Yuan Forces Take Jiankang and Lishui Surrenders, 1275 CE

Date and era

Two eras run together in this year: the first year of the Deyou era of the Song emperor Gong, which is the twelfth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan emperor Shizu, or 1275 CE. The gazetteer marks the equivalence in this entry and from here on dates its entries by the Yuan era.

The event

恭帝德祐元年乙亥，即元世祖至元十二年。元兵克建康，溧水降。十月，阿剌罕由西道趋溧水，破东坝而进。十一月，铜关将贝宝、胡岩起同攻溧水，死之。后赠宝为武翼郎，岩为朝奉郎。是年，元立行省于建康，以伯颜为平章事，统溧水等县。

Translated: In the first year of the Deyou era, which is the twelfth year of the Zhiyuan era of Shizu of the Yuan, Yuan forces took Jiankang and Lishui surrendered. In the tenth month Alahan advanced on Lishui by the western road and broke through Dongba. In the eleventh month the Tongguan commanders Bei Bao and Hu Yanqi attacked Lishui together and died. Bei Bao was afterwards given the posthumous rank of Wuyi lang and Hu Yanqi that of Chaofeng lang. In that year the Yuan established a branch secretariat at Jiankang with Bayan as its chief minister, governing Lishui and other counties. This is a translation, not the words of the original.

The record puts the surrender first, then Alahan's advance through Dongba, then the deaths of Bei Bao and Hu Yanqi, all within the one year.

Consequences

Lishui surrendered to the Yuan. A branch secretariat was set up at Jiankang under Bayan as chief minister, governing Lishui and the other counties. The gazetteer records the posthumous ranks given to Bei Bao and Hu Yanqi. In the following year, 1276, it records that the Yuan appointed a darughachi at Lishui, holding rank above the county magistrate; a year later, in 1277, it records that the Yuan changed Jiankang Prefecture into a circuit, with Lishui under it.

Uncertainties

First, the gazetteer does not say whose officers the two "Tongguan commanders" were, nor what posts they held, nor whether they were storming the town or defending it; nor does it say where Tongguan lay within Lishui.

Second, it does not say who conferred the posthumous ranks, and it offers no explanation of the two rank names.

Third, apart from the phrase about breaking through Dongba, the gazetteer gives no account of Alahan's line of march towards Lishui.