Xiang Ji: The Hegemon-King of West Chu and His Historical Evaluation from the Perspective of the Hanshu (Book of Han)

Brief Introduction

Xiang Ji (Xiang Yu), styled Yu, was a native of Xiaxiang (present-day Suqian, Jiangsu Province). He was a leader of the late-Qin rebellious forces and the self-proclaimed Hegemon-King of West Chu. Although Xiang Ji is not a primary subject of the Hanshu (which primarily documents the history of the Western Han Dynasty), as a key figure of the late Qin period, his deeds are mentioned in chapters such as the Annals of Gaozu, the Biographies of Chen Sheng, and the Biography of Xiang Ji within the Hanshu. These accounts serve as a complement to the Xiang Yu Benji (Biography of Xiang Yu) in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian).

The author of the Hanshu, Ban Gu, employed a concise writing style to emphasize the tragic grandeur of Xiang Yu's spirit, often described by the phrase "His strength could lift mountains, and his heroism surpassed the world." Simultaneously, Ban Gu implicitly upheld the Confucian concept of legitimate rule, positioning Xiang Yu as a "violent and doomed" warlord. This served to highlight the legitimacy of Liu Bang, who "conformed to the will of Heaven and the aspirations of the people."

Core Knowledge Points

1. Status Definition: Xiang Ji was a descendant of the Chu nobility (his grandfather, Xiang Yan, was a Chu general). After the Qin destroyed Chu, he lay low in the Jiang-Huai region. Due to his physical attributes—described as "eight chi (approx. 4.8 meters) tall" with the "strength to lift a tripod"—the Grand Historian (Sima Qian) dedicated a specific chapter (Benji) to him. In the Hanshu, he is viewed as a "hero of a chaotic era" rather than a legitimate emperor.

2. Key Events:

  • The Destruction of Qin's Surrendering Troops: At the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu "broke his pots and sank his boats," achieving a decisive victory against a larger force. This established him as the main force in the anti-Qin campaign.
  • Entering the Capital and Enfeoffing: After the fall of Qin, Xiang Yu enfeoffed eighteen feudal lords and styled himself the "Hegemon-King of West Chu," establishing his capital at Pengcheng. The Hanshu · Annals of Gaozu records that he "burned the Qin palaces, and the fires burned for three months without extinguishing," illustrating his brutality.
  • The Hongmen Banquet: Xiang Ji hesitated and released Liu Bang, a decision later regarded as a strategic blunder.
  • The Defeat at Gaixia: The Hanshu records the psychological warfare tactic of "Chu songs from all four sides." Xiang Yu sang a mournful song—"The time is unfavorable, and my steed, Zhui, will not gallop"—before ultimately committing suicide at the Wu River.

3. Personality Traits: The Hanshu quotes Han Xin's assessment, praising his "matchless courage" but criticizing his "womanly benevolence" and his inability to use talent effectively. Han Xin criticized him for "acting against righteousness," which led to the defection of his allies and subordinates.

Correlation with the Content of the Hanshu

As a dynastic history, the Hanshu records figures from the late Qin period more briefly than the Shiji, but its stance is more distinct. In the preface to the Biography of Xiang Ji, Ban Gu states: "Gaozu rose from the ranks of commoners, took up a sword three chi long, and established his rule over the realm. Was this not the work of Heaven!" This statement subtly denigrates Xiang Yu. The text frequently contrasts Xiang Ji with Liu Bang:

  • *In the Annals of Gaozu***: It records that Liu Bang was "benevolent and disliked killing," which contrasts sharply with Xiang Yu "massacring two hundred thousand surrendered troops." This comparison reinforces the legitimacy of the Han dynasty inheriting the Qin institutional framework.
  • *In the Appendix to the Biography of Chen Sheng***: It mentions that in his youth, Xiang Ji was "a good-for-nothing" who "failed to succeed at studying writing," and "failed at swordsmanship" as well. He later studied under Xiang Liang, showcasing a non-traditional path to heroism.
  • In the Historical Commentary: Ban Gu remarks: "Ji gained the world through violence, and lost it through violence." This verdict inherits the Confucian ideology of "governing through virtue," attributing Xiang Yu's failure to a "lack of propriety and righteousness," rather than solely to military defeat.

Although the Hanshu's account of Xiang Ji is shorter than that in the Shiji, it constructs a historical narrative framework where "the victor is the king, and the loser is the bandit" through contrast and evaluation. This deeply influenced the shaping of Xiang Yu's image as a "tragic hero" in later generations, while simultaneously serving the orthodox ideology of the Han Dynasty.