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SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR
THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD
Translated from the Chinese with Introduction
and Critical Notes
BY
LIONEL GILES�察�M。A。
Assistant in the Department of Oriental Printed Books and MSS。
in the British Museum
First Published in 1910
´
To my brother
Captain Valentine Giles�察�R。G。
in the hope that
a work 2400 years old
may yet contain lessons worth consideration
by the soldier of today
this translation
is affectionately dedicated。
´
INTRODUCTION
Sun Wu and his Book
´
Ssu´ma Ch`ien gives the following biography of Sun Tzu�此 。�1�А�
Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch`i State。 His ART OF
WAR brought him to the notice of Ho Lu�察。�2�А�King of Wu。 Ho
Lu said to him�此 �I have carefully perused your 13 chapters。
May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight
test�拭�
Sun Tzu replied�此 �You may。;
Ho Lu asked�此 �May the test be applied to women�拭�
The answer was again in the affirmative�察�so arrangements
were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace。 Sun Tzu
divided them into two companies�察�and placed one of the King's
favorite concubines at the head of each。 He then bade them
all take spears in their hands�察�and addressed them thus�此 �I
presume you know the difference between front and back�察�right
hand and left hand�拭�
The girls replied�此 �Yes。
Sun Tzu went on�此 �When I say ;Eyes front�察─ �you must
look straight ahead。 When I say ;Left turn�察─�you must face
towards your left hand。 When I say ;Right turn�察─ �you must
face towards your right hand。 When I say ;About turn�察─ �you
must face right round towards your back。;
Again the girls assented。 The words of command having
been thus explained�察�he set up the halberds and battle´axes
in order to begin the drill。 Then�察�to the sound of drums�察�he
gave the order ;Right turn。; But the girls only burst out
laughing。 Sun Tzu said�此 �If words of command are not clear
and distinct�察�if orders are not thoroughly understood�察�then
the general is to blame。;
So he started drilling them again�察�and this time gave
the order ;Left turn�察─�whereupon the girls once more burst
into fits of laughter。 Sun Tzu�此 �If words of command are
not clear and distinct�察�if orders are not thoroughly
understood�察�the general is to blame。 But if his orders ARE
clear�察�and the soldiers nevertheless disobey�察�then it is the
fault of their officers。;
So saying�察�he ordered the leaders of the two companies
to be beheaded。 Now the king of Wu was watching the scene
from the top of a raised pavilion�察�and when he saw that his
favorite concubines were about to be executed�察�he was greatly
alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message�此 �We
are now quite satisfied as to our general's ability to handle
troops。 If We are bereft of these two concubines�察�our meat
and drink will lose their savor。 It is our wish that they
shall not be beheaded。;
Sun Tzu replied�此 �Having once received His Majesty's
commission to be the general of his forces�察�there are certain
commands of His Majesty which�察�acting in that capacity�察�I am
unable to accept。;
Accordingly�察 �he had the two leaders beheaded�察 �and
straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in
their place。 When this had been done�察�the drum was sounded
for the drill once more�察�and the girls went through all the
evolutions�察�turning to the right or to the left�察�marching
ahead or wheeling back�察�kneeling or standing�察�with perfect
accuracy and precision�察�not venturing to utter a sound。 Then
Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying�此 �Your soldiers�察�
Sire�察�are now properly drilled and disciplined�察�and ready for
your majesty's inspection。 They can be put to any use that
their sovereign may desire�察�bid them go through fire and
water�察�and they will not disobey。;
But the King replied�此 �Let our general cease drilling
and return to camp。 As for us�察�We have no wish to come down
and inspect the troops。;
Thereupon Sun Tzu said�此 �The King is only fond of
words�察�and cannot translate them into deeds。;
After that�察�Ho Lu saw that Sun Tzu was one who knew how
to handle an army�察�and finally appointed him general。 In the
west�察�he defeated the Ch`u State and forced his way into
Ying�察�the capital�察�to the north he put fear into the States
of Ch`i and Chin�察�and spread his fame abroad amongst the
feudal princes。 And Sun Tzu shared in the might of the King。
About Sun Tzu himself this is all that Ssu´ma Ch`ien has to
tell us in this chapter。 But he proceeds to give a biography of
his descendant�察 �Sun Pin�察�born about a hundred years after his
famous ancestor's death�察�and also the outstanding military genius
of his time。 The historian speaks of him too as Sun Tzu�察�and in
his preface we read�此 �Sun Tzu had his feet cut off and yet
continued to discuss the art of war。; ��3�А �It seems likely�察�then�察�
that ;Pin; was a nickname bestowed on him after his mutilation�察�
unless the story was invented in order to account for the name。
The crowning incident of his career�察�the crushing defeat of his
treacherous rival P`ang Chuan�察�will be found briefly related in
Chapter V。 ss。 19�察�note。
To return to the elder Sun Tzu。 He is mentioned in two
other passages of the SHIH CHI�此�
In the third year of his reign ��512 B。C。�А�Ho Lu�察�king of
Wu�察�took the field with Tzu´hsu ��i。e。 Wu Yuan�А�and Po P`ei�察�
and attacked Ch`u。 He captured the town of Shu and slew the
two prince's sons who had formerly been generals of Wu。 He
was then meditating a descent on Ying ��the capital�В察�but the
general Sun Wu said�此 �The army is exhausted。 It is not yet
possible。 We must wait;。。。。 ��After further successful
fighting�撮А �in the ninth year ��506 B。C。�В察 �King Ho Lu
addressed Wu Tzu´hsu and Sun Wu�察�saying�此 �Formerly�察�you
declared that it was not yet possible for us to enter Ying。
Is the time ripe now�拭─ �The two men replied�此 �Ch`u's general
Tzu´ch`ang�察。�4�А�is grasping and covetous�察�and the princes of
T`ang and Ts`ai both have a grudge against him。 If Your
Majesty has resolved to make a grand attack�察�you must win
over T`ang and Ts`ai�察�and then you may succeed。; Ho Lu
followed this advice�察。�beat Ch`u in five pitched battles and
marched into Ying。�А。�5��
This is the latest date at which anything is recorded of Sun
Wu。 He does not appear to have survived his patron�察�who died
from the effects of a wound in 496。
In another chapter there occurs this passage�此 。�6��
From this time onward�察�a number of famous soldiers
arose�察�one after the other�此 �Kao´fan�察。�7�А�who was employed by
the Chin State�察�Wang´tzu�察。�8�А�in the service of Ch`i�察�and Sun
Wu�察�in the service of Wu。 These men developed and threw
light upon the principles of war。
It is obvious enough that Ssu´ma Ch`ien at least had no
doubt about the reality of Sun Wu as an historical personage�察�and
with one exception�察�to be noticed presently�察�he is by far the
most important authority on the period in question。 It will not
be necessary�察�therefore�察�to say much of such a work as the WU
YUEH CH`UN CH`IU�察�which is supposed to have been written by Chao
Yeh of the 1st century A。D。 The attribution is somewhat
doubtful�察�but even if it were otherwise�察�his account would be