Gongsun Kang
Gongsun Kang (ⓘ) (fl. 200s to 210s) was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He became a vassal of the state of Cao Wei in the early Three Kingdoms period.[3]
Gongsun Kang | |
|---|---|
| 公孫康 | |
| General of the Left (左將軍) | |
| In office 207–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Administrator of Liaodong (遼東太守) | |
| In office 204–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Preceded by | Gongsun Du |
| Succeeded by | Gongsun Gong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown[1] |
| Died | Between 208 and 220[2] |
| Relations | Gongsun Gong (younger brother) |
| Children |
|
| Parent |
|
| Occupation | Military general, politician, warlord |
| Peerage | Marquis of Xiangping (襄平侯) |
Life
Gongsun Kang was a son of Gongsun Du, the Administrator of Liaodong appointed by the Han central government. In 204, he inherited his father's appointment and controlled the territories of Liaodong, Xuantu and Lelang commanderies. He was nominally subject to the Han chancellor Cao Cao, while keeping his domain semi-independent of the central government. In c. December 207, when Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong after being defeated by Cao Cao's forces, Gongsun Kang killed the Yuans and sent their heads to Cao Cao.
In 204, Gongsun Kang helped invade Goguryeo after the older brother of King Sansang of Goguryeo, Balgi, went to Gongsun Kang and requested 30,000 soldiers to invade Goguryeo so that Balgi could become king.[4] Around this time, Kang established the Daifang Commandery by separating the southern half from the Lelang commandery. Although Goguryeo defeated the first invasion and killed Balgi,[5] Kang invaded Goguryeo again in 209 and seized some of its territory and weakened Goguryeo.[6] Pressure from Liaodong forced Goguryeo to move their capital in the Hun River valley to the Yalu River valley near Hwando.[7]
When Gongsun Kang died, his younger brother Gongsun Gong succeeded him because his sons were still young at the time. Gongsun Kang's son Gongsun Yuan took back control of Liaodong in 228.
References
- While Gongsun Kang's birth year is not recorded, his biography in Sanguozhi indicated that he was able to inherit the post of Administrator of Liaodong when his father died in 204. Thus, his birth year should be in 190 or before.
- Gongsun Kang died between Jan 208 and Dec 220, as his brother Gongsun Gong was already Administrator of Liaodong when Cao Pi became emperor.
- More specifically, as mentioned below, he was nominally a vassal under Cao Cao, who was Duke (and later Prince) of Wei.
- "History: King Sansang". KBS. March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- "History: King Sansang". KBS. March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2007), A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms, Brill, p. 988
- 'Gina L. Barnes', "State Formation in Korea", 2001 Curzon Press, pp. 22–23'
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).