Li Guangli

Not to be confused with Li Guang.
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Li.

Li Guangli (Chinese: 李廣利; Wade–Giles: Li Kuang-li; died 88 BC) was a Chinese general of the Han dynasty, a member of the favoured Li family.

Li was brother in law to the Emperor Wu, whose favourite concubine was Lady Li. He was the chosen general in the War of the Heavenly Horses His supplies for his second sortie are described as being 100,000 cattle, 30,000 horse, and many mules and camels.[1]

He besieged the city of Er Shih to obtain certain fine horses of the Ferghana that had been demanded by the Han court but refused. He was given the title Er-shih Chiang-Chün in expectation of success.[2] He diverted the river that supplied the inner city with water, and "received three thousand horses in tribute."[3]

In 90 BC, when he was campaigning in the north against the Xiongnu empire, his wife was imprisoned in the capital after being involved in a scandal. Li sought a quick victory, hoping to win his wife's release. He overextended his army and was decisively defeated by a Xiongnu force of 50,000 led by the Chanyu. Li surrendered to the Xiongnu, and the Chanyu gave him his daughter for marriage. However, about a year later, he was executed after having a conflict with Wei Lü (衛律), another Han defector who was favoured by the Chanyu.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Michael Loewe, Dr Michael Loewe (2002). Records of Han Administration. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780700713752.
  2. ↑ Michael Loewe (2002). Records of Han Administration. Psychology Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780700713752.
  3. ↑ Grousset, Rene (1970). The Empire of the Steppes. Rutgers University Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0-8135-1304-9.
  4. ↑ Lin Jianming (林剑鸣) (1992). 秦漢史 [History of Qin and Han]. Wunan Publishing. pp. 557–8. ISBN 978-957-11-0574-1.


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