Battle of Changping

Battle of Changping
Part of Warring States Period

Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao
DateApril 262 BC – July 260 BC
Location
Northwest of Gaoping, Shanxi
Result

Qin victory

  • Qin strategic supremacy consolidated
  • Severe weakening of Zhao military might
  • Siege of Handan
Belligerents
State of Zhao State of Qin
Commanders and leaders
Lian Po
Zhao Kuo 
Feng Ting 
Wang He
Bai Qi
Teng
Strength
450,000 550,000
Casualties and losses
400,000 dead (large portion executed after capture)[1][2] c. 250,000 dead

The Battle of Changping (長平之戰) was a military campaign during the Warring States period of ancient China, which took place from 262 BC to 260 BC at Changping (northwest of present-day Gaoping, Shanxi province), between the two strongest military powers, the State of Qin and the State of Zhao. After a bitter two-year stalemate, the battle ended in a decisive victory for Qin forces and the ruthless execution of most of the Zhao captives, resulting in an unrecoverable loss of manpower and strategic reserve for the Zhao state.

This battle is infamous for being one of the bloodiest battles in human history, also sometimes considered ''one of the bloodiest battles of antiquity'', due to the fact that several hundred thousand soldiers were buried alive. The main historical records for the events of this period is sourced from the Records of the Grand Historian, written more than a century later, which estimated roughly 450,000 dead on the Zhao side and 250,000 dead on the Qin side. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685–762) later built a temple over a collection of some of the human remains, and scattered bones and mass graves continue to be discovered on the site today.[3]

  1. ^ Sima Qian claimed over 450,000 Zhao soldiers were killed during and after the battle; all survivors were killed (buried alive) with the exceptions of 240 of the youngest soldiers who were released. (括军败,数十万之众遂降秦,秦悉坑之。赵前後所亡凡四十五万) Shiji, vol.81.
  2. ^ (括军败,卒四十万人降武安君。武安君计曰:“前秦已拔上党,上党民不乐为秦而归赵。赵卒反复。非尽杀之,恐为乱。”乃挟诈而尽坑杀之,遗其小者二百四十人归赵。前后斩首虏四十五万人。) Shiji, vol.73
  3. ^ 长平古战场 Archived 2009-10-26 at the Wayback Machine