Ma Han

Historical Record

Source material on Ma Han is extremely scarce; in the surviving official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms, no clear mention is found of a person named "Ma Han." This means that in the verifiable historical records Ma Han left no notable trace, and his life, office, allegiance, and any specific actions cannot be traced. We therefore cannot give an objective account of him based on biographical material, nor can we know his true standing and role in history. ^c:1

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Han appears as a fictional figure, and his appearance is closely tied to the episode of Guan Yu "passing five passes and slaying six generals." In Chapter 65 of the novel, Ma Han is cast as a subordinate general of Han Fu, the Grand Administrator of Luoyang. ^c:1 When Guan Yu was escorting his two sisters-in-law and reached Luoyang, Han Fu laid a plot to obstruct Guan Yu's journey. Ma Han, together with Meng Tan, was ordered to act as Han Fu's vanguard and fought Guan Yu outside the city of Luoyang. The novel depicts Ma Han wielding a long spear, riding out to battle and grappling with Guan Yu. His martial skill, however, was far below Guan Yu's, and after only a few bouts he was cut down from his horse by Guan Yu. ^c:1 The purpose of this episode is to further set off Guan Yu's invincible valor and his image as a loyal and righteous protector of his sisters-in-law. In the novel Ma Han's function is mainly to serve as a foil for Guan Yu's divine prowess; his character is rather flat, lacking complex inner portrayal or an independent storyline. Unrecorded in history, Ma Han is given a brief and tragic fate in the novel, becoming one victim in Guan Yu's legendary journey. ^c:1

Key Relationships

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Han's key relationships center on the following points:

* Relationship with Han Fu: Ma Han was a subordinate general of Han Fu, the Grand Administrator of Luoyang, obeying Han Fu's orders to jointly contrive to block Guan Yu. This superior-subordinate relationship was the direct driver of his actions in the novel. ^c:1 (novel only)
* Relationship with Meng Tan: Ma Han and Meng Tan were both subordinate generals of Han Fu, and the two went into battle against Guan Yu together. They were colleagues fighting side by side, jointly facing a powerful foe. ^c:1 (novel only)
* Relationship with Guan Yu: The relationship between Ma Han and Guan Yu was adversarial. As one of the generals obstructing Guan Yu's "passing of the five passes," he came into direct armed conflict with Guan Yu and was ultimately slain by him. ^c:1 This relationship was the fundamental reason for Ma Han's existence in the novel and the decisive factor in his fate. (novel only)

Signature Scenes

Ma Han's only signature scene in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the episode of his intercepting Guan Yu outside the city of Luoyang and being slain. ^c:1 The scene is depicted as follows:

Guan Yu was escorting Ladies Gan and Mi and reached Luoyang. When the Grand Administrator of Luoyang, Han Fu, learned of Guan Yu's arrival, he conceived a malicious intent and wished to seize him. He gathered his subordinate generals Meng Tan and Ma Han to discuss a plan. Han Fu decided to hold a banquet for Guan Yu while in fact concealing a deadly scheme. At the banquet, Han Fu pretended to urge wine while actually stalling for time, preparing for the attack by Meng Tan and Ma Han. ^c:1

When the banquet ended and Guan Yu took his leave, Han Fu ordered Meng Tan and Ma Han to lead troops in pursuit. When Guan Yu reached the outskirts of the city, Meng Tan and Ma Han spurred their horses out and blocked his way. Meng Tan challenged Guan Yu first but, to his surprise, was cut down from his horse by Guan Yu after only a single bout. ^c:1 Then Ma Han, seeing Meng Tan slain, recklessly thrust out his spear straight at Guan Yu. Yet Guan Yu's martial skill was superlative, and Ma Han was utterly powerless before him; after only a few bouts he was cleaved in two by a single stroke of Guan Yu's blade. ^c:1

Though brief, this scene is highly dramatic. It displays not only Guan Yu's peerless valor but also the many obstacles he encountered in the course of "passing five passes and slaying six generals," and his unwavering loyalty and righteousness. The appearance and death of Ma Han form an important link in this series of events, adding a vivid stroke to Guan Yu's heroic image. ^c:1 (novel only)