Battle of Yanshi 618
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 618 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | China | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Transition from Sui to Tang | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 34.7300, 112.8000 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Yanshi (Chinese: 偃師之戰) was fought on 5–6 October 618 between the armies of Wang Shichong and Li Mi, rival contenders for the succession of the Sui dynasty. Wang, who was still ostensibly a Sui loyalist and had been blockaded in Luoyang for months by Li, gambled on a decisive battle and led his troops out to attack the besieging army. Li assembled his forces on a naturally defensible position north of Yanshi town, but Wang managed to surprise Li's forces and approach their camp before they could react. Aided by a secondary cavalry attack from the rear, Wang secured a decisive victory over Li's forces. Although Li managed to escape with part of his army, his authority was shattered, and his followers joined Wang. While Li sought refuge in the rival Tang court, Wang consolidated his control over Henan and eventually deposed the Sui puppet ruler Yang Tong and declared himself as emperor of the new Zheng dynasty. Wang's power lasted until his surrender to the Tang prince Li Shimin in 621, and Li Mi was captured and executed by Sheng Yanshi.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Yanshi (revision 1372796560), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Yique 293 BC · 36 km
- Battle of Yangcheng 191 · 37 km
- Battle of Hulao 621 · 39 km
- Battle of Xingyang (190) 190 · 51 km
- Battle of Bi 597 BC · 54 km
- Battle of Yan Province 194 · 107 km
Other battles of the Transition from Sui to Tang
- Battle of Huoyi 617
- Battle of Hulao 621
All 3 battles of the Transition from Sui to Tang →
Browse more: battles in China · Asia · Medieval battles