Gongsun Kang (pronunciation^ⓘ; fl. 200s to 210s) was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He became a vassal of the state of Cao Wei in the early Three Kingdoms period.^[3]

Life

Gongsun Kang was a son of Gongsun Du, the Administrator of Liaodong appointed by the Han central government. In 204, he inherited his father's appointment and controlled the territories of Liaodong, Xuantu and Lelang commanderies. He was nominally subject to the Han chancellor Cao Cao, while keeping his domain semi-independent of the central government. In c. December 207, when Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong after being defeated by Cao Cao's forces, Gongsun Kang killed the Yuans and sent their heads to Cao Cao.

In 204, Gongsun Kang helped invade Goguryeo after the older brother of King Sansang of Goguryeo, Balgi, went to Gongsun Kang and requested 30,000 soldiers to invade Goguryeo so that Balgi could become king.^[4] Around this time, Kang established the Daifang Commandery by separating the southern half from the Lelang commandery. Although Goguryeo defeated the first invasion and killed Balgi,^[5] Kang invaded Goguryeo again in 209 and seized some of its territory and weakened Goguryeo.^[6] Pressure from Liaodong forced Goguryeo to move their capital in the Hun River valley to the Yalu River valley near Hwando.^[7]

When Gongsun Kang died, his younger brother Gongsun Gong succeeded him because his sons were still young at the time. Gongsun Kang's son Gongsun Yuan took back control of Liaodong in 228.