MILITARY PERSONNEL
Wu Sangui
1612 - 1678

Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui (Chinese: 吳三桂; pinyin: Wú Sānguì; Wade–Giles: Wu San-kuei; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai (長白) or Changbo (長伯), was a Chinese military leader who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty. In Chinese folklore, Wu Sangui is regarded as a disreputable Han Chinese traitor for his defection over to the Manchu invaders, suppression of the Southern Ming resistance and execution of the Yongli Emperor. Wu eventually double-crossed both of his masters, the Ming and the Qing dynasties. In 1644, Wu was a Ming general in charge of garrisoning Shanhai Pass, the strategic choke point between Manchuria and Beijing. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Wu Sangui is the 244th most popular military personnel, the 144th most popular biography from China (up from 165th in 2019) and the 11th most popular Chinese Military Personnel.
Wu Sangui is most famous for being the general who opened the gates of Beijing to the Manchu army, which led to the fall of the Ming Dynasty.
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Among MILITARY PERSONNELS
Among military personnels, Wu Sangui ranks 244 out of 2,058. Before him are Sun Jian, Hans von Seeckt, Lysander, Toyotomi Hideyori, Maximilian von Weichs, and Emmanuel de Grouchy, marquis de Grouchy. After him are Slobodan Praljak, Bai Qi, Jack Phillips, Pedro de Valdivia, Juan Pujol García, and Wilhelm Mohnke.
Most Popular Military Personnels in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSun Jian
155 - 191
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 238
Hans von Seeckt
1866 - 1936
HPI: 71.32
Rank: 239
Lysander
401 BC - 395 BC
HPI: 71.31
Rank: 240
Toyotomi Hideyori
1593 - 1615
HPI: 71.30
Rank: 241
Maximilian von Weichs
1881 - 1954
HPI: 71.28
Rank: 242
Emmanuel de Grouchy, marquis de Grouchy
1766 - 1847
HPI: 71.25
Rank: 243
Wu Sangui
1612 - 1678
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 244
Slobodan Praljak
1945 - 2017
HPI: 71.22
Rank: 245
Bai Qi
250 BC - 257 BC
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 246
Jack Phillips
1887 - 1912
HPI: 71.15
Rank: 247
Pedro de Valdivia
1497 - 1553
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 248
Juan Pujol García
1912 - 1988
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 249
Wilhelm Mohnke
1911 - 2001
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 250
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1612, Wu Sangui ranks 3. Before him are Murad IV, and Dorgon. After him are Louis Le Vau, Saskia van Uylenburgh, Thomas Fairfax, Pierre Mignard, Antoine Arnauld, Samuel Butler, Peter Stuyvesant, Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, and Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma. Among people deceased in 1678, Wu Sangui ranks 2. Before him is Jacob Jordaens. After him are Jan Brueghel the Younger, Anna Maria van Schurman, Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten, François Pierre La Varenne, Erasmus Quellinus the Younger, Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, Karel Dujardin, Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, Antoine III de Gramont, and Antonio de Pereda.
Others Born in 1612
Go to all RankingsMurad IV
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1640
HPI: 82.57
Rank: 1
Dorgon
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1650
HPI: 71.48
Rank: 2
Wu Sangui
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1612 - 1678
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 3
Louis Le Vau
ARCHITECT
1612 - 1670
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 4
Saskia van Uylenburgh
PAINTER
1612 - 1642
HPI: 70.96
Rank: 5
Thomas Fairfax
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1671
HPI: 70.26
Rank: 6
Pierre Mignard
PAINTER
1612 - 1695
HPI: 69.35
Rank: 7
Antoine Arnauld
PHILOSOPHER
1612 - 1694
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 8
Samuel Butler
WRITER
1612 - 1680
HPI: 68.47
Rank: 9
Peter Stuyvesant
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1672
HPI: 66.21
Rank: 10
Jeremi Wiśniowiecki
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1651
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 11
Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma
POLITICIAN
1612 - 1646
HPI: 65.21
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1678
Go to all RankingsJacob Jordaens
PAINTER
1593 - 1678
HPI: 73.06
Rank: 1
Wu Sangui
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1612 - 1678
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 2
Jan Brueghel the Younger
PAINTER
1601 - 1678
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 3
Anna Maria van Schurman
PAINTER
1607 - 1678
HPI: 68.53
Rank: 4
Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten
PAINTER
1627 - 1678
HPI: 67.02
Rank: 5
François Pierre La Varenne
WRITER
1618 - 1678
HPI: 64.40
Rank: 6
Erasmus Quellinus the Younger
PAINTER
1607 - 1678
HPI: 63.83
Rank: 7
Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
POLITICIAN
1630 - 1678
HPI: 63.49
Rank: 8
Karel Dujardin
PAINTER
1622 - 1678
HPI: 61.55
Rank: 9
Catherine Charlotte de Gramont
POLITICIAN
1639 - 1678
HPI: 61.53
Rank: 10
Antoine III de Gramont
POLITICIAN
1604 - 1678
HPI: 60.95
Rank: 11
Antonio de Pereda
PAINTER
1611 - 1678
HPI: 60.68
Rank: 12
In China
Among people born in China, Wu Sangui ranks 144 out of 1,610. Before him are Sun Jian (155), 1st Dalai Lama (1391), Ziying (-300), Kumārajīva (343), Ei-ichi Negishi (1935), and Emperor Guangwu of Han (-5). After him are Emperor Ruizong of Tang (662), Edmond H. Fischer (1920), Bai Qi (-250), Zhengde Emperor (1491), Empress Lü (-241), and Emperor Huizong of Song (1082).
Others born in China
Go to all RankingsSun Jian
MILITARY PERSONNEL
155 - 191
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 138
1st Dalai Lama
POLITICIAN
1391 - 1474
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 139
Ziying
POLITICIAN
300 BC - 206 BC
HPI: 71.31
Rank: 140
Kumārajīva
WRITER
343 - 413
HPI: 71.30
Rank: 141
Ei-ichi Negishi
CHEMIST
1935 - 2021
HPI: 71.28
Rank: 142
Emperor Guangwu of Han
POLITICIAN
5 BC - 57
HPI: 71.25
Rank: 143
Wu Sangui
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1612 - 1678
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 144
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
POLITICIAN
662 - 716
HPI: 71.23
Rank: 145
Edmond H. Fischer
CHEMIST
1920 - 2021
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 146
Bai Qi
MILITARY PERSONNEL
250 BC - 257 BC
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 147
Zhengde Emperor
POLITICIAN
1491 - 1521
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 148
Empress Lü
POLITICIAN
241 BC - 180 BC
HPI: 71.03
Rank: 149
Emperor Huizong of Song
POLITICIAN
1082 - 1135
HPI: 71.02
Rank: 150
Among MILITARY PERSONNELS In China
Among military personnels born in China, Wu Sangui ranks 11. Before him are Zhang Fei (167), Dong Zhuo (139), Zhou Yu (175), Yue Fei (1142), Sun Ce (175), and Sun Jian (155). After him are Bai Qi (-250), Han Xin (-231), Sun Bin (-401), Zhao Yun (168), Zhang Liao (169), and Xiahou Dun (155).
Zhang Fei
167 - 221
HPI: 73.54
Rank: 5
Dong Zhuo
139 - 192
HPI: 73.32
Rank: 6
Zhou Yu
175 - 210
HPI: 72.20
Rank: 7
Yue Fei
1142 - 1142
HPI: 71.84
Rank: 8
Sun Ce
175 - 200
HPI: 71.59
Rank: 9
Sun Jian
155 - 191
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 10
Wu Sangui
1612 - 1678
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 11
Bai Qi
250 BC - 257 BC
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 12
Han Xin
231 BC - 196 BC
HPI: 70.69
Rank: 13
Sun Bin
401 BC - 316 BC
HPI: 70.46
Rank: 14
Zhao Yun
168 - 229
HPI: 69.82
Rank: 15
Zhang Liao
169 - 222
HPI: 69.67
Rank: 16
Xiahou Dun
155 - 220
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 17