Guo Kan | |
|---|---|
| Governor ofBaghdad | |
| In office 1258–1259 | |
| Succeeded by | Ata-Malik Juvayni |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1217 (1217) |
| Died | 1277 (aged 59–60) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Mongol Empire,Ilkhanate,Yuan dynasty |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Mongol–Jin War,Siege of Baghdad (1258),Battle of Xiangyang |
Guo Kan (Chinese:郭侃;pinyin:Guō Kǎn, 1217–1277 AD) was aChinesegeneral who served theMongol Empire in their conquest of China and the West. He descended from a lineage of Chinese generals. Both his father and grandfather served underGenghis Khan, while his forefatherGuo Ziyi was a famous general of the ChineseTang dynasty.[1]
Guo Kan became the first governor ofBaghdad during Mongol rule and was instrumental in devising the strategy for thesiege of Baghdad (1258). He served as a Mongol commander and was in charge of Chinese artillery units under theYuan dynasty. He was one of the Han Chinese legions that served the Mongol Empire, and some of the later conquests of the Mongols were done by armies under his command. The biography of this Han commander in theHistory of Yuan said that Guo Kan's presence struck so much fear in his foes that they called him the "Divine Man".
Guo Kan was raised in the household of Prime MinisterShi Tianzhe (who was also aHan, and whose father and two brothers all served theYuan dynasty).
He took part in the final drive in the conquest of theJin dynasty, including the capture ofKaifeng. He then helped Subutai conquer West Eurasia, Europe, and the Middle East and was appointed governor of Baghdad by Hulagu. At some point afterKublai Khan's accession as Khan, Guo Kan assisted Kublai Khan in the conquest of theSouthern Song and ultimately the reunification of China under theYuan dynasty.[2]
He servedSubutai in the conquest of Europe a few years following the fall of the Jin dynasty. He then served inHulagu's conquest of the Middle East, playing a major role in the capture andbattle of Baghdad, devising the strategy of using thedikes to drown theCaliph's army, and supervising the reduction ofBaghdad's walls.[3] He was then appointed the first Ilkhanate Governor of Baghdad by Hulagu, making him the first, and only Chinese governor of an Arab city.[4]
According to theHistory of Yuan, he was present in thesiege of Maymun-Diz during Hulegu'scampaign against the Nizaris. Guo Kan attacked the inaccessible fortress by "catapults on mounts" (jiapao).[5]
Guo Kan took part in the final drive in the conquest of theJin dynasty, including the capture ofKaifeng. He then helped Subutai conquer West Eurasia, Europe, and the Middle East and was appointed governor of Baghdad by Hulagu. At some point afterKhubilai Khan's accession as Khan, Guo Kan assisted Khubilai Khan in the conquest of theSouthern Song and ultimately the unification of China under theYuan dynasty.[2] By this point the Mongol Yuan empire was nearly fully complete, stretching from China across Central Asia, Siberia, and the Middle East to Europe.
After Guo Kan returned to China with Hulagu Khan followingMöngke Khan's death, Guo Kan helped Kublai Khan in the difficult conquest ofSouthern Song dynasty of Southern China.Khubilai's accession as becoming Khan allowed him to select the best Yuan Generals to serve him. Subutai and Jebe both died of old age, and Guo Kan was the last of the 'Gods of War', so the new Great KhanKhubilai assigned Guo Kan to command the final Yuan expedition and reunification of China.[6][page needed]
Guo Kan reportedly urged Khubilai to adopt a Han Chinese-style dynastic title, establish a capital and central government, and build schools. He reportedly was the general who proposed capturingXiangyang as a strategy for invading theSouthern Song. In 1262, he defeated Song forces in abattle at Xuzhou, and in 1266 urged Khubilai to establish military farms inHuaibei to provide supplies for an invasion of the Southern Song.[1] In 1268 and 1270 he suppressed local rebellions, and then he was sent to participate in thesiege of Xiangyang. In 1276, the Song dynasty fell (except for the loyalist movement that lasted until 1279), and Guo served as a prefect for one more year before dying.
Guo Kan was a general who helped unify the massive Yuan Mongol empire. He played an important role in their conquests of all corners of the empire, from the east to west.
The first governor of Baghdad under the new regime was Guo Kan, a Chinese general who had commanded the Mongols' right flank in the siege of Baghdad. Irrigation works in the Tigris-Euphrates basin were improved by Chinese engineers(Original from the University of Michigan)