The campaign
Coalition against Dong Zhuo
关东联军讨董
In 189 Dong Zhuo, called to the capital by He Jin, seized control of the Han court. When he proposed deposing the emperor, Yuan Shao defied him and walked out. In 190 Yuan Shao raised troops from Bohai, the eastern provinces joined the war against Dong Zhuo, and they acclaimed Yuan Shao coalition leader; Cao Cao and Sun Jian were among those who took the field. Dong Zhuo answered by moving the emperor to Chang’an and burning the palaces of Luoyang. The coalition stalled as its leaders competed for territory and supplies, but in 191 Sun Jian routed Dong Zhuo’s army at Yangren, where Dong’s commander Hua Xiong was killed, and then entered the abandoned Luoyang to repair the damaged imperial tombs.
See the realm in 190 on the historical atlasThe people
Who fought it
Novel vs history
How the novel retells it
Romance of the Three Kingdoms changes parts of this story. These fact-checks show what the records say instead.
Sources
Historical sources
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
He Jin and Yuan Shao plotted to kill the eunuchs; when the empress dowager refused, He Jin privately called Dong Zhuo to bring his army to the capital.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
When Dong Zhuo proposed deposing the emperor, Yuan Shao answered that Dong was not the only strong man under heaven, then saluted with crossed blade and walked out.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
In 190 he raised troops from Bohai; the eastern provinces joined the war against Dong Zhuo and acclaimed Yuan Shao as coalition leader.
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
Regional leaders formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, though their alliance soon proved difficult to coordinate.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书一·武帝纪
Cao Cao joined the coalition raised against Dong Zhuo after Dong moved the Han court west and burned the Luoyang palaces.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
After the Han court crisis, Sun Jian raised troops among the eastern coalition forces.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
Facing the eastern coalition, he moved the emperor to Chang’an and burned the palaces of Luoyang, driving the population west.
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
The coalition stalled while the warlords competed for territory and supplies.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
Sun Jian regrouped and routed Dong Zhuo’s army at Yangren, beheading his commander Hua Xiong.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
The biography credits Sun Jian’s force with defeating Dong Zhuo’s army near Yangren and names Hua Xiong among those killed.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
After Dong Zhuo abandoned Luoyang, Sun Jian entered and repaired damaged Han imperial tombs.