PersonPolitics

Sun Yu (Han dynasty)

Sun Yu (177–215), courtesy name Zhongyi, was a cousin of Sun Quan, a Chinese warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and later became the founding emperor of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period.

Born~Died 177 ~ 2150 views in 30 daysLast edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:34 PM

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Details

Born ~ Died: 177 ~ 215
Born: 177
Died: 215 (aged 38)
Relations: See Eastern Wu family trees
Children: Sun MiSun XiSun YaoSun ManSun Hong
Parent: Sun Jing (father)
Occupation: General
Courtesy name: Zhongyi (仲異)
Location: 32.3912, 119.4363

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Contents

1.Early life
2.First spell at Danyang
3.Military career
4.Second spell at Danyang
5.Death and legacy
6.Personality
7.References
8.Notes

Sun Yu (177–215),¹ courtesy name Zhongyi, was a cousin of Sun Quan, a Chinese warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and later became the founding emperor of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period. Sun Yu would twice serve in the sensitive area of Danyang (丹楊), showing generosity to those fleeing the chaos in the north and a keenness to learn, he was also active in Jing province as a general.²³

Early life

From Wu Commandery,³ Sun Yu was the son of Sun Jing, who had raised the core of the military officer Sun Jian's army,⁴⁵ then, during the civil war, served under Yu's warlord cousins Sun Ce and Sun Quan. Sun Jing held military rank but often chose to remain in their home area,⁶ in Fuchun County, Wu Commandery, which is around present-day Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

In 200, Sun Ce was assassinated and there was uncertainty around who might rule, Yu's elder brother Sun Gao/Hao (孫暠) made a play for Kuaiji with the Wucheng garrison under his command. While this was seen off by Yu Fan's preparedness and warnings, Sun Gao's career ended.⁷ Sun Jing was promoted, but likely did not live long.⁸ Around this time, Sun Yu was made a Colonel,⁹³ but his rank was lower than that of his father and brother.

First spell at Danyang

In 204, there was a crisis at Danyang, part of the heart of the Sun family control of the south,¹⁰ as Sun Quan's brother Sun Yi was assassinated. The crisis was soon settled, but Sun Quan needed a replacement for the sensitive post,³ and he turned to Sun Yu who, likely through family resources and his noted generosity, brought a following of ten thousand.¹¹

One refugee from the north in Sun Yu's circle was Ma Pu(馬普) of Jiyin, a scholar of the ancient history. Sun Yu treated him well and sent the relatives of those who held office under him to study under Ma Pu. Then those hundreds of people were used to help establish schools in Danyang and lectures with Sun Yu ensured food and drink was provided.¹²³¹³

Military career

Promoted from Colonel to General at some point after taking command of Danyang,¹⁴ in 206 and 207 he joined with Zhou Yu to attack and capture the refugees in Mo and Bao among the marshes in present-day Jiayu in Hubei¹⁵ as Sun Quan prepared to attack Huang Zu, Liu Biao's commander in the south of Jing.¹⁶¹⁷

In 210, Zhou Yu proposed he would lead an army against Liu Zhang in Yi province and then the theocratic Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, requesting his old associate Sun Yu join him¹⁸ for the long haul. The plan was, that, on conquering the west, Sun Yu would be entrusted to look after those lands while Zhou Yu returned to Sun Quan.¹⁹ However, Zhou Yu died before any invasion of the west could be begun.²⁰ According to Yuan Ye's (袁暐) Xiandi Chunqiu (獻帝春秋)/Chronicle of Emperor Xian, Sun Quan sent Sun Yu to try anyway but Liu Bei objected, threatening to become a recluse and sending his officers to block the way. Sun Yu was recalled.²¹ However, while Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian includes the tale,²² historian Rafe De Crespigny disputes Sun Yu was ever sent as too risky a move for Sun Quan at that time.¹⁸ The aborted campaign is the only time Sun Yu appears in the 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, made a brother of Sun Quan and dispatched while Zhou Yu is still alive.

In 212, he was with Sun Quan against northern warlord Cao Cao at the newly created defences of Ruxu and urged Sun Quan against giving battle, Sun Quan didn't listen and suffered a loss²³ though Sun Quan would win the campaign in 213.

Second spell at Danyang

Following Ruxu, Sun Yu was promoted to General of Vehement Might and sent to Danyang for a second spell. Sun Yu moved his garrison from the crossing points at Liyang in Jiujiang to Niuzhu.²⁴²⁵ When Cao Cao attempted, during the failed campaign of 212-213, to force people near the Yangzi²⁶²⁷ back to the more secure control of the Huai, Sun Yu sought to counter it. Sun Yu, always generous to refugees,²⁸ had an open-door policy to those fleeing south, he sent Rao Zhu (饒助) and Yan Lian (顏連) to Xiang'an (襄安) and Juchao (居巢), south-east of Lujiang to win people over while also appealing to the people of Jiujiang.²⁹³⁰³¹ Sun Yu seems to have had considerable success in the battle for influence of the people in the border regions, many choosing to go south to Sun Quan over moving north with Cao Cao.³² Though neither side held Xiang'an nor Juchao after the resettlement and no man's land developed.³²

Death and legacy

He died at the age of 39 by East Asian age reckoning in 215.³³ He left behind five sons: Sun Mi (孫彌), Sun Xi (孫熙), Sun Yao (孫燿), Sun Man (孫曼) and San Hong (孫紘)³⁴ with only Man noted as having a career, reaching rank of General and being enoffed.³⁵

Personality

Sun Yu was known for his generous and courteous treatment of émigrés from the north who had fled to the south for safety and joined Sun Quan.²⁸ Despite often being involved in military affairs, Sun Yu always had an interest in classical texts, he never stopped reading and reciting.³⁶

References

Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).

Notes

The Sanguozhi recorded that Sun Yu died at the age of 39 (by East Asian age reckoning) in the 20th year of the Jian'an era (196–220) in the reign of Emperor Xian of Han.1 By calculation, Sun Yu's birth year should be around 177. ↩
Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 778. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
堅始舉事，靜糾合鄉曲及宗室五六百人以為保障，眾咸附焉 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 74, 90. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
(表拜静为奋武校尉，欲授之重任，静恋坟墓宗族，不乐出仕，求留镇守。策从之.) Sanguozhi vol.51 ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 767. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.

Early life

In 200, Sun Ce was assassinated and there was uncertainty around who might rule, Yu's elder brother Sun Gao/Hao (孫暠) made a play for Kuaiji with the Wucheng garrison under his command. While this was seen off by Yu Fan's preparedness and warnings, Sun Gao's career ended. Sun Jing was promoted, but likely did not live long. Around this time, Sun Yu was made a Colonel, but his rank was lower than that of his father and brother.

This page is based on “Sun Yu (Han dynasty)” from English Wikipedia, (r1278429856) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.

Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:34 PM · r70657 · Text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The Sanguozhi recorded that Sun Yu died at the age of 39 (by East Asian age reckoning) in the 20th year of the Jian'an era (196–220) in the reign of Emperor Xian of Han.1 By calculation, Sun Yu's birth year should be around 177. ↩
Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 778. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
堅始舉事，靜糾合鄉曲及宗室五六百人以為保障，眾咸附焉 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 74, 90. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
(表拜静为奋武校尉，欲授之重任，静恋坟墓宗族，不乐出仕，求留镇守。策从之.) Sanguozhi vol.51 ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 767. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). p. 70. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
以恭義校尉始領兵眾 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). p. 180. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
建安九年，領丹楊太守，為眾所附，至萬餘人 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
濟陰人馬普篤學好古，瑜厚禮之，使二府將吏子弟數百人就受業，遂立學官，臨饗講肄 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 647. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩
加綏遠將軍 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1996). To Establish Peace. Australian National University: the Asian Studies Monographs. p. 356. ISBN 0 7315 2526 4. ↩
十一年，與周瑜共討麻、保二屯，破之 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
十一年，督孫瑜等討麻、保二屯，梟其渠帥，囚俘萬餘口 Sanguozhi vol.54. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). p. 242. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩ ↩²
是時劉璋為益州牧，外有張魯寇侵，瑜乃詣京見權日：「今曹操新折衄，方憂在腹心，未能與將軍連兵相事也。乞與奮威俱進取蜀，得蜀而并張魯，因留奮威固守其地，好與馬超結援。瑜還與將軍據襄陽以蹙操，北方可圖也。」Sanguozhi vol.54. ↩
瑜還江陵，為行裝，而道於巴丘病卒 Sanguozhi vol.54. ↩
Xiandi Chunqiu in Sanguozhi vol.32. ↩
Zizhi Tongjian 66:2135-36 ↩
後從權拒曹公於濡須，權欲交戰，瑜說權持重，權不從，軍果無功 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
遷奮威將軍，領郡如故，自溧陽徙屯牛渚。Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). p. 44. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
初，曹公恐江濱郡縣為權所略，征令內移。民轉相驚，自廬江、九江、蘄春、廣陵戶十餘萬皆東渡江。江西遂虛，合肥以南惟有皖城。 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (18 August 2010). Imperial Warlord: A biography of Cao Cao 155-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 300. ISBN 9789004188303. ↩
是時賓客諸將多江西人，瑜虛心綏撫，得其歡心 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩ ↩²
瑜以永安人饒助為襄安長，無錫人顏連為居巢長，使招納廬江二郡，各得降附 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 713. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. pp. 936–937. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 252, 253. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩ ↩²
年三十九，建安二十年卒。Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
瑜五子：彌、熙、燿、曼、紘 Sanguozhi vol.5. ↩
曼至將軍，封侯 Sanguozhi vol.5. ↩
是時諸將皆以軍務為事，而瑜好樂墳典，雖在戎旅，誦聲不絕。Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩

The Sanguozhi recorded that Sun Yu died at the age of 39 (by East Asian age reckoning) in the 20th year of the Jian'an era (196–220) in the reign of Emperor Xian of Han.1 By calculation, Sun Yu's birth year should be around 177. ↩
Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 778. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
堅始舉事，靜糾合鄉曲及宗室五六百人以為保障，眾咸附焉 Sanguozhi vol.51. ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (1997). Generals Of The South: The Foundation And Early History Of The Three Kingdoms State Of Wu (2018 ed.). pp. 74, 90. ISBN 9780731509010. ↩
(表拜静为奋武校尉，欲授之重任，静恋坟墓宗族，不乐出仕，求留镇守。策从之.) Sanguozhi vol.51 ↩
De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23–220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 767. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.

Sun Yu (Han dynasty)

Early life

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Early life

Opinions 0

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Other languages

Sub-pages

Nearby events

Early life

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Opinions 0

Sun Yu (Han dynasty)

Early life

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Footnotes

Early life

Opinions 0

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Footnotes

Other languages

Sub-pages

Nearby events

Early life

First spell at Danyang

Military career

Second spell at Danyang

Death and legacy

Personality

References

Notes

Footnotes

Opinions 0