Why is Hanzhong in the Three Kingdoms so important? Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao want it!

Why is Hanzhong in the Three Kingdoms so important? Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao want it! I hope this will help everyone.

Hanzhong may be just an ordinary city today, but it was a place that Liu Bei and Cao Cao wanted very much during the Three Kingdoms period. Now, as a small city, why was it so attractive then? This article will restore the historical truth for you from another different side.

Importance of geographical location

As can be seen from today's map, Hanzhong is located at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan and Hubei provinces and is an important traffic artery. About 200 kilometers of major cities are Guangyuan, Longnan, Tianshui, Bazhong, Baoji and Xi. As early as the Three Kingdoms period, Hanzhong was the border area between Wei and Shu. Among them, the linear distance from Hanzhong to Chang 'an is about 200 kilometers, and the linear distance from Chengdu is about 600 kilometers. In ancient times, the marching speed was about 30-40 kilometers per day, and the speed of cavalry might be faster. Considering the slow transmission of ancient information, starting from Hanzhong, whether in Chang 'an or Chengdu, the other side may be caught off guard when the army keeps secrets.

Whether Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition or Wei's War to Destroy Shu, Hanzhong is an inseparable fortress. Wei controls today's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, so every time Zhuge Liang goes north, his first stop is Hanzhong, and then he decides whether to attack east or west according to different attack priorities. It can be said that Hanzhong is the bridgehead of Zhuge Liang's northern expedition, and it is also the concentration of logistics and troops. Shu Wei's main force also comes from Hanzhong, and Longxi is also the direction of attack. Therefore, Hanzhong was an important strategic place during the Three Kingdoms period. Whoever owns it wins the initiative. Hanzhong was in the hands of Shu in its early years and could be used as the base of the Northern Expedition. Later, Wei Yi Han and Bill Han broke through and led the army to attack Shu, which led to the death of Shu.

Competition and ownership in Hanzhong

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court existed in name only, and the separatist forces controlled this land. Zhang Lu's power was formed at this time. From A.D. 194, Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang turned against each other until A.D. 2 15, when Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao and Zhang Lu ruled Hanzhong for more than 20 years. Hanzhong under the rule of Zhang Lu belongs to the nature of the unity of politics and religion. My name is Zhang Lu, and I am the third generation descendant of No.5 Mi Dou Road. He ruled Hanzhong with a lenient policy. "People and foreigners will like it." Those who move home dare not refuse. Director Wu expanded his influence with the help of the government. A believer with five paths can enter the right path as long as he pays five paths. Zhang Lu has been in Hanzhong for more than 20 years, and his followers are numerous, which has become a powerful separatist force in the late Han Dynasty.

Zhang Lu ruled Pakistan and Han nationality for nearly 30 years. Twenty years after Jian 'an, Cao Cao led a hundred thousand troops to attack Hanzhong and Yangpingguan. Zhang Lu wanted to surrender to Cao Cao. Zhang Qian and Zhang Qian refused to listen, and led tens of thousands of soldiers to stick to Yangpingguan. After Cao Cao arrived in Nanzheng, he praised Zhang Lu's behavior and sent people to sympathize with Zhang Lu's plan to surrender to the court in his early years. Zhang Lu took his family to see Cao Cao. Mao named him General Zhennan, treated him with courtesy, and named him "Zhang Lu Langzhong Hou". As Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao, Wei actually took control of Hanzhong.

After occupying Yizhou, Liu Bei decided to attack Hanzhong in order to build more barriers in the north. This war was launched by Liu Bei from the 22nd year of Jian 'an to the end of May of the 24th year of Jian 'an. The war lasted nearly two years. The commanders of both sides are Liu Bei and Cao Cao. Liu Beifang's generals are Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Fa Zheng and Huang Quan. Cao's generals are Xia, Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen, Cao Hong, Zhang He and Guo Huai. After more than two years of war, Liu Bei finally occupied Hanzhong, and the territory of Shu was further expanded. He is also known as the king of Hanzhong.

Through the analysis of the above two points, I think it is precisely because of the importance of Hanzhong's geographical location that Liu Bei and Cao Cao will fight for it. As an important strategic military position, whoever controls it will have the initiative in the battle. How important do you think the location of Hanzhong is? Please leave a message in the comments section to discuss.