 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (October 2021) |
Li Guang 李廣 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 184 BC |
| Died | 119 BC (aged 64-65) |
| Other names | "Flying General" (飛將軍) |
| Occupation | Military general |
| Children |
|
Li Guang (184-119 BC[1]) was a Chinese military general of the Western Han dynasty. Nicknamed "Flying General" by the Xiongnu, he fought primarily in the campaigns against the nomadic Xiongnu tribes to the north of China. He was known to the Xiongnu as a tough opponent when it came to fortress defense, and his presence was sometimes enough for the Xiongnu to abort a siege.
Li Guang committed suicide shortly after the Battle of Mobei in 119 BC. He was blamed for failing to arrive at the battlefield in time (after getting lost in the desert), creating a gap in the encirclement and allowing Ichise Chanyu to escape after a confrontation between Wei Qing and the Chanyu's main force, which the Han army narrowly managed to defeat. Refusing to accept the humiliation of a court-martial, Li Guang killed himself.
Li Guang belonged to the Longxi branch of the Li clan (隴西李氏). Li Guang was a descendant of Laozi and the Qin general Li Xin, as well as an ancestor of the Western Liang and Tang dynasty monarchs. Li Guang was the grandfather of general Li Ling who defected to the Xiongnu.
- ^ 4th year of the Yuan'shou era of Emperor Wu's reign. The year corresponds to 12 Nov 120 BCE to 1 Nov 119 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.