Frontier warlord of Liang Province, head of the coalition at thirty-five. Rose while his father sat hostage at Ye, broke at Tong Pass, and died in Shu.
Ma Chao has the courage of Xin Qingji and Meng Ben, and he holds the hearts of the Qiang and the Hu.Yang Fu's warning to Cao Cao, 211; Sanguozhi, Wei shu 25, Biography of Yang Fu
Appears in
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Relations
- Cao Cao opponents — Tong Pass, 211 CE. He rose while his father sat hostage at Ye; the family was executed the following year.
- Han Sui uneasy allies — Co-heads of the Guanzhong coalition. One parley and one doctored letter ended the partnership.
- Liu Bei late lord — After defeat he went south; in Shu he held high titles and died there in 222, far from Liang Province.
Myth vs record
The story you may know
He rebelled to avenge his father, whom Cao Cao lured to the capital and murdered.
What the sources say
The order in the sources is the reverse: Ma Teng had lived at Ye since 208 as a court officer and hostage; it was Ma Chao's rising that forfeited his family, and Ma Teng was executed in 212, the year after the rebellion began. Later historians blamed Ma Chao for staking his father on a war.