Meng Ao

Biography

Family Background and Early Years

Historical sources record very little about Meng Ao's date of birth or early life. He was originally from the state of Qi. During the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin (306–251 BCE), he went west from Qi to Qin, entered the king's service, and rose to the rank of Shangqing. The “Biography of Meng Tian” in the Records of the Grand Historian states: “Meng Tian's ancestors were people of Qi. Tian's grandfather Meng Ao left Qi to serve King Zhao of Qin and rose to Shangqing.” This is the only reliable surviving account of Meng Ao's early life. His other specific activities during the reigns of King Zhaoxiang and King Xiaowen of Qin can no longer be determined.

The Reign of King Zhuangxiang of Qin: Rise to Prominence

In the first year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin (249 BCE), Meng Ao began to appear in historical records. That year he was ordered to lead an army against Han, capturing Chenggao (present-day Xingyang, Henan) and Xingyang, after which Qin established Sanchuan Commandery in the area. The “Basic Annals of Qin” in the Records of the Grand Historian instead records that Han ceded Chenggao and Gong after the campaign and that Qin's border reached Daliang, the capital of Wei. Under either account, Meng Ao's campaign opened an important eastward route for Qin into the Central Plains.

In the second year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin (248 BCE), Meng Ao led an army against Zhao and pacified Taiyuan. In the third year (247 BCE), he captured Gaodu (present-day Jincheng, Shanxi) and Ji County from Wei, then attacked Yuci (present-day Shanxi), Xincheng (present-day Shuozhou, Shanxi), Langmeng (present-day Yangqu, Shanxi), and other places in Zhao, taking thirty-seven cities in all. In the same year, Lord Xinling of Wei, Wei Wuji, led a five-state coalition of Yan, Zhao, Han, Chu, and Wei against Qin and defeated the Qin army south of the Yellow River, forcing Meng Ao to retreat. This was one of the few major defeats of Meng Ao's military career.

The Reign of King Zheng of Qin: Territorial Expansion

In the first year of King Zheng of Qin (246 BCE), King Zheng ascended the throne and appointed Lü Buwei as chancellor. Meng Ao, Wang Yi, and Biao Gong served as generals and became some of Qin's most important commanders. In the same year, Qin captured Jinyang in Zhao (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). When Jinyang soon rebelled, Meng Ao led troops to suppress the uprising.

In the third year of King Zheng of Qin (244 BCE), Meng Ao attacked Han and captured thirteen cities. In the tenth month of the same year he attacked the Wei cities of Chang and Yougui. In the fourth year (243 BCE), he captured Chang and Yougui and withdrew in the third month. In the fifth year (242 BCE), after news arrived of Wei Wuji's death, King Zheng sent Meng Ao against Wei again. Meng Ao captured Suanzao (southwest of present-day Yanjin, Henan), Yan (northeast of Yanjin), Xu (east of Yanjin), Changping (present-day Xihua, Henan), Yongqiu (present-day Qi County, Henan), Shanyang (present-day Jiaozuo, Henan), and other cities, twenty in all. Qin established Dong Commandery there. Qin's territory now reached Qi, strategically surrounding Han and Wei on three sides.

Later Years and Death

In the seventh year of King Zheng of Qin (c. 240 BCE), Meng Ao led troops against Zhao. The Qin army advanced in two columns, with Meng Ao commanding one force north through the Taihang Mountains to attack Long (present-day Xingtang, Hebei), Gu (north of present-day Xingtang), and Qingdu (near present-day Xingtang), attempting to sever Handan from the northern regions of Dai and Yanmen. The Zhao general Pang Nuan placed troops in ambush in the dense forests of the Taihang Mountains. Meng Ao was killed by volleys of arrows and the Qin army suffered a major defeat. Meng Ao died as a result.

Major Activities

Military Campaigns

Meng Ao was one of Qin's most important commanders in the late Warring States period. During the roughly nine years for which his campaigns are recorded, he led armies almost every year, taking more than ten cities from Han, more than thirty from Zhao, and more than fifty from Wei, for a total of over seventy cities. His campaigns laid the groundwork for Qin's establishment of Sanchuan and Dong commanderies, extended Qin power into the lower Yellow River region, brought Qin into contact with Qi, and created a strategic encirclement of Han and Wei.

Political Activities

Meng Ao rose to Shangqing under King Zhaoxiang of Qin, and after King Zheng's accession served as a general alongside Wang Yi and Biao Gong. According to the Strategies of the Warring States, after Fan Ju lost his fief of Runan, King Zhaoxiang suspected that Fan Ju was not genuinely distressed. Meng Ao was ordered to test him and provoked him by speaking of “wanting to kill himself,” prompting Fan Ju to reply that he was willing to entrust matters to Meng Ao. Although the episode is framed in diplomatic rhetoric, it indicates Meng Ao's special position and ability to mediate at the Qin court.

Establishing the Meng Family

Meng Ao was the founder of the Meng family's prominence in Qin. Having come from Qi, he established himself in Qin through military achievement and created a strong foundation for his family. His son Meng Wu and grandsons Meng Tian and Meng Yi all became Qin generals or officials, and Meng Tian became a celebrated commander who fought the Xiongnu and oversaw construction of the Great Wall. The family's elevated status began with Meng Ao's military record.

Personal Relations

Family

• Son: Meng Wu
• Grandsons: Meng Tian, Meng Yi

Ruler and Subject

• King Zhaoxiang of Qin: Meng Ao entered Qin from Qi, served King Zhaoxiang, and rose to Shangqing
• King Zhuangxiang of Qin: Meng Ao became a principal Qin commander and repeatedly distinguished himself in war
• King Zheng of Qin (Qin Shi Huang): Meng Ao served as a general, suppressed the Jinyang rebellion, and captured the territory that became Dong Commandery

Colleagues

• Wang Yi, Biao Gong: important generals alongside Meng Ao in the early reign of King Zheng of Qin
• Fan Ju: chancellor under King Zhaoxiang; Meng Ao was once ordered to test his intentions

Adversaries

• Lord Xinling Wei Wuji: led a five-state coalition that defeated Meng Ao beyond the Yellow River
• Pang Nuan: Zhao general who ambushed and killed Meng Ao

Historical Assessment

Qin Period / Contemporary

• Sima Qian's “Biography of Meng Tian” in the Records of the Grand Historian records that Meng Ao “left Qi to serve King Zhao of Qin and rose to Shangqing,” and describes his military achievements in detail, showing the importance of his position at the Qin court.
• Sima Zhen's Suoyin commentary on the Records of the Grand Historian states: “The Meng family were Qin generals; the minister of the capital was loyal and worthy.”

Han and Tang Periods

• Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian records Meng Ao's activities in the “Basic Annals of Qin,” “Basic Annals of the First Emperor of Qin,” “Biography of Meng Tian,” and other sections, treating him as an important commander in Qin's process of unification.
• Sima Zhen's Suoyin commentary on the Records of the Grand Historian comments on Meng Ao and affirms his achievements as a Qin general.

Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Periods

• Feng Menglong's Ming-dynasty historical romance Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms includes Meng Ao as a prominent Qin general, bringing his deeds to a wider readership.
• Qing scholars who organized the history of the Warring States commonly regarded Meng Ao as a key figure in Qin's eastward expansion.

Modern Period

• Modern scholars generally consider Meng Ao's campaigns to have laid an important foundation for Qin Shi Huang's unification of the six states; Dong and Sanchuan commanderies served as important bases for Qin's eastward advance.
• As the founder of the Meng family's prominence, Meng Ao's military ability and strategic vision have received attention from later military historians.