Glad you did a short comparison of China's and Japanese social structure. Indeed Japan has focused more on the Samurai to be a warrior, scholar, and administrator all in one while China definitely had a separation and emphasis on the scholar class. After the three kingdoms period, you see that division even more where the military was often it's own thing and made to be subservient to the scholar officials. Japan, on the other hand, was a bit different in that samurai held the power but we're eventually phased out after unification and drastically in the Meiji era.
@@frankincensemerchant1284 the military government made an unreasonable decision and led the country to its doom. Destroying gains and development made by the civilian government.
This is a level of cultural analysis I never thought I could ever expect to find available in the english language. This channel deserve to be 100 times bigger than it is, if not more.
it's worth pointing out the "beauty standard" for men changed a lot in China in history. during Qin and Han era, buff men with big beautiful beards (like Guan Yu) are the beauty standard (so for most "pretty men" described in older Chinese literature, it's going to be big, bearded men). it was first in Wei(yes, the three kingdoms Wei) that feminine men became the beauty standard. so, in fact, when Shu and Wei fought(if Zhuge Liang is actually commanding that is), relatively Zhuge Liang is probably going to be the more masculine guy in charge(especially if we are talking Sima Yi)
It is curious you mention this. Indeed, men like Xun Yu and Zhou Yu were said to be drop-dead gorgeous (to the point that Mi Heng even said that Xun Yu would do well to act as someone who oversaw funerals because of his gentle looks and make the mourners feel better). In Shu though I'm not sure if the term "beauty" is used outside of Zhuge Liang calling Guan Yu's beard beautiful when praising him to the slight denigration of Ma Chao. It may also be, just like in our own time, women (and men) are attracted to different things depending on personality, rather than just culture.
We must take into consideration the fact that Asian type man do not have such extensive face hair as men in Europe. So those 'beautiful big beards' in old literature and poems are more likely short fringe along the chin or goatees. The face is still visible, the skin is exposed, no such big difference from a bare face. Still looks quite elegant.
Hi CJ, there are two topics I think could be of interest for future videos: 1 - a history overview of china's dynasties (you can link your deep dive videos then). For us westerners not so versed with the chronological detail of the earlier dynasties that would help a lot 2 - putting the stories of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" into historical context (Jin vs Song vs Mongols), and maybe also cultural context (e.g. Quanzhen Taoism, how martial artists were seen in reality ) - I guess there is a fair amount of fiction involved (besides the obvious wuxia fantasy :-D) thanks for your great videos!
To add to the suggestion, if I may, how about covering the historical period the classic tale known as "The Water Margin" takes place in? Unless I somehow missed that video.
I like all those ideas. Also, I must.say that it's been ages since I have heard "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" I'd love to talk about it, but I have to brush up on it. LOL!
@@CoolHistoryBros well there is a new English translation coming out atm, that's how I got into it. Only read the first 2 books, but thanks to Jacky Chan I felt instantly at home :-)
Hey, I'm totally agree with this idea! Water margin is one of the famous chinese classics that has been adapted to many forms. Also the idea of wuxia related to history and how's it's adapted to contemporary arts (movies and comics, etc). Can't wait for it, bro!
People that are good at martial arts are just people that are really good at fighting. Unless you hold some military position or some scholarly background or from a wealthy merchant family, you're not going to be any more respected as a normal peasant that are good at fighting.
Why was I not recommended this channel earlier? As a budding historian getting the chance to understand the origin of many tropes, themes, and cultural milestones sounds like a great investment of my time. You speak with such heart and enthusiasm and as someone who is studying Chinese History, I greatly appreciate how much attention to detail you include.
Really fascinating, I'm so glad I just discovered this series. For Westerners like me, who grew up knowing basically nothing about anything East of Greece, these brief overviews of such varied subjects are invaluable in gaining insights into the history and culture of what we call the "Far East" - and so important if we are to understand each other better in the future. And I also fully realise just what a good grasp on the material you must have to present it briefly and cogently as you do. Thank you! You asked for suggestions about future videos. I've only just started following you so may have missed something, but I would really like to see one about Zheng He and the power struggle that led to his explorations being abandoned. Also about the development of technology in China. Also about Chinese social structure and how it evolved. I understand that some people complain about your accent... Ignore them! International English is enriched by multiple accents and ways of use, and personally I appreciate hearing the Chinese names pronounced as they should be pronounced
@7:26: In Vietnamese Confucian society, there were indeed 5 broad, social classes or "castes" : with "binh" (兵, "fyrd", archaic term for "soldiers") being identified as last.
@@limitlesssky3050 right. The middle border is called Chu He Han Jie or 'Chu River Han Border'. And you will notice the Red General is 'Shuai', which means strategist or commander, probably refering to ZhangLiang, and Red is the official colour of Han dynasty. Black general is 'Jiang', which means General.
Thank you so much for you videos! Historical facts, horizontal generalizations and comparisons, throughtime analysis make the whole history so more clear, structured and easy to remember!
I believe that Odysseus is closer to the strategist archetype in ancient western culture. Despite he is not weak at all he is not as good warrior as other kings like Achilles or Ajax. In fact, he "beats" Telamonian Ajax only with a good discourse in one point of the Trojan War. Also is an example of winning through deceive rather than strength.
Yes and the Trojan War was a war between different Hellenic states so it wasn't a war between different cultures just like in the warring states period of China. This explains why deception was used more.
A key definition to define a strategist is that one has all brain but no brawn. I believe Odysseus was considered a warrior too thus does not fit in the strategist category.
@@lordchinchin8924 No - Achilles' wrath is the subject of the Iliad. Achilles is the archetypical warrior. There are volumes written on this - "Greeks and the Irrational" is one book I suggest. Hector is a tragic figure who fills the role of warrior from duty. Agamemnon is the great king (in fact wanax). Odysseus is the strategist and diplomat.
That's because the author Yoshiki Tanaka is an avid fan of Chinese history and classical novels. He traslated a few classical novels into Japanese, wrote multiple historical fictions based on important historical events in ancient China, and even wrote a sort-of commentary on ninety-nine famous Chinese generals from different periods.
Yeah, it's pretty reliant on Jungian thought and that's pretty bunk based on current understanding of memories and the mind. In fact the whole archetype study in psychology is more a testament to humans ability to fabricate patterns than the existence of some innate pattern
Sima means horse trainer and they're military leaders position during Han dynasty, it's a position which later, they use it for their last name and clan (like Wang that became a common Chinese last name that means king (王))
Another Japanese figure that would have been worth a mention was Takenaka Shigeharu (or more commonly known as Takenaka Hanbei.) In Japanese media, Hanbei was often portrayed as a young, beardless, androgynous guy - and also as an impeccable tactician and strategist.
I wonder if Cool History Bros has someone on the staff who has a history major with an advanced degree. The comparisons among Chinese and Japanese cultures and history and the east and west are great.
There are straightforward academic translations of the Chinese classics and many different incarnations of the classics in various forms including Noh. The majority of people do not go to Noh plays. People who are 90+ (so born in 1930 or before) or would have been or people who are under 54 (so born in 1967 or later) are more familiar with these stories. There are generations unfamiliar with Chinese classics in between who are into French/English/American things, but there was a revival later on when the Manga and computer game industry revived it.
Both are important I think, Qin started it and Liu Bang's Han continued the legacy, with much improvements. That's why it's called the Qin Han Dynasties.
I died when "Dude, looks like a lady"! 😂😂😂😂 I don't think Zhang Liang was a weakling who can't fight in the battlefield,He is the one who tried to assassinate the Qin emperor and wise enough to retire from office .
I don't know why you would use the Roman Scipio Africanus as a comparison with Zhang Liang to explain the "strategist archetype'. When a better comparison would have been Julius Caesar who was known as a "pretty boy" who had numerous affairs and was effeminate right down to how he wore his toga. He was equally as devious in setting up the First Triumvirate with two political opponents, Pompey Magnus and Crassus, Rome's richest man. Between them, they proceeded to divide the Mediterranean into three spheres of influence. Caesar needed a win in Gaul to establish his street cred as he knew Romans would only follow leaders who proved their "metal" on the battlefield. The "proof is in the pudding" as we would say, if you can't lead from the front, then don't expect others to follow. His greatest wins were in the Civil Wars with Pompey, who he defeated, even though Pompey had a much larger army, more battlefield experience, and three Triumphs under his belt. So your language analogy doesn't hold, they all spoke Latin including the peoples of Cisalpine Gaul and Gaul Narbonensis. which were Roman provinces as early as the 2nd century BC. The subjugation of the rest of Gaul, was Caesar's PR strategy to get a Roman Triumph to put him on par with Pompey. As for Scipio and the 2nd Punic War with Hannibal, the problem is that the Romans raised citizen armies, while Carthage hired mercenaries paid for by the public purse. In Rome, only citizens were allowed to fight, and it was considered a duty. In Carthage which was ruled by a mercantile elite, outside the "Sacred Band" of about 2500 Carthaginians, they hired mercenaries mostly from Greece, Tunisia and Libya. Hannibal inherited his from his dad who conquered Spain. As Hannibal lacked the funds to fully replace the troops he lost in Italy nor could he bring Romans to fight a decisive battle after Cannae, he was eventually recalled when Scipio led a counter invasion. From my limited knowledge of Chinese history, it seems that the class structure you detailed was homogenous across all states during this time period. Doesn't matter if it was Wu, Wei or Shu: same socio-political structure, same armament, same battlefield equipment, so what's left? Perhaps that's why the Art of Deception was raised to such a high standard?
Probably because Julius Ceasar was a head of state. Famous heads of state like Alexander the Great tend to fit better to other archetypes such as "wise king/warrior king/conqueror king" etc., rather than "strategist". Famous strategists in Chinese history and classical novels tend to be advisors to head of state, rather than being one themselves. The strategist archetype came to be in the first place because ancient Chinese people valued intellect and contributions of these advisors enough to glorify them and make larger-than-life-heroes out of them, rather than focusing all the spotlights on great rulers, legendary warriors, and brilliant military commanders.
Caesar was never a king, even though people thought he was aiming to be one at the time of his death. In the Roman Republic, 2 consuls were elected every year. They were drawn from the patrician class and had to prove themselves capable by holding office and working their way up the Cursus Honorium so by the time they could run for consul, they had both military and civilian experience. Consils ran the state including the military with the help of the Senate. It was the Senate that chose the consuls, so you could classify these as advisors. Except, the Senate could also forgo consuls and appoint a dictator for a year, if facing a severe threat. Caesar engineered the First Triumvirate to gain political power and award himself a position were he could cultivate military glory. He chose Gaul and spent 10 years subduing the Gauls. This 3 man arrangement ran into a snag when Crassus was defeated fighting the Parthians and Pompey was killed in Egypt, that left Caesar. The Senate awarded him a triump, and he was made a dictator to deal with the Parthians. He was in the process of recruiting when he was assassinated by members of the Senate. So there was really no "advisor" class or distinct administrative class as there was in China. Rome had a client-patron social structure from its inception. What was important was who you knew, not what you knew.
@@karinschultz5409 You definitely haven't read six Strategies of Huang Shigong. This book is not at all about the strategy or tactics of war. The essence of this book is insight into human nature. Six Strategies of Huang Shigong is an even more powerful book than Sun Tzu's Art of War. So it is impossible for Caesar to beat Zhang Liang in strategy. Zhang Liang is actually the only reason why Liu Bang can defeat Xiang Yu in the end.Caesar is obviously a Xiang Yu-like figure. we all know what happened to Xiang yu
I read somewhere that Kongming is respected, admired and even worship long before the novel was written. Is that true? Or the temples and shrine that commemorate him today is build because of the novel? If my first question is true, then what qualities he has as a person and leader that make people admired him that much eventough he failed at the end (to revive Han)? Maybe you can make the video about inspiring leader/ruler in ancient time, who has great personal qualities/ value thst impact many people till today. I love Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei's character from ROTK. But my resources to understand the real history about them is limited.. :)
Yes, Zhuge Liang's legacy has been well regarded in Chinese History from very early on. We have some of the earliest folktales about him popping up less than 100 years after the era and Liu Bei's decree to Zhuge Liang "should my son not prove worthy..." was respected even as early as Jin.
@@zhugeliangkongming479 Humorously, because Sima Yi was the ostensible founder of a dynasty, he was, for a time. The common people never cared one way or the other about the Sima because the Sima didn't care about them. Zhuge Liang did care about the common person, reflected in his policies and way of fighting (very defensive tactics, for several logistical reasons). The common people have long memories, those who are their champions they will praise and remember for long after history tries to forget them.
For anyone liking these topics read the warring-strategy manga Kingdom in the same time period of the Warring States and the rise and fall of the Qin Dinasty.
Actually there are many proto Zhuge Liang, Example, the Adviser of Shang Emperor Tang, Advisor of Emperor Wen of Zhou, they are great Strategist themselves Sad that they are unknown, due to myth and legends and oral history tsk
Zhuge Liang is kind of the Han Xin, Xiao He, Zhang Liang hybrid. Han Xin's the quintessential battle general, Xiao He was the logistics master, and Zhang Liang the planner.
I am just not sure if what you said about Zhuge Liang is accurate. I don't think Zhuge Liang is a fictional character (as of not a strategist) because you are based on Guanzhong's novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, there's a chapter on Zhuge Liang bio in vol. 35 of Book of Shu in Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms. I was disappointed that I heard no mention of Chen Shou in your video.
I love the fact that the Chinese can be compared to the ancient greek and Japanese to the romans in mindset🤣 as it is said: the romans thought that the greeks were drunk and wimpy and the greeks thought that the Romans were brutish and warmongering
so you're telling me that china is asian greece while japan is asian rome (whom one of the chinese guy called it da qin, as in augustus caesar being a bigger qin shi huang than the og qin shi huang)??? AND THE FACT THAT ROME HAD THEIR OWN 3 KINGDOMS PERIOD (CRISIS OF THE 3RD CENTURY) AT THE SAME TIME AS CHINA AND KOREA???
@@shanedoesyoutube8001 lol I meant culturarly, not actual historical coincidences... But yeah, it's funny how different is from west was, yet how similar. China did conquer other people as Rome did, the evidence is all the minorities part of modern China, also a good example
Yes, However putting race aside, certain colors could only be worn by certain stations. Such as yellow could only be worn by the Emperor. The color Yellow was associated with the divine.
I think Sima is a lot more of a inteligent person then Zhuge, on first reading, u often find yourself cheering for Zhuge, but then when its your third time, you really see how he has been turned into more of a god then actual person, meanwhile Sima , since he is not really the main character in the novelisation, does not get so much plot armor. yet at the end he still wins and spoilers, ends the entire war of three kingdoms, (his son was following the plans they devised together)
Well not exactly fair comparison, Liu Bei is nowhere near as intelligent as Cao Cao. And Cao Cao has many many strategists, while Liu Bei only has one Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang maybe smarter than all of them in one on one battle of wits, but he cannot beat all of them including Cao Cao combined. And even then they were only fully defeated after Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were all dead. Blame it on Liu Bei for not hiring more strategists to cover ZhugeLiang's flaw in logistics.
Is he trying to make strategic scheming seem more eastern than western? Because it was a trademark thing of the Ancient Greeks. They are known for doing just that. Examples can be found from the battle of Marathon to the battle of Salamis and beyond. So, the next time you think such things more eastern than western, as the old saying goes, beware the Greeks baring gifts. P.S. The Pharaoh Tutmose III is also known for something similar.
@@ANTSEMUT1 In fiction, namely Ancient Greek mythology, they do that too. The tales of the Greek heroes of legend, like Heracles, Odyssey and Jason are just like that. In the Iliad, for example, Odysseus is often referred to as the equal of Zeus in cunning, because of this!
@@DanielM.Nyberg those are specific genres and literal classics too, the trope doesn't turn up all that often in modern western media and definitely not when the characters is the obvious "good guy".
The Ancient Greeks are best remembered for their face-to-face, shield-to-shield hoplite warfare, and hardcore warrior culture that is the Spartan, not exactly the type one will associate with "strategist". Likewise in Greek mythologies, Hercules is remembered for his godly might and his exploits to overcome various labours. He wasn't a stupid brute, but intellect is not his defining feature. Similarly, Odysseus is cunning, but more of a trickster archetype rather than a strategist archetype. I mean Trojan Horse was great, but he only did it once, rest of the time he was busy poking cyclops in the eye and killing his wife's suitors. If there's an entire Greek epic about Odysseus (or Jason or anyone else) pulling the Trojan Horse and other tricks again and again to further his state's interest, protect his country from powerful invaders, influencing political landscape and power balance with his intellect, and being glorified for those intellectual exploits, only then he may qualify as a strategist.
@@戰國春秋 Now you’re just cherry-picking. If you think Heracles overcame his labors with but might and brute force, you need to brush up on your Greek Mythology, my friend! Heracles overcomes a great many of his labors through the very fact of his use of intelligence. The Ancient Greeks are known for their application of a harmony of brains and brawn. You only focusing on the brawn part suggests that you either want to lie to win rhetorical points or that you don’t know much about the Ancient Greeks. And I suggest you read the epics the Iliad, the Odyssey and the epic of Jason and the argonauts before you try to talk about them. And as a final point, you saying that to be a strategist one has to apply strategy in one specific area is non-sensical. What makes someone a strategist is the application of strategy in itself, not the application of strategy only in battle or politics (both of which are indeed present amongst the Ancient Greeks). Imagine if I said that harmony (actually a Greek word) was non-Chinese only because the Chinese didn’t apply a Greek sense of harmony. Ignoring the fact that someone else is or does something only because you don’t think that they did it the same way as you is nothing short of ignorant.
What do you think I should cover next? Do you want my analysis of the 7 Military classics of ancient China?
I'd like to see more Chinese history, although I guess the next part is already known by everyone.
I'd very much like this
yess, that would interest me very much!
That would be awesome! I have heard of the 7 military classics, but no idea whats the content except for Sun Tzu.
Oh, hella yes. I've read the Art of War and the 36 Strategems and would love to find more.
Glad you did a short comparison of China's and Japanese social structure. Indeed Japan has focused more on the Samurai to be a warrior, scholar, and administrator all in one while China definitely had a separation and emphasis on the scholar class. After the three kingdoms period, you see that division even more where the military was often it's own thing and made to be subservient to the scholar officials. Japan, on the other hand, was a bit different in that samurai held the power but we're eventually phased out after unification and drastically in the Meiji era.
But even Post-Meiji the new military class would play a major role in politics.
@@frankincensemerchant1284 the military government made an unreasonable decision and led the country to its doom. Destroying gains and development made by the civilian government.
Never thought the archetype originated from that long ago. That makes a whole lot of sense now.
Most archetypes are REALLY old.
Humanity doesn't often change in a significant way.
This is a level of cultural analysis I never thought I could ever expect to find available in the english language.
This channel deserve to be 100 times bigger than it is, if not more.
it's worth pointing out the "beauty standard" for men changed a lot in China in history. during Qin and Han era, buff men with big beautiful beards (like Guan Yu) are the beauty standard (so for most "pretty men" described in older Chinese literature, it's going to be big, bearded men). it was first in Wei(yes, the three kingdoms Wei) that feminine men became the beauty standard. so, in fact, when Shu and Wei fought(if Zhuge Liang is actually commanding that is), relatively Zhuge Liang is probably going to be the more masculine guy in charge(especially if we are talking Sima Yi)
It is curious you mention this. Indeed, men like Xun Yu and Zhou Yu were said to be drop-dead gorgeous (to the point that Mi Heng even said that Xun Yu would do well to act as someone who oversaw funerals because of his gentle looks and make the mourners feel better). In Shu though I'm not sure if the term "beauty" is used outside of Zhuge Liang calling Guan Yu's beard beautiful when praising him to the slight denigration of Ma Chao. It may also be, just like in our own time, women (and men) are attracted to different things depending on personality, rather than just culture.
We must take into consideration the fact that Asian type man do not have such extensive face hair as men in Europe. So those 'beautiful big beards' in old literature and poems are more likely short fringe along the chin or goatees. The face is still visible, the skin is exposed, no such big difference from a bare face. Still looks quite elegant.
Hi CJ, there are two topics I think could be of interest for future videos:
1 - a history overview of china's dynasties (you can link your deep dive videos then). For us westerners not so versed with the chronological detail of the earlier dynasties that would help a lot
2 - putting the stories of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" into historical context (Jin vs Song vs Mongols), and maybe also cultural context (e.g. Quanzhen Taoism, how martial artists were seen in reality ) - I guess there is a fair amount of fiction involved (besides the obvious wuxia fantasy :-D)
thanks for your great videos!
To add to the suggestion, if I may, how about covering the historical period the classic tale known as "The Water Margin" takes place in? Unless I somehow missed that video.
I like all those ideas. Also, I must.say that it's been ages since I have heard "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" I'd love to talk about it, but I have to brush up on it. LOL!
@@CoolHistoryBros well there is a new English translation coming out atm, that's how I got into it. Only read the first 2 books, but thanks to Jacky Chan I felt instantly at home :-)
Hey, I'm totally agree with this idea! Water margin is one of the famous chinese classics that has been adapted to many forms. Also the idea of wuxia related to history and how's it's adapted to contemporary arts (movies and comics, etc). Can't wait for it, bro!
People that are good at martial arts are just people that are really good at fighting. Unless you hold some military position or some scholarly background or from a wealthy merchant family, you're not going to be any more respected as a normal peasant that are good at fighting.
you guys are criminally underrated, good video ❤
Why was I not recommended this channel earlier? As a budding historian getting the chance to understand the origin of many tropes, themes, and cultural milestones sounds like a great investment of my time. You speak with such heart and enthusiasm and as someone who is studying Chinese History, I greatly appreciate how much attention to detail you include.
Now I get the handsome strategist in Red Cliff!
It's zhuge liang
@@jstn_0000 or Zhuo Yu. Zhuo was famous for being handsome
@@SeanHiruki“Zhou", not Zhuo. Same character as the Zhou Dynasty.
Really fascinating, I'm so glad I just discovered this series. For Westerners like me, who grew up knowing basically nothing about anything East of Greece, these brief overviews of such varied subjects are invaluable in gaining insights into the history and culture of what we call the "Far East" - and so important if we are to understand each other better in the future. And I also fully realise just what a good grasp on the material you must have to present it briefly and cogently as you do. Thank you!
You asked for suggestions about future videos. I've only just started following you so may have missed something, but I would really like to see one about Zheng He and the power struggle that led to his explorations being abandoned. Also about the development of technology in China. Also about Chinese social structure and how it evolved.
I understand that some people complain about your accent... Ignore them! International English is enriched by multiple accents and ways of use, and personally I appreciate hearing the Chinese names pronounced as they should be pronounced
@7:26: In Vietnamese Confucian society, there were indeed 5 broad, social classes or "castes" :
with "binh" (兵, "fyrd", archaic term for "soldiers") being identified as last.
If you play Chinese chess, you will notice thar, it a battle of two general assist by two advisor or strategistionn.
I've heard Chinese chess is based on the battle of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. Not sure whether it's true though.
@@limitlesssky3050 right. The middle border is called Chu He Han Jie or 'Chu River Han Border'. And you will notice the Red General is 'Shuai', which means strategist or commander, probably refering to ZhangLiang, and Red is the official colour of Han dynasty. Black general is 'Jiang', which means General.
If the Japanese have their way, they'll give Zhang Liang an oversized sword twice his weight.
And somehow flash step, sheath his sword, then cue the red rain behind him.
"Introducing Zhuge Liang from Advisor alliance TV shows"
So Zhang Liang was a part timer to Liu Bang or probably an intern. After a while he became a regular
Thank you so much for you videos! Historical facts, horizontal generalizations and comparisons, throughtime analysis make the whole history so more clear, structured and easy to remember!
I believe that Odysseus is closer to the strategist archetype in ancient western culture. Despite he is not weak at all he is not as good warrior as other kings like Achilles or Ajax. In fact, he "beats" Telamonian Ajax only with a good discourse in one point of the Trojan War. Also is an example of winning through deceive rather than strength.
Yes and the Trojan War was a war between different Hellenic states so it wasn't a war between different cultures just like in the warring states period of China. This explains why deception was used more.
A key definition to define a strategist is that one has all brain but no brawn. I believe Odysseus was considered a warrior too thus does not fit in the strategist category.
@@lordchinchin8924 I know. That's why I wrote it was the *closer*. Not exactly one of them.
@@lordchinchin8924 Augustus Caesar would fit the archtype perfectly. He was pretty much useless on any battlefield and was often sickly.
@@lordchinchin8924 No - Achilles' wrath is the subject of the Iliad. Achilles is the archetypical warrior. There are volumes written on this - "Greeks and the Irrational" is one book I suggest. Hector is a tragic figure who fills the role of warrior from duty. Agamemnon is the great king (in fact wanax). Odysseus is the strategist and diplomat.
I noticed this archetype after I played Suikoden and watched Three Kingdom series.
This is the most unique video on this topic ever. This deserves far more recognition than it currently has.
Smart people are not confined to Manly types, Thank Goodness. Great episode. Thank You.
the most prominent example of this for Japan media is yang Wenli. He's the very Archetype of the eccentric "strategist"
That's because the author Yoshiki Tanaka is an avid fan of Chinese history and classical novels. He traslated a few classical novels into Japanese, wrote multiple historical fictions based on important historical events in ancient China, and even wrote a sort-of commentary on ninety-nine famous Chinese generals from different periods.
You can see Romance of Three Kingdoms style in the LOGH.
I don't think of Light Yagami as a strategist. He's more of a trickster with a supernatural power.
This video explains everything about an INTJ type personality
Bro, I was literally about to write ''Zhang Liang isn't the originator of the archetype, EVERY INTJ is this archetype''
Fake science
@@jojokester1256 africa
Yeah, it's pretty reliant on Jungian thought and that's pretty bunk based on current understanding of memories and the mind. In fact the whole archetype study in psychology is more a testament to humans ability to fabricate patterns than the existence of some innate pattern
I love this format, and maybe it doesn't hurt that I am a major Liang Fanboy, Zhang and Zhuge both!
man, how to b a historical scholar like you? ur historical references are so interesting
Please make a video about Sun Bin, the crippled strategist.
12:40 Wait a minute! One of the books is called "The Methods of the Sima"!
Is named after THE Sima family?!
No. It's a different Sima. They can't really pinpoint which one but it is probably Sima Rangju.
@@CoolHistoryBros Oh.
Disappointment :(
Sima means horse trainer and they're military leaders position during Han dynasty, it's a position which later, they use it for their last name and clan (like Wang that became a common Chinese last name that means king (王))
@Empty Chaotic How things would've been had Sima Shi lived longer...
Wow never really thought about this subject, super interesting!
I think first ever proper Statergician was zhang yi, who was chancellor to ying si of qin in 340 bc
Another Japanese figure that would have been worth a mention was Takenaka Shigeharu (or more commonly known as Takenaka Hanbei.)
In Japanese media, Hanbei was often portrayed as a young, beardless, androgynous guy - and also as an impeccable tactician and strategist.
I wonder if Cool History Bros has someone on the staff who has a history major with an advanced degree. The comparisons among Chinese and Japanese cultures and history and the east and west are great.
Love it. Perhaps you could do contents on the 7 classics
There are straightforward academic translations of the Chinese classics and many different incarnations of the classics in various forms including Noh. The majority of people do not go to Noh plays. People who are 90+ (so born in 1930 or before) or would have been or people who are under 54 (so born in 1967 or later) are more familiar with these stories. There are generations unfamiliar with Chinese classics in between who are into French/English/American things, but there was a revival later on when the Manga and computer game industry revived it.
The Japanese public really just read Eiji Yoshikawa's novels and Yokoyama Mitsuteru's manga.
Dynasty Warriors Sima Yi... "Am i nothing to you"
Liu Bang seems to be reeeally important. I always thought Qin Shi Huang Di was the most important ruler in history until I watched your content.
Both are important I think, Qin started it and Liu Bang's Han continued the legacy, with much improvements. That's why it's called the Qin Han Dynasties.
I think liu che is more important, or known as han wudi
The name similarity between zhang liang and zhuge liang and them being plan makers is interesting
is different liang, but same in pronunciation
Amazing content. Keep it up, Bro
So am i gonna see the origins of Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang WenLi. Also that intelligence=magic could be why Yang WenLi, was called the magician
Odysseus sounds like a similar character.
I died when "Dude, looks like a lady"! 😂😂😂😂
I don't think Zhang Liang was a weakling who can't fight in the battlefield,He is the one who tried to assassinate the Qin emperor and wise enough to retire from office .
Thanks, now you explained Fire Emblem to me
Would love a link to all those books 📚
Already got art of war book 🤓
I didn't expect Obi Wan to be here :0
How about Zhang Yi and Su Qin.
During the Warring States
Now we wait for Xiao He and Fan Kuai.
I don't know why you would use the Roman Scipio Africanus as a comparison with Zhang Liang to explain the "strategist archetype'. When a better comparison would have been Julius Caesar who was known as a "pretty boy" who had numerous affairs and was effeminate right down to how he wore his toga. He was equally as devious in setting up the First Triumvirate with two political opponents, Pompey Magnus and Crassus, Rome's richest man. Between them, they proceeded to divide the Mediterranean into three spheres of influence.
Caesar needed a win in Gaul to establish his street cred as he knew Romans would only follow leaders who proved their "metal" on the battlefield. The "proof is in the pudding" as we would say, if you can't lead from the front, then don't expect others to follow. His greatest wins were in the Civil Wars with Pompey, who he defeated, even though Pompey had a much larger army, more battlefield experience, and three Triumphs under his belt. So your language analogy doesn't hold, they all spoke Latin including the peoples of Cisalpine Gaul and Gaul Narbonensis. which were Roman provinces as early as the 2nd century BC. The subjugation of the rest of Gaul, was Caesar's PR strategy to get a Roman Triumph to put him on par with Pompey.
As for Scipio and the 2nd Punic War with Hannibal, the problem is that the Romans raised citizen armies, while Carthage hired mercenaries paid for by the public purse. In Rome, only citizens were allowed to fight, and it was considered a duty. In Carthage which was ruled by a mercantile elite, outside the "Sacred Band" of about 2500 Carthaginians, they hired mercenaries mostly from Greece, Tunisia and Libya. Hannibal inherited his from his dad who conquered Spain. As Hannibal lacked the funds to fully replace the troops he lost in Italy nor could he bring Romans to fight a decisive battle after Cannae, he was eventually recalled when Scipio led a counter invasion.
From my limited knowledge of Chinese history, it seems that the class structure you detailed was homogenous across all states during this time period. Doesn't matter if it was Wu, Wei or Shu: same socio-political structure, same armament, same battlefield equipment, so what's left? Perhaps that's why the Art of Deception was raised to such a high standard?
Probably because Julius Ceasar was a head of state. Famous heads of state like Alexander the Great tend to fit better to other archetypes such as "wise king/warrior king/conqueror king" etc., rather than "strategist". Famous strategists in Chinese history and classical novels tend to be advisors to head of state, rather than being one themselves. The strategist archetype came to be in the first place because ancient Chinese people valued intellect and contributions of these advisors enough to glorify them and make larger-than-life-heroes out of them, rather than focusing all the spotlights on great rulers, legendary warriors, and brilliant military commanders.
Caesar was never a king, even though people thought he was aiming to be one at the time of his death. In the Roman Republic, 2 consuls were elected every year. They were drawn from the patrician class and had to prove themselves capable by holding office and working their way up the Cursus Honorium so by the time they could run for consul, they had both military and civilian experience. Consils ran the state including the military with the help of the Senate. It was the Senate that chose the consuls, so you could classify these as advisors. Except, the Senate could also forgo consuls and appoint a dictator for a year, if facing a severe threat. Caesar engineered the First Triumvirate to gain political power and award himself a position were he could cultivate military glory. He chose Gaul and spent 10 years subduing the Gauls. This 3 man arrangement ran into a snag when Crassus was defeated fighting the Parthians and Pompey was killed in Egypt, that left Caesar. The Senate awarded him a triump, and he was made a dictator to deal with the Parthians. He was in the process of recruiting when he was assassinated by members of the Senate. So there was really no "advisor" class or distinct administrative class as there was in China. Rome had a client-patron social structure from its inception. What was important was who you knew, not what you knew.
@@karinschultz5409 You definitely haven't read six Strategies of Huang Shigong. This book is not at all about the strategy or tactics of war. The essence of this book is insight into human nature. Six Strategies of Huang Shigong is an even more powerful book than Sun Tzu's Art of War. So it is impossible for Caesar to beat Zhang Liang in strategy. Zhang Liang is actually the only reason why Liu Bang can defeat Xiang Yu in the end.Caesar is obviously a Xiang Yu-like figure. we all know what happened to Xiang yu
@@karinschultz5409 There is a reason why the ancient Chinese called Zhang Liang the God of Strategies
Light? I think u forgot someone else. How about Admiral Yang Wen Li?
I read somewhere that Kongming is respected, admired and even worship long before the novel was written. Is that true? Or the temples and shrine that commemorate him today is build because of the novel? If my first question is true, then what qualities he has as a person and leader that make people admired him that much eventough he failed at the end (to revive Han)? Maybe you can make the video about inspiring leader/ruler in ancient time, who has great personal qualities/ value thst impact many people till today.
I love Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei's character from ROTK. But my resources to understand the real history about them is limited.. :)
Yes, Zhuge Liang's legacy has been well regarded in Chinese History from very early on. We have some of the earliest folktales about him popping up less than 100 years after the era and Liu Bei's decree to Zhuge Liang "should my son not prove worthy..." was respected even as early as Jin.
@@HighPriestFuneral why is sima yi not worshipped like zhuge liang
@@zhugeliangkongming479 Humorously, because Sima Yi was the ostensible founder of a dynasty, he was, for a time. The common people never cared one way or the other about the Sima because the Sima didn't care about them. Zhuge Liang did care about the common person, reflected in his policies and way of fighting (very defensive tactics, for several logistical reasons). The common people have long memories, those who are their champions they will praise and remember for long after history tries to forget them.
For anyone liking these topics read the warring-strategy manga Kingdom in the same time period of the Warring States and the rise and fall of the Qin Dinasty.
Could you do more videos on asian literary archetypes?
Zhang Liang, the proto-Zhuge Liang.
Actually there are many proto Zhuge Liang, Example, the Adviser of Shang Emperor Tang,
Advisor of Emperor Wen of Zhou,
they are great Strategist themselves
Sad that they are unknown, due to myth and legends and oral history tsk
Zhuge Liang is kind of the Han Xin, Xiao He, Zhang Liang hybrid. Han Xin's the quintessential battle general, Xiao He was the logistics master, and Zhang Liang the planner.
I am just not sure if what you said about Zhuge Liang is accurate. I don't think Zhuge Liang is a fictional character (as of not a strategist) because you are based on Guanzhong's novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, there's a chapter on Zhuge Liang bio in vol. 35 of Book of Shu in Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms. I was disappointed that I heard no mention of Chen Shou in your video.
that was super interesting!
oml pls do more stuff like this
I love the fact that the Chinese can be compared to the ancient greek and Japanese to the romans in mindset🤣 as it is said: the romans thought that the greeks were drunk and wimpy and the greeks thought that the Romans were brutish and warmongering
Aztecs and Mayans had a similar relationship. Mayans were like Greeks / Chinese, while Aztecs were like Romans / Japanese.
Difference is China has a Roman sized empire while Japan only has a Greek sized country(ok maybe bigger).
so you're telling me that china is asian greece while japan is asian rome (whom one of the chinese guy called it da qin, as in augustus caesar being a bigger qin shi huang than the og qin shi huang)???
AND THE FACT THAT ROME HAD THEIR OWN 3 KINGDOMS PERIOD (CRISIS OF THE 3RD CENTURY) AT THE SAME TIME AS CHINA AND KOREA???
@@shanedoesyoutube8001 lol I meant culturarly, not actual historical coincidences... But yeah, it's funny how different is from west was, yet how similar.
China did conquer other people as Rome did, the evidence is all the minorities part of modern China, also a good example
@@shanedoesyoutube8001 Da Qin is actually referring to the great west because of the position of the state of qin
This video manages to not being sent to the Shadow Realm
I just found this channel. Really good contents. Thank you!
Could you do one on Andy lau’s keyu battle of wits movie 🍿?
That is just a dramatization of Mozi's story. Check out the Mohism video if you haven't.
Wonderful
"Dude looks like a lady" 😂😂
this would be like if someone wrote an epic about Nizam al-Mulk or some other famous Islamic grand visir
the magical part of jiangziya is a bit wrong
❤
Lol I was thinking Zhuge Liang
What about Cao Cao?
he has guo fengxiao
Literature and History are subject to Entanglement
Liu bang was nothing without han xin and zhang liang
"This novel is based-"
I'm going to have to stop you right there.
Was that an ace live action? Why have I not heard of that before?
dank
As a yugioh player, as well as ROTK player, this strategist trope content is very nice and good.
He looks like a girl - now back to our character for him which doesnt look like a girl at all.
.... really?
Nah
Gonna need more femboy representation.
@@bobbyhill1110 light is not a femboy.
@@depressedcheeseburger3598 it would be better if he was.
@@bobbyhill1110 no
You just spoiled the manga "Kingdom" xD
not really.
Kingdom is set before the unification of China under the Emperor of Qin
Zhangliang's story is after.
@@airstyles1989 Yh but he said in 3:00 that Qin conquered the whole of china. And in Kingdom we are not at this point. :P
@@enesyakac So you’re saying that he spoiled history?The audacity!
@@hx5525 Yh how dare he!
I love Rot3k and Death Note. If Only Light Yagami could borrow the East Wind 😂
没有弹幕。😢
"Yellow rock old man" sounds like a racist stereotypical fiction name LOL I laughed so hard! >
Yes, However putting race aside, certain colors could only be worn by certain stations. Such as yellow could only be worn by the Emperor. The color Yellow was associated with the divine.
I think Sima is a lot more of a inteligent person then Zhuge, on first reading, u often find yourself cheering for Zhuge, but then when its your third time, you really see how he has been turned into more of a god then actual person, meanwhile Sima , since he is not really the main character in the novelisation, does not get so much plot armor. yet at the end he still wins and spoilers,
ends the entire war of three kingdoms, (his son was following the plans they devised together)
Well not exactly fair comparison, Liu Bei is nowhere near as intelligent as Cao Cao. And Cao Cao has many many strategists, while Liu Bei only has one Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang maybe smarter than all of them in one on one battle of wits, but he cannot beat all of them including Cao Cao combined. And even then they were only fully defeated after Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were all dead. Blame it on Liu Bei for not hiring more strategists to cover ZhugeLiang's flaw in logistics.
@@limitlesssky3050 in the real history of china, zhuge liang was not a strategist he was a governer.
femboy pog
Dude looks a lady with Steven Tyler photo bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Fun fact: Zhang Liang pronunciation is not Zhang Liang. Because mandarin is not the old Chinese language X)
the blue demon/oni archetype
No subtitles?
Go and learn English!
@@中華傲訣 Go to hell
i think in china, intelectual men were expected to be feminine or maybe beautiful.
ua-cam.com/video/t1ZLC6g0qbk/v-deo.html
Wrong
WOW Such a bold move to compare these two.
In my opinion Chinese may invented ART OF WAR but the Japanese is an upper hand to use ART OF WAR.
Tony Stark and Dr Strange are Western characters with the traits of these Asian archetypes.
not really, Strange got magic, and Tony got tech (kinda some kind of magic), so they are not counted
More like Constantine where even though he got magic that is not what he is greatest at but rather the scheme and planning.
Is he trying to make strategic scheming seem more eastern than western? Because it was a trademark thing of the Ancient Greeks. They are known for doing just that. Examples can be found from the battle of Marathon to the battle of Salamis and beyond. So, the next time you think such things more eastern than western, as the old saying goes, beware the Greeks baring gifts. P.S. The Pharaoh Tutmose III is also known for something similar.
He is means as it pertains to being used in fiction, not in real life even though the inspiration for the trope is a real person.
@@ANTSEMUT1 In fiction, namely Ancient Greek mythology, they do that too. The tales of the Greek heroes of legend, like Heracles, Odyssey and Jason are just like that. In the Iliad, for example, Odysseus is often referred to as the equal of Zeus in cunning, because of this!
@@DanielM.Nyberg those are specific genres and literal classics too, the trope doesn't turn up all that often in modern western media and definitely not when the characters is the obvious "good guy".
The Ancient Greeks are best remembered for their face-to-face, shield-to-shield hoplite warfare, and hardcore warrior culture that is the Spartan, not exactly the type one will associate with "strategist". Likewise in Greek mythologies, Hercules is remembered for his godly might and his exploits to overcome various labours. He wasn't a stupid brute, but intellect is not his defining feature. Similarly, Odysseus is cunning, but more of a trickster archetype rather than a strategist archetype. I mean Trojan Horse was great, but he only did it once, rest of the time he was busy poking cyclops in the eye and killing his wife's suitors.
If there's an entire Greek epic about Odysseus (or Jason or anyone else) pulling the Trojan Horse and other tricks again and again to further his state's interest, protect his country from powerful invaders, influencing political landscape and power balance with his intellect, and being glorified for those intellectual exploits, only then he may qualify as a strategist.
@@戰國春秋 Now you’re just cherry-picking. If you think Heracles overcame his labors with but might and brute force, you need to brush up on your Greek Mythology, my friend! Heracles overcomes a great many of his labors through the very fact of his use of intelligence. The Ancient Greeks are known for their application of a harmony of brains and brawn. You only focusing on the brawn part suggests that you either want to lie to win rhetorical points or that you don’t know much about the Ancient Greeks. And I suggest you read the epics the Iliad, the Odyssey and the epic of Jason and the argonauts before you try to talk about them.
And as a final point, you saying that to be a strategist one has to apply strategy in one specific area is non-sensical. What makes someone a strategist is the application of strategy in itself, not the application of strategy only in battle or politics (both of which are indeed present amongst the Ancient Greeks).
Imagine if I said that harmony (actually a Greek word) was non-Chinese only because the Chinese didn’t apply a Greek sense of harmony. Ignoring the fact that someone else is or does something only because you don’t think that they did it the same way as you is nothing short of ignorant.