Cao Cao, with his more common name being Mengde, was born in Qiao County of Peiguo (currently Anhui Province). He was born into an eminent eunuch family, with his father Cao Teng, being one of the ten 'Chang Shi' (eunuch) of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). Being a master of both the pen and the sword, Cao Cao was considered an excellent strategist, politician and poet of late Eastern Han.
In 174 when Cao Cao was 20 years old, he was elected as a local official of Luoyang. In this position, he carried out his duties and the law strictly, without fearing the power of royal relatives and minions which contributed his later promotion. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke up, Cao Cao was appointed by the Han Court to suppress the insurgents which, because of his achievements in the suppression, lead to a further promotion.
In 190, he joined the military alliance fighting against Dong Zhuo (a treacherous court official of Eastern Han), and started to build up his own armed forces which were named the 'Qingzhou Army'. In 196, Cao Cao led his troops into the capital city Luoyang and forced the Emperor Xian of Han to carry out his commands in order to control the political situation. In 201, Cao Cao's troop defeated Yuan Shao's (leader of a rebel force against Eastern Han court) in the Battle of Guandu. From that time on, Cao Cao gradually unified northern China. However, his political aim of unify the whole of China was never achieved. In the Battle of Red Cliffs, which had the aim of capturing the southern area, Cao Cao suffered a disastrous defeat in fighting with the allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan.
As a politician, Cao Cao paid great attention to the development of an agricultural economy by setting up the Tun Tian (farming done by soldiers) System to promote productivity and meet the demands of the army's food supplies. Meanwhile, he also set up Zu Tiao (Tax Modification) System to ease the tax burden on farmers' while at the same time punishing the big landlords. All these efforts had consolidated a strong economic foundation for his military group. In dealing with human resources, Cao Cao focused close attention on recruiting talented people to strengthen the power of his group and was also considered an impartial dispenser of rewards and punishments.
Known as an illustrious poet, Cao Cao wrote a list of poetry anthologies, such as Haolixing, Duangexing, Guancanghai (The Sea) and Guisuishou (Though the Tortoise Lives Long). His poems were deeply influenced by Yuefu Poem pattern while being more creative in content. Therefore, Cao Cao's poems, as well as those of his two talented poet sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, began a new style of Jian An literature.
Cao Cao died of a head disease on March 15th, 220 and was posthumously titled Emperor Wu of Wei after his son Cao Pi succeeded him to the throne.
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Travelers' Voices on Cao Cao
1.
Nov. 3,2009 08:08 Reply
Mr.Mocci(China) said:
In fact, I think the most 2 respectable aspects of Cao Cao are his contribution to Chinese culture and his method of family education, which lack in today's China...There were many war heroes in China, but seldom anyone left a legacy of literature like Cao Cao. Cao's 观沧海, 短歌行 (literally On Seeing the Sea and A Short Song) are two immortal pieces of poetry art in Chinese history. In regard of family education, 3 of Cao's sons are considered as genius in Chinese history. Cao Pi, the eldest son who became the later Emperor of Wei, wrote 典论 (literally The Rules of Literature), one of the most important book in the history of Chinese literature criticism, which started the golden age of Jian'an Literature; Cao Zhi, also left two immortal pieces of literature, 七步诗(The Seven-Step Song)，洛神赋(The Ode to the Deity of Luo River); Cao Chong, Cao Cao's youngest son, an aborted Archimedes who died in 12，invented the method to weigh a giant object like an elephant by bouyancy when he was only 9 years old...You can say Cao Cao was really a good father who knows how to raise kids..
2.
Mar. 15,2009 08:06 Reply
Mr.Yavuz said:
I'm in the cao family.I know much about cao cao.He was not a great fighter but he was the greatest warlord.He knows what to do.He stays calm everytime.I have his strategy book mengde's war manual.He is better than Sun Tzu in strategy.
Apr. 9,2009 10:35
Mr.Ru(U.S.A) replied:
are you really a descendant of the legendary cao cao?
May. 14,2009 10:03
Mr.Nobuyuki(U.S.A.) replied:
If you are a descendant of Cao Cao, it is an honor to meet you.
Jun. 6,2009 06:27
Mr.Sun(U.S.A.) replied:
I was under the impression that the book was burnt by cao cao himself because one man told him that it was a book he had read many years before. If you are a descendant of cao cao, that is remarkable, but it is a bold claim to say mengde's war manual trumps the art of war.
Jul. 2,2009 19:41
Mr.ithinkyouarewrong replied:
prove it!!! i do't believe that and you should be chinese.also your last name is supposed to be cao!!
Sep. 28,2009 01:17
Mr.Qin(MY) replied:
I agree with Mr.ithinkyouarewrong.Don't be like Liu Bei no evidence to prove it identity.
Oct. 11,2009 17:02
Ms.sumthin(usa) replied:
he might be right. the last name might be different because of his mom who might have married a guy with the last name yavuz? and etc
3.
Jan. 10,2009 09:03 Reply
Mr.Simon Kure(Denmark) said:
Cao Cao was the greatest leader in the of the Three Kingdoms Era. One might question his methods or call him "cruel", but even so, he was a better leader than others like Liu Bei.
Apr. 29,2009 16:03
Mr.cao(chia) replied:
he is not cruel
May. 20,2009 21:11
Mr.Chakraborty(USA) replied:
He was cruel at times, but mostly his cruelty is deeply exaggerated by Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kindgoms novel.
Sep. 21,2009 04:36
Mr.JIang Wei(Malaysia) replied:
Sometime, sacrifice is needed in order to make the world better. Therefore i don't think Caocao is cruel.
Sep. 28,2009 01:09
Mr.Qin(MY) replied:
I agree with Mr.Jiang Wei.Cruelty is needed to easily conquer the land.
4.
Feb. 5,2009 10:02 Reply
Mr.July(USA) said:
Cao Cao may have been a great fighter, but he didnt care for the people, and no matter how noble he, or any other of the leaders, may have been, they were still tryants and dictators.
Feb. 27,2009 08:17
Mr.Yagami Quan(vietam) replied:
Who said he did not care of the people? He lowered the tax, made his troops helped the peasants. He might be harsh with punishment for his enemies but he valued the talented and loyaled ones
May. 20,2009 21:05
Mr.Chakraborty(USA) replied:
Cao Cao was one of the greatest strategists of that age. He was a cunning, capable man. He was fit to rule the land, and had he not lost at Chi Bi he would've unified China. And anyway, if you're going to unify a country, lives are going to be lost. No way to prevent that. Cao Cao was noble and intelligent FOR A FEUDAL WARLORD at Ancient China in that time. Cao Cao is my favorite figure from Chinese history, his entire family was capable. If only it wasn't for the Sima family they would be in power.
Sep. 21,2009 04:39
Mr.Jiang Wei(Malaysia) replied:
I think Caocao is too good sometime, he should kill Liu Bei n his followers in the very beginning when he hv the opportunity.
Besides, how to u think caocao should treat his ENEMY Mr July?
Sep. 28,2009 01:07
Mr.Qin(MY) replied:
Agree. Cao Cao should kill Liu Bei.He should not repeat the same mistake made by Xiang Yu.Xiang Yu not kill Liu Bang have led to his defeat to Liu Bang.Xiang Yu and Liu Bang are from early Han dynasty that means before Three Kingdom.
5.
Apr. 29,2009 16:02 Reply
Mr.cao(china) said:
Cao Cao is not cruel he is nice ecept to his enemies and he has help people and in the game when he had a chance to kill zhao yun he let him go
Sep. 21,2009 04:40
Mr.JIang Wei(Malaysia) replied:
Agree. that's wat i mean.
Sep. 25,2009 09:02
Mr.Wayne suad(Indonesia) replied:
Cao Cao really is capable of reading the situation, he knew what to do when the wind is blowing north and what to decide when the wind is blowing south
6.
Aug. 20,2009 08:01 Reply
Mr.see(Singapore) said:
cao cao and sun jian at first was friends with zhang fei,Guan Yu and liu bei ,until cao cao think that the sworn brothers were bad so he decieded to buid an army and defeat HANS .i dont like Cao Cao but i like Liu Bei,Guan Yu and Zhang Fei they are the best.
7.
May. 20,2009 21:18 Reply
Mr.Chakraborty(USA) said:
Cao Cao was a true visionary, my favorite figure from the Three Kingdoms era. Truly brilliant man, completely eradicated Yuan Shao's giant army with a truly small army. Also, Guan Yu didn't help Cao Cao as much as he did in the novel. Wen Chou fell to one of Cao Cao's strategies, though Yan Liang did really fall to Guan Yu. Even in his ROTK portrayal I admire him. He was an awesome villain!! =D. I'm hoping to write a story about him, I like writing. It's a hobby of mine.
Aug. 17,2009 05:20
Mr.English(England) replied:
Dont forget he introduced a very strong Education system where he raised the literacy level of his territories to about a 90 something% which would be very impressive for that time. Moreso his Agricultural reforms were outstanding, the people of Wei would never starve and his armies where always supplied. He was able to raise an army larger than Wu and Shu's combined.
I personally think his best success was with incorporating the "Barbarian" people into his own empire and into his Armies. His Wuhuan Army was a fearsome, well known, army that was once a part of the Yellow Turbans. It must take real skill to get an oppressed people into calming down, let alone joining your army...
8.
Feb. 14,2009 12:08 Reply
Mr.Danny(Indonesia) said:
Master at Strategic and martial arts. Superior politiciant and Cunning negotiator.
An Excellent Leader, become a victim of history, but praised by many Leader in China. An Example to one that want to start be a Leader.
May. 20,2009 21:21
Mr.Chakraborty(USA) replied:
Ya I know, the only reason Cao Cao's empire fell was because of the treacherous Sima family. A dynasty ruled by Cao Cao rather than Sima Yan would've been one of the greatest dynasties, like the Han. I was disappointed when I looked through my 6th grade history book and Cao Cao wasn't in it...=(
Aug. 17,2009 05:15
Mr.English(England) replied:
What are you on about Chakraborty, he died before the "Trecherous" Sima family ousted the Cao family from there ruling positions...
Cao Cao was very efficient, Sima Yi was hardly known when Cao Cao was alive, it was only towards the end of Cao Cao's lifespan that Sima Yi became known...
It was Cao Pi that started to listen to him too much (Sima Yi that is), and eventually it was Cao Pi's son, Cao Rui, who suffered in having the Sima family revolt and take control...
Most people sided with Sima Yi's child Sima Yan because they had popular support by then, something the Cao family lost as it started to treat its own family better than others, unlike Cao Cao who rewarded the talented...
Thats what I get from my reads anyway.
9.
Jul. 29,2009 01:15 Reply
Mr.CAOCAOMENGDE(Viet Nam) said:
I agree with Mr.Quan Yagami in Viet Nam. Lord Cao Cao was being the greatest. Lord Meng De dared to fight with Lu Bu's force and Yuan Shao's force,which was the powerful force in that time. I wonder Where Liu Bei was??? He just a coward thouth having luck to got Lord Guan and Zhang Fei. In my opinion, the greatest man is Lord Cao Meng De.
Aug. 11,2009 09:08
Mr.abe replied:
Liu Bei is not coward.. you're not reading history.. - - Liu Bei is loyal to Han/ the emporer and doesn't seek power. He didn't think of uniting the China as one; in short he's not ambitious unlike cao cao.
I agree that Cao Cao was one of the greatest person in 3 kingdoms. He knows how to control people and use them for his own gains.
10.
Dec. 4,2008 02:04 Reply
Ms.vasilija(Serbia) said:
Cao Cao and Liu Bej are BROTHERS!!!!
Dec. 10,2008 07:22
Mrs.hazel(china) replied:
obviously you don't know much about chinese history
Feb. 9,2009 09:23
Mr.Nobuyuki(Mitsamada) replied:
Cao Cao and Liu Bei are not brothers.
Cao Cao had three close cousins: Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Ren.
Feb. 27,2009 00:05
Ms.jean soo(USA) replied:
are you sure?they are not brothers!of course they are not brothers!they are enemies and they fight each other!i know why you think they are brothers,it is because you look at the youtube and the title says cao cao finds out him and liu bei are brothers!that is fake.
Apr. 29,2009 16:05
Mr.cao(china) replied:
They are not brothers but they could have been friends if they didn't fight
May. 20,2009 21:10
Mr.Chakraborty(USA) replied:
He got that from a game called Kessen II, a fictional game with barely any historical facts. I like Koei's games though, like Romance of the Three Kingdoms X or Dynasty Warriors.
Jul. 7,2009 09:46
Mr.Sparky(USA) replied:
They are sworn brother, not real brother. They fight side by side once, but when the Hans dynasty fell,they were fighting for opposing side
Jul. 10,2009 08:45
Mr.Miss Lisa Tereszczyn(England) replied:
Where does it say that Cao Cao and Liu Bei are brothers?