained that once a general was appointed, it was his duty to carry out his orders, even if the king protested. Once the concubines were executed and new officers appointed, the rest of them followed the orders flawlessly.

The Art of War

No discussion of Sunzi is complete without a discussion of the Art of War. Divided into thirteen chapters, the Art of War is one of the foundation texts of the Chinese military canon. Combined with five other texts of the Spring and Autumn/Warring States Period and a later work from the Tang Dynasty, it forms an integral part of the Seven Military Classics. Despite what its name implies, the text touches on several points of governing a country as well as the role of the general in relation to the ruler.

The Art of War on Bamboo pages

The Art of War is important in several ways. Firstly, it emphasises the strategic level of operations rather than the tactical. Second, it exalts the usage of maneuvre to outfox your enemy, rather than throwing bodies at him. Thirdly, the positioning of troops, the preparation of the field and the prior calculations to fighting are defined as equally as important if not more important than the battle itself. Finally, the importance of deception is talked about in large amounts as a foundation of warfare (2).

In relation to the larger strategic canon, the Art of War is reflective of how the Chinese wage war.

Firstly, the teachings within the Art of War have been exalted to a large degree by many influential military thinkers and generals throughout history. It is important to note however, that the teachings reflect the time period in which Sun Wu was writing. The strategies that form the core of the Art of War are useful primarily against other states with which one engages in war with. Various generals through history whom have had the task of pacifying the barbarian tribes to the north, primarily the Mongols, have had less than stellar reviews for the Art of War.

Beyond this, one may still see the influences of the Art of War on modern day Chinese strategic thinking. Above the campaigns of Imperial China, the influence of the Art of War can be seen in the Korean War, the Chinese Civil War and other campaigns fought by China in the 20th century.

There is much more that can be said of the Art of War, but this blog post is already getting on in length.

Further Reading

From Red Cliffs to Chosin: The Chinese Way of War - An excellent overview of the strategic development of Chinese military history over two thousand years. http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA523450  

The Art of War - The text of the Art of War, worth a read, it's quite short. http://ctext.org/art-of-war/laying-plans

The Seven Military Classics - These were the texts that were required reading for the exams to get into military posts from the Song Dynasty onwards. http://www.amazon.com/Military-Classics-Ancient-History-Warfare/dp/0465003044/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364082824&sr=1-1&keywords=seven+military+classics+of+ancient+china

References

1. Sawyer, Ralph D. (2007), The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, 150-151

2. Pangelinan, Games G. (2010), The Chinese Way of War, 6-7