Top 10 famous generals of ancient China

Sun Wu 孙武

 

Sun Wu

Sun Wu (535 -? BC), with the style name of Changqing, better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi, was a famed ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher. He was also the originator of strategies of the East. He was born in Le'an (in today's Shandong Province), the State of Qi, in the Spring and Autumn Period of China (770-476 BC).

Sun was general under King Helv of the State of Wu. Leading the Wu army composed of 60,000 soldiers, Sun miraculously defeated the State of Chu which had 200,000 soldiers in five wars and occupied Ying, the capital of Chu.

His most famous work, "The Art of War," composed of 13 chapters, was the first as well as the most influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. It was included in the first book of the collection of "Seven Military Classics." Sun had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture. During the 19th and 20th centuries, his "The Art of War" became very popular and was in practical use in Western world. It has been translated to multiple languages including English, French, German and Japanese, and has continued to influence both Asian and Western cultures and politics, becoming the most famous book on military strategy in the world.