Yuan Shao

Yuan Shao (died 28 June 202),courtesy name Benchu, was a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era. He was also an elder half-brother of Yuan Shu, a warlord who controlled the Huai River region, though the two were not on good terms with each other.

One of the most powerful warlords of his time, Yuan Shao spearheaded a coalition of warlords against Dong Zhuo, who held Emperor Xian hostage in the capital Luoyang, but failed due to internal disunity. In 200, he launched a campaign against his rival Cao Cao but was defeated at the Battle of Guandu. He died of illness two years later in Ye. His eventual failure despite his powerful family background and geographical advantages was commonly blamed on his indecisiveness and inability to heed the advice of his advisors.

Family background

A local of Ruyang County, Yuan Shao was born in a family with many members who had served in prominent positions within the civil bureaucracy of the Han Dynasty since the first century AD. Descended from Yuan An, who served during the reign of Emperor Zhang, Yuan Shao's exact parentage was the source of some controversy, serving as the major cause of dispute between himself and his half-brother Yuan Shu. Yuan Shao was a son of Yuan Feng (袁逢) and the eldest sibling, supposedly to the ire of his agnate half-brother Yuan Shu. Both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are recognized as great-grandsons of Yuan An, as recorded in Wang Shen (王沈)'s Book of Wei (魏書).