Xiang Liang

Xiang Liang (項梁; died 208 BC) was a Chinese military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty between 209 and 208 BC. He is best known as an uncle of Xiang Yu, the rival of the Han dynasty's founding emperor Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention.

Early life

Xiang Liang was from Xiaxiang (下相; present-day Suqian, Jiangsu) and he descended from an aristocratic family whose members had served as generals in the Chu state during the Warring States period. His father, Xiang Yan (項燕), had been killed in action in 223 BC while leading the defence of Chu against an invasion by the Qin state, which ultimately unified China under the Qin dynasty.

After the fall of Chu, the Xiang family lived as commoners under Qin rule for years. When Xiang Liang's brother Xiang Chao (項超) died, Xiang Liang took Xiang Chao's son, Xiang Yu, under his care. Having high hopes for his nephew, Xiang Liang went to great lengths to ensure that Xiang Yu was well-instructed in swordsmanship and scholarly arts. However, Xiang Yu disappointed his uncle when he failed to master what he had been taught. Upon realising that Xiang Yu had an interest in military strategy, Xiang Liang attempted to teach his nephew himself but the latter stopped after grasping the key concepts, saying that learning military strategy was akin to treating warfare like a game. Xiang Liang ultimately gave up on his nephew, who showed no sign of motivation or apparent talent apart from his great strength, and let the latter decide his own destiny.¹

Leading a rebellion against the Qin dynasty

On one occasion, Xiang Liang killed someone and was forced to flee with his family to Wu County (in present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) to evade the authorities. At the time, Qin Shi Huang was on an inspection tour in that area. While accompanying his uncle to watch the emperor's procession pass by, Xiang Yu said that he could replace the emperor, prompting a shocked Xiang Liang to immediately cover Xiang Yu's mouth with his hand. From then on, Xiang Liang began seeing his nephew in a different light. Due to his aristocratic lineage, Xiang Liang gradually gained influence among the locals in Wu County and became their representative in dealings with the local government. He also leveraged on his popularity to rally supporters and form a secret militia in preparation for a future uprising against the Qin dynasty to restore the Chu state.