Qi Jiguang

Qi Jiguang was a Ming dynasty general and writer from Shandong. He became known for fighting wokou pirates on the coast, strengthening the Great Wall, and writing military manuals drawn from his own service and training experience.

Reading notes

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• He came from a military family in Luqiao, Shandong, and inherited command of Dengzhou Garrison at age 17.
• He served in defenses against Mongol raiders near Jizhou and later took part in the defense of Beijing during the 1550 siege.
• In 1553 he was assigned to Shandong’s coastal defense against wokou pirates.
• He faced poorly trained troops, desertion, and neglected defenses when he took command.
• In Zhejiang, he and Yu Dayou and Tan Lun won a decisive battle at Cen Harbor in 1558.
• He recruited miners and farmers from Yiwu, trained them, and had 44 naval vessels built for anti-pirate warfare.
• In Taizhou in 1559 his new army inflicted heavy losses on the pirates.
• In Fujian, he led campaigns in 1562 and 1563 against pirate bases at Hengyu, Niutian, Lindun, and Xinghua.
• He later joined Yu Dayou to defeat a remnant pirate force at Nan’ao in 1565.
• After 1567 he was sent to Beijing to train imperial guards.
• He repaired a section of the Great Wall between Shanhai Pass and Juyong Pass and oversaw more than 1,000 watchtowers.
• He wrote the Records of Military Training after a large exercise involving more than 100,000 troops.
• He lost favor after Zhang Juzheng died, was relieved of duty in 1583, and spent his last years in poverty and ill health.
• He died on 17 January 1588.
• He also wrote Ji Xiao Xin Shu, Lianbing Shiji, and many poems and prose pieces collected in Collection of Zhizhi Hall.