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Battle of Maling

Type Event Region China Time -342

The Battle of Maling took place in 342 BCE and was another decisive engagement in the Qi–Wei rivalry.…

Timeline

  1. -342Daliang · HenanWei allied with Han to attack Qi; King Wei of Qi ordered Tian Ji and Sun Bin to lead forces west to aid Han. Sun Bin again adopted the strategy of attacking what the enemy must defend, marching directly on the Wei capital Daliang to draw the Wei army back.
  2. -342Maling · ShandongSun Bin ordered the Qi army to reduce its cooking fires day by day, luring Pang Juan into a contemptuous pursuit. Qi troops lay in ambush on both sides of the Maling pass; when the Wei army entered the narrow defile, they loosed a volley of crossbow bolts, throwing the Wei army into chaos. Pang Juan, realizing he had been tricked, took his own life.
  3. -342–-334Maling · ShandongWei Crown Prince Shen was also captured and the Wei army's main force was destroyed. The defeat at Maling gravely weakened Wei, greatly enhanced Qi's prestige, and made Qi the strongest vassal state in the east during the mid-Warring States period.

Sources