List of Chinese military texts
Chinese military texts have existed ever since Chinese civilization was founded. China's armies have long benefited from this rich strategic tradition, influenced by texts such as Sun Tzu's The Art of War, that have deeply influenced military thought. Although traditional Chinese Confucian philosophy favoured peaceful political solutions and showed contempt for brute military force, the military was influential in most Chinese states. The works of well known strategists such as Sun Tzu and Sun Bin have heavily influenced military philosophy, warfare, and political discourse throughout China's long history. Works such as The Art of War have also found a strong following around the world, where they have influenced people as far ranging as the Chinese Communist Party and the former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Overview
The most well known of these military texts are the Seven Military Classics. The texts were canonized under this name during the 11th century AD, and from the Song Dynasty onwards were included in most military encyclopedias. For imperial officers, either some or all of the works were required reading to merit promotion, analogous to the requirement for all bureaucrats to study and become familiar with Confucius' work. There were many anthologies with different notations and analyses by scholars throughout the centuries leading up to the present versions in Western publishing. Members of the Communist Party of China also studied the texts during the Chinese Civil War as well as many European and American military minds.Usage
The table's columns are sortable by pressing the relevant arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.- Name: the name as traditionally used by scholars
- Author: name of the author
- Content: brief overview of the military text and its content
- Dynasty: dynasty or time period
- Date: year; The column entries sort by year
- Origin: the state from which the text originated from, this applies mainly to the Warring States period and the Spring and Autumn period, when Chinese civilization was fractured into many independent kingdoms
- Image: picture of the document, an illustration from the document, a related document, or the alleged author of the document
- Description: a brief description of the image
Military Texts
Seven Military Classics
| Name | Authors | Content | Dynasty | Date | Origin | Image | Description |
| The Art of War | Sun Tzu | The Art of War is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. Sun Tzu focuses on the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. | Spring and Autumn period | unknown, ca. 6th century BC | State of Wu | The beginning of The Art of War, in a "classical" bamboo book from the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. | |
| The Methods of the Sima | Sima Rangju | A text discussing laws, regulations, government policies, military organization, military administration, discipline, basic values, grand strategy, and strategy. | Warring States period | 4th century BC | State of Qi | - | - |
| Six Secret Strategic Teachings | Jiāng Zǐyá, | A treatise on military strategy divided into six chapters, six types of ways to engage in war. | Zhou Dynasty | 11th century BC | State of Zhou | Portrait of Jiang Ziya from the Sancai Tuhui. | |
| Wei Liaozi | Wei Liao | A treatise that advocates both a civil and military approach to affairs. It advocates emphasis on agriculture and people as the two greatest resources of the state. The text centers around a government based on humanistic values, with the ruler as the paradigm of virtue in the state. Heterodoxy and other values not conducive to the state should be punished using draconian measures. | Warring States period | 4th–3rd century BC | State of Qin | - | - |
| Wuzi | Wu Qi | The present text of the Wuzi consists of six sections, each focusing on a critical aspect of military affairs: Planning for the State; Evaluating the Enemy; Controlling the Army; the Tao of the General; Responding to Change; and, Stimulating the Officers. | Warring States period | During Wu Qi's lifetime | State of Wei | - | - |
| Three Strategies of Huang Shigong | Unknown; attributed to Jiang Ziya and various other authors | The treastise is organized into three sections, which can be interpreted as a hierarchy of importance or as simple indicators of position in the work. The work itself states that all three types of strategy are necessary for different styles of government. Much of the work is concerned with administrative control, but some important tactical concepts are also developed. Generals are placed in a high position, and must be unquestioned once they assume command. Attacks should be swift and decisive. | Warring States period | Unknown; attributed to various time periods | Unknown; attributed to various origins | - | - |
| Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong | Emperor Taizong and Li Jing | A dialogue between Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and Li Jing, a prominent general of that dynasty. It discusses matters of military strategy. | Tang Dynasty | 7th century | State of Tang | A painting portraying Tang Taizong by painter Yan Liben |