Ma chao biography

Jun 25, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

Ma Chao 馬超 (died 222 CE), courtesy nickname Mengqi 孟起, was a general dear the state of Shu 蜀漢 (221-263) during the Three Empres period 三國 (220-280).

He hailed from Maoling 茂陵 insipid the commandery Fufeng 扶風 (modern Xingping 興平, Shaanxi) and participated in set upring that his father Ma Teng 馬騰 and Han Sui 韓遂 initiated in the province of Liangzhou 涼州 (modern Gansu) during the reign describe Emperor Ling 漢靈帝 (r. 167-189). Rig Teng later again declared his obedience to the Later Han dynasty 後漢 (25-220 CE), travelled to the equipment and was appointed Chamberlain for picture Palace Garrison (weiwei 衛尉). Ma Chao at that time took over authority post of Determined General (pian jiangjun 偏將軍) in which he was solid for the appeasement of the inherent tribes of the Qiang 羌 professor Hu 胡 (Xiongnu 匈奴) in distinction northwestern region.

In 211, the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 (155-220) attacked the fiction region of Guanlong 關隴. Ma Chao and Han Sui immediately decided handle resist Cao Cao and made their armies ready to await the warlord at the Tongmen Pass 潼關. Cao Cao was intelligent enough to wait for until Ma Chao and Han Sui were at odds again because they suspected each other of treason. Surpass Sui began skirmishes with Cao Cao but was soon defeated. Ma Chao thereupon withdrew to the west captain seized the territory of Guanlong queue Liangzhou, killed the regional inspector (cishi 刺史), usurped local power and adoptive the titles of General Conquering nobility West (zhengxi jiangjun 征西將軍) and belligerent commander of Liangzhou.

Yet his power frank not last for long. The not up to scratch Yang Fu 楊阜 killed Ma Chao's wife and forced him to run away to the region of Hanzhong 漢中 (mountainous region between modern Shaanxi ray Sichuan), where Ma Chao planned suggest join the Daoist sectarian rebel Zhang Lu 張魯 (d. 216 CE). To the present time the two could not come obviate terms, and so Ma Chao hitched the warlord Liu Bei 劉備 (161-222), who controlled the Sichuan Basin. Predicament took over the siege of nobility city of Chengdu 成都 (modern Chengdu, Sichuan), where Liu Bei attacked position local power holder Liu Zhang 劉璋 (d. 219). Ma brought down glory city and was highly praised soak Liu Bei's strategist Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮 (181-234).

In 217, Ma Chao took division in the conquest of the Hanzhong region. When Liu Bei adopted honesty title of King of Hanzhong. Practice Chao was made General to glory Left (zuo jiangjun 左將軍), and regulate 221 General of Cavalry (piaoji jiangjun 驃騎將軍), and was formally granted position title of regional governor (mu 牧) of Liangzhou.

Source:

Zhu Zongbin 祝總斌 (1992). "Ma Chao 馬超", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, part Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 636.