A Record of the Defense of Xiangyang's City Wall, 1206-1207

• Main Author: Avery, Julie J
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 2009
• Subjects: Xiangyang; Zhao Wannian; Zhao Chun; Wanyan Kuang; Southern Song warfare; History; Asian History; Medieval History; Military History
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/343; https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1428&context=theses

This thesis presents an original annotated translation of Xiangyang shou cheng lu 襄陽守城錄 [A Record of the Defense of Xiangyang’s City Wall] written by Zhao Wannian (ca. 1169-1210) in 1207. In this record, Zhao, a low ranking official in the Song army, describes the events of a two and half month siege imposed upon the city of Xiangyang by invading Jin troops. Currently the only other full translation of this text that is available is in German by Herbert Franke and can be found in Studien und Texte zur Kriegsgeschichte der südlichen Sungzeit that was published in 1987. In addition to my translation, an overview of this event in the war between Song and Jin (1206-1208) as well as an overview of Xiangyang’s strategic geographic location is included in the introduction. A copy of the Yue ya tang edition of the text is provided in the appendices, along with an index of names which appear in the text, an explanation of the translation of titles, a glossary of weapons, a glossary of place names, and supplementary maps and photographs.