Qi Jiguang

A famous general who fought against the Japanese pirates during the Ming Dynasty in China. He was born in Penglai County, Shandong Province. His courtesy name was Zhijing, his pen name was Nantang, and later he was called Meng Zhu. He first served as a military officer commanding the Dengzhou Guard, and in 1555 he became a general in Zhejiang and defended against the Japanese pirates. Seeing the poor quality of the old army, he recruited and trained farmers and miners from Yiwu County in Zhejiang, forming a new army called the Qi family army, which became the main force in the fight against the Japanese. In 61 he won great victories in Taizhou and Wenzhou, and the following year he helped Fujian and destroyed the Japanese pirates' base in Hengyu (Ningde County). In 63, when the Japanese pirates occupied Xinghua Prefecture, he cooperated with Fujian Governor Tan Lun and military commander Yu Dayu to eliminate them at Pinghaiwei. In 67, at the request of Zhang Juzheng, he was assigned to guard the north and served in Jizhou for 16 years. He excelled in military strategy and wrote such books as "Kikou Xinshu" and "Renbu Jikki".

[Shigeo Sakuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)代の倭寇(わこう)討伐の名将。山東省蓬莱(ほうらい)県の出身。字(あざな)は之敬(しけい)、号は南塘(なんとう)、のちに孟諸。軍籍で初め登州衛指揮僉事(せんじ)となり、1555年に浙江(せっこう)で参将となり倭寇防衛にあたった。旧軍隊の素質不良をみて浙江の義烏(ぎう)県の農民や鉱徒を召募して訓練した新軍は戚家(せきか)軍と称され抗倭の主力となった。61年に台州、温州で大勝し、翌年に福建を助けて倭寇の基地横嶼(おうしょ)（寧徳県）を壊滅させた。63年に倭寇が興化府を占拠したので、福建巡撫(じゅんぶ)の譚綸(たんりん)、総兵官の兪大猷(ゆたいゆう)らと協力し、平海衛でこれを絶滅した。67年に張居正の要請で北方警備に任じ、薊(けい)州に16年間鎮守。兵法に秀(すぐ)れ、『紀效(きこう)新書』『練兵実紀』などの著がある。

［佐久間重男］

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