Zhang Liao

Zhang Liao
An illustration of Zhang Liao in a Qing dynasty edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms
General of Cao Wei
Born	169
Died	222 (aged 53)
Names
Traditional Chinese	張遼
Simplified Chinese	张辽
Pinyin	Zhāng Liáo
Wade–Giles	Chang Liao
Courtesy name	Wenyuan (simplified Chinese: 文远; traditional Chinese: 文遠; pinyin: Wényuǎn; Wade–Giles: Wen-yüan)
Posthumous name	Marquis Gang (simplified Chinese: 刚侯; traditional Chinese: 剛侯; pinyin: Gāng Hóu)

Zhang Liao (169–222),courtesy name Wenyuan, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He served briefly in the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, in the early Three Kingdoms period before his death. Formerly a subordinate of other warlords such as Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, Zhang Liao joined Cao Cao in around 198 after Lü Bu's downfall at the Battle of Xiapi. Since then, he participated in many of Cao Cao's military campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's heirs and the Wuhuan tribes from 201–207. He is best known for his pivotal role in the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford in 214–215, in which he successfully defended Hefei from the forces of the warlord Sun Quan.

Chen Shou, who wrote Zhang Liao's biography in the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), named Zhang one of the Five Elite Generals of his time, alongside Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Zhang He and Xu Huang.

Zhang Liao was from Mayi County (馬邑縣), Yanmen Commandery (鴈門郡), which is located in present-day Shuocheng District, Shuozhou, Shanxi. He was a descendant of Nie Yi (聶壹), but his family name had been changed from "Nie" to "Zhang" to avoid association with his disgraced ancestor. When he was young, he served as a minor officer in Yanmen Commandery.