Wang Jian
Supreme General of Qin
"As Qin's general I can never be ennobled for merit, so let me at least ask for gardens and lakes for my sons."
Biography
If Bai Qi won Qin's middle wars, Wang Jian won the final ones. A patient, methodical soldier utterly loyal to the young King Zheng, he conquered Zhao by engineering the downfall of its last great general Li Mu, then destroyed the state of Yan after Jing Ke's failed assassination. His crowning campaign was the conquest of Chu: after a rash young rival was routed, Wang Jian insisted on a full 600,000-man army, then camped and waited a full year, refusing every provocation until the huge Chu host relaxed — and only then struck to destroy it. Shrewd as well as skilled, Wang Jian pointedly begged the suspicious king for estates and rewards while on campaign, precisely to signal he harbored no ambition for the throne — and so, unlike Bai Qi, he died old and honored in his bed. His son Wang Ben conquered Wei, Yan's remnant, and Qi, so that father and son between them subdued five of the six states.
Did you know?
He and his son Wang Ben personally led the conquest of five of the six warring states — the greatest father-and-son military partnership in Chinese history.
Key Battles
Fall of Zhao
State of Qin victory229–228 BC · 100,000 total casualties
Zhao's self-destruction of Li Mu — the one man who could still stop Qin — showed how thoroughly Qin's espionage and gold had rotted its rivals from within. With Zhao gone, no state could resist.
The Conquest of Chu
State of Qin victory225–223 BC · 200,000 total casualties
Chu was the largest and most populous state; its fall left Qin's victory beyond doubt. Wang Jian's patient overwhelming campaign is a model of the deliberate, resource-heavy war of annihilation.
Life Journey
Timeline
c. 300 BC
🌅 Birth
Born in the state of Qin
228 BC
⚔️ Battle
Conquers Zhao after engineering Li Mu's fall
223 BC
⚔️ Battle
Destroys Chu's army with an overwhelming host
c. 223 BC
✝️ Death
Retires honored; dies of old age