Married the grand princess ｜ Married the grand princess of Korea, was promoted vice commissioner of the implements bureau and granted the hereditary meng-an of Heshaa in the Linhuang circuit.
？–1207 CE
Jin general and grand councillor
Pusan Kui
仆散揆
Pusan Kui was a major Jin commander who led the counteroffensive against the Southern Song in 1206. He built long frontier ditches in the northwest, recovered from an earlier political disgrace, and coordinated a nine-route invasion that forced the Song court to seek peace.
？–1207 CESouthern Song
PROFILE
Pusan Kui was a major Jin commander who led the counteroffensive against the Southern Song in 1206. He built long frontier ditches in the northwest, recovered from an earlier political disgrace, and coordinated a nine-route invasion that forced the Song court to seek peace.
- Jurchen name
- Linxi
- Period
- Jin dynasty
- Dynasty / polity
- Jin
- Identity
- Jin general and grand councillor
- Ethnicity
- Jurchen
- Life
- died 1207
- Posthumous title
- Wusu
- Highest office
- Grand councillor
- Date of Death
- 1207
LIFE TIMELINE
Court and guard posts ｜ Served as vice commissioner of the attendants' bureau, commissioner of the wardrobe and vice commandant of the palace guards, being general of the left guard before the throne, and was dismissed for privately discussing the guard with another.
Provincial and central posts ｜ Appointed prefect of Luozhou, transferred to Lizhou, and entered the central government as vice minister of war, chief justice and minister of justice.
Accession of Zhangzong ｜ On the accession of Zhangzong he was sent out as military commissioner of Taiding and then prefect of Lintao, where his administration was noted, and was promoted commander of the Henan circuit.
The treason of Prince Yongdao ｜ When the treason of Prince Yongdao of Zheng came to light he was implicated for having privately appraised the princes, was spared death but struck from the rolls, and afterwards returned as associate military commissioner of Chongyi, rose by merit to vice commander of the northwestern circuit and then to commander of the southwestern circuit concurrently military commissioner of Tiande.
Frontier defence ｜ Served on the frontier and built several hundred li of border trench.
Commissioner of Henan ｜ Appointed commissioner for the military and people of Henan, stationed at Nanjing, present-day Kaifeng, and drilled his troops.
Invasion of Han Tuozhou ｜ When Han Tuozhou of the Southern Song attacked the Jin, Pusan Kui as vice marshal of the left led the counter-attack, took Linhuai and Qixian and relieved the siege of Fuli.
Nine-route advance ｜ Led nine routes south against the Song, himself taking thirty thousand men out of Yingzhou, crossed the Huai and took Anfengjun and the prefectures of Lu, Chu, He and Zhen, forcing the Song to send envoys to sue for peace.
Withdrawal ｜ Withdrew his army from Huainan.
Death ｜ Died in the camp at Xiacai and was posthumously titled Wusu.
BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Pusan Kui was the son of the Jin statesman Pusan Zhongyi. His early appointments came through aristocratic privilege, but his career was not uninterrupted. He lost office after being implicated in discussions surrounding a princely conspiracy and later returned to command through military service. On the western frontier he organized walls, trenches, and patrols over hundreds of miles, showing that Jin defence relied on engineering as well as cavalry.
When the Southern Song launched an offensive under Han Tuozhou in 1206, Pusan Kui served as left deputy marshal. He relieved the siege of Fuli, took several Huai cities, and then led a coordinated invasion from nine routes. The campaign did not destroy the Song, but it exposed the weakness of the Song advance and compelled negotiations. Pusan died in camp the following year; the court posthumously honoured him for command under difficult conditions.
Major Activities
- Built frontier fortifications and organized regional garrisons.
- Relieved the siege of Fuli and recovered Huai territory.
- Directed the 1206 Jin counteroffensive against the Song.
- Combined aristocratic military status with practical field command.
Personal Relations
- Pusan Zhongyi: Father and former grand councillor.
- Emperor Zhangzong: Ruler who restored him after disgrace.
- Han Tuozhou: Southern Song leader whose offensive triggered the war.
- Jin frontier armies: Forces under his command.
Historical Assessment
Jin histories praised Pusan Kui as a capable commander, while modern military history emphasizes the logistical and fortification work behind his victories. His career also shows how Jin political punishment could be followed by rehabilitation when the state needed experienced commanders.
FIGURES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DYNASTY
Bibliography
- History of Jin, biography of Pusan Kui.
- Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, records of the 1206 war.