OSRC *ORIENTAL
STRATEGY RESEARCH CENTER*
One Early Strategist in China --- Gao Dao
In the history of China, one of the first strategists was Gao
Dao who was helping the imperial court during the early period
of Xia Dynasty. The story of Gao Dao appears in the book of
Shang Shu, which is considered a book of political science for
the period from Emperor Yao to Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Both Yu
and Gao Dao were the immediate assistants to Emperor Shun. Gao
Dao gave much strategic advice to the administration of Emperor
Shun. The main contents of his proposals to Emperor Shun are:
The Outstanding Strategist of the Shang Dynasty --- Yi
Yin
Yi Yin was the chief strategist to the leader Tang. He
helped Tang to overthrow the Xia Dynasty and established the
Shang Dynasty. Tang became the Emperor Tang.
The Outstanding Strategist of the Zhou Dynasty --- Jiang
Zi Ya
Jiang Zi Ya is the father of strategy in China.He lived in
the later part of the Shang Danasty about one thousand years
before the century. When he was one of the officers in the
imperial court of the Shang Dynasty, he found King Zhou was the
fatuous and self-indulgent ruler. He gave up his post and became
a hermit. He spent most of his time doing fishing at the River
Ban of Wei Shui. One day, the head of the dukes Xi Bo for the
west territory invited him to be his advisor. He prepared a
strategic plan to overthrow King Zhou and finally with the
support from the people, he helped Xi Bo and his successor to
establish the Dynasty of Zhou.
Jiang Zi Ya was the chief strategist to the leader Xi Bo. He
helped Xi Bo to overthrow the Shang Dynasty and formed the Zhou
Dynasty. Xi Bo became the Emperor Zhou Wen Wang.
Jiang Zi Ya @ Tai Gong or commonly called Jiang Tai Gong. He
died in 1073 B.C.. He was the great thinker, statesman, military
man and strategist. He was a high ranking officer in the imperil
court of Shang Dynasty. As he saw the Emperor Zhou of Shang
Dynasty was the fatuous and self-indulgent ruler, he abandoned
his position in the imperial court and became a recluse. When
the unrest occurred in Shang Dynasty, Xi Bo of the Kingdom Zhou
was appointed by the Shang Dynasty to be the head of all dukes.
Xi Bo was a brilliant person, he respected his subordinates and
followers. He went round the country to look for able and
virtuous persons. One day, he encountered a man who was fishing
near a stream and discovered his fishing line without hook and
lure. It seems that it was the arrangement of the heaven, both
of them met and talked very freely and sincerely. Finally, Xi Bo
invited Jiang Zi Ya to be his aide-de-camp. Xi Bo followed the
Ten Years Master Plans of Jiang Zi Ya. At last, Wu-Wang, the son
of Xi Bo, defeated the tyrannical ruler of the Shang Dynasty and
formed the Dynasty of Zhou. Jiang Zi Ya was recognized as Tai
Gong after the formation of the administration of Zhou Dynasty.
There is a book of recording the dialogue between Zhou Wen
Wang or King Wen and Tai Gong called Liu Tao or "The Six
Strategies and Tactics".
The Outstanding Strategist of the Spring and Autumn
Period--- Sun Zi
Sun Zi is the alias name of Sun Wu, he was born in the Period
of Spring and Autumn in the Kingdom Ji at Le An county (To-day:
Shang Dong Province, Hui Min). Due to the internal affair of the
Kingdom Ji, Sun Zi ran away from Shang Dong Province to the
south and joined the Kingdom Wu. He was called by King He Lu,
who was impressed with his thirteen chapters on military
strategy. He was finally appointed as one of the military
generals and the immediate aide to the king.
Due to the weakening of the Zhou administration in China, the
families of the power groups bred during the Zhou Dynasty and
emerged to be the territorial autonomous commanders and finally
they formed their own kingdoms. This was the period of Spring
and Autumn in the history of China. During this period, many
thinkers and philosophers surfaced to talk and teach about their
thoughts and philosophies to the people. The kingdom Lu had the
great philosopher and teacher Confucius and the kingdom Qi had a
great military strategist called Sun Zi. If we consider
Confucius as the sage of letters of China, then we must consider
Sun Zi as the sage of strategy of China.
Common Heritage of Universal Strategies
An ancient document, Appendix 3: Yellow Emperor Attacks
Red Emperor, was dug up along with other Sun Zi documents
from the Han tombs, which records this interesting passage:
The above Appendix 3 shows that it was not only Sun Zi who
used the kind of strategies found in Sun Zi's Art of War. For
according to this appendix text, the strategies of Sun Zi's Art
of War were also successfully used by Tang (and his famous
strategist Yi Yin) to establish the Shang dynasty and Wu-Wang
(and his famous strategist Jiang Zi Ya) to establish the Zhou
dynasty. It appears that the ancient strategists shared a
common heritage of rather powerful effective strategies, much of
which were recorded in Sun Zi's Art of War.
Then he attacked the ... [Green] Emperor in the east. He
arrived at Xiangping. They fought at Bing... [He positioned to
the right of the lowland, had perpendicular arrays, and had a
main route to his back. He annihilated ... [and conquered the
enemy]. Over... years he relieved the people from public labor,
developed agriculture, and pardoned prisoners.
Then he attacked the Black Emperor in the north. He arrived
in Wusui... [They fought at].... [He positioned to the right of
the lowlands, had perpendicular arrays, and had a main route to
his back. He annihilated and conquered the enemy. Over...
[years] relieved the people from public labor... developed
agriculture, and pardoned prisoners].
[Then he] attacked the White Emperor in the west. He
arrived at Wugang. They fought at .... [He positioned to the
right of the lowlands, had perpendicular arrays, and had a main
route to his back. He annihilated and conquered the enemy]...
... [He] had defeated four emperors and had conquered all
of China. The tyrants... brought progress to China, and all of
China obeyed him in every land.
Tang [the Emperor of the Shang] attacked Jie [the
King of Hsia] ... [He arrived in].. They fought at Botian. He
positioned to the right of the lowlands, had perpendicular
arrays, and had a main route to his back. He annihilated and
conquered the enemy.
Wu Wang [of the Chou] attacked Zhou the King of
the Shang]. He arrived at Chinsui. They fought on the field of
Mu... [He positioned] to the right of the lowlands, had
perpendicular arrays, and had a main route to his back. He
annihilated and conquered the enemy. This one emperor and the
two emperors all knew [how to] take advantage of the way of
Heaven.. of... and the people's needs, therefore...