Zhang Hongfan (张弘范 Zhāng Hóngfàn|w=Chang Hung-fan) (1238–1280) was a Chinese military general of the
Mongol Empire. As commander of the Mongol army and navy, he annihilated the
Southern Song by crushing the last Song resistance at the Battle of Yamen in 1279, where he is said to have captured 8000 enemy vessels. He is also known for capturing the Song loyalist
Wen Tianxiang (1236–1283).
Zhang was born in Dingxing, in present-day Hebei province. Dingxing had been part of the Liao empire and Jin empire and was part of the Mongol empire at the time of his birth. His father, Zhang Rou, led local forces defending against the Mongols in the dying days of the Jin Dynasty, but switched his allegiance to the Mongols in 1218 and was later ennobled by the Yuan Dynasty.
Although some later books and retellings claim that Zhang was a traitor who turned against the Song Dynasty, this is not historically accurate, since Zhang's place of birth had not been part of the Song empire and his family had served the Jin, then the Mongols. Some historians claim that Zhang was related to Zhang Shijie, the Song general who lost the Battle of Yamen against the Mongols before dying in a storm, as Zhang Shijie's family was also from present day Hebei under Jin rule.
Deng Guangjian, a fellow townsman of Wen Tianxiang, was tutor to Zhang Hongfan's family after he was rescued from attempting to drown himself at the Battle of Yamen. In his biography of Wen Tianxiang, Deng Guangjian describes Zhang Hongfan as courteous and friendly towards Wen after his capture. On his deathbed, Zhang had also pleaded with the Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan to spare the life of Wen Tianxiang. Aside from these descriptions in Wen's biography, Deng also wrote a preface to Zhang's various collected writings.
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张弘范（1238年 - 1280年），字
仲畴，
元朝将领，易州定兴（
辽朝时期属于南京道管辖，
金朝时期属于中都路管辖，今属河北）人。曾参加过襄樊之战，后跟随元帅伯颜南下征
宋，最后在厓山海战中带领元军灭亡
南宋。
Read more...: 生平 张弘范墓志铭
生平
元太宗六年正月十日（1234年2月9日），金朝灭亡。元太宗十年（1238年），张弘范出生，他是元朝汝南王张柔第九子，有武艺，能赋诗，擅使马槊，身材魁梧，仪表堂堂。中统三年（1262年）为行军总管，征讨叛将李璮于济南，至元六年（1269年）参与襄阳、樊城之战。他曾筑「一字城」分割襄樊的宋军，随后攻下樊城。驻守襄阳城的宋军不久后也出降。
至元十三年正月十八日（1276年2月4日），元军将领伯颜攻克南宋首都临安（今浙江杭州），俘获五岁的宋恭帝赵㬎和谢太后、全太后、众官僚和太学生，押送到大都，赵㬎被元世祖忽必烈封为瀛国公。至元十四年（1277年）授予镇国上将军，任命为江东道宣慰使。至元十五年（1278年）任蒙古汉军都元帅，南取闽广；他使弟张弘正为前锋，俘获南宋丞相文天祥于五坡岭（今广东海丰北）。
宋朝益王赵昰、广王赵昺南下逃难，张弘范奉命征讨。后来宋端宗赵昰（时年十岁）病死于硇洲岛（今广东雷州湾上一岛），弟弟赵昺继承皇帝宝座，历史上把赵昺称为宋幼主。幼主在忠于他的大臣张世杰、陆秀夫下逃到厓山（今广东江门新会）。
张弘范奉元世祖之命南下灭南宋，至元十六年二月六日（1279年3月19日），元军和宋军在厓山海域里进行了举世闻名的「厓山海战」。张世杰据厓山天险，却采以守势，不敢主动出击；张弘范封锁海口，切断了宋军淡水的来源，宋军被困，竟取海水解渴，纷纷呕吐，脸部浮肿，将士疲惫不堪。元军跳上宋船后，短兵相战，结果宋军全军覆灭，张世杰和幼主的母亲杨太后也在战乱中相继淹死。丞相陆秀夫背著赵昺跳海而死，岭海悉平，南宋最后一支抵抗力量被击溃，蒙古占领中国全境。
事后，弘范为了纪念自己的功劳，命人在石壁上刻了「镇国大将军张弘范灭宋于此」十二字。被后世文人所不齿，以其为汉种，却反过来助外族攻灭华夏，而另仿碑体，在「镇国大将军张弘范灭宋于此」前面多加一个「宋」字，变成「宋镇国大将军张弘范灭宋于此」，以做羞辱。实际上张弘范家族世居辽、金，从未事宋，反而他在厓山海战对敌的宋将张世杰根据《宋史》记载早年曾事蒙古（曾是张柔的部下）而后畏罪叛逃南宋。
至元十七年正月十日（1280年2月11日）病逝，终年四十三岁。
元世祖赠银青荣禄大夫、平章政事，谥武烈。至大四年（1311年），元武宗加赠推忠效节翊运功臣、太师、开府仪同三司、上柱国、齐国公，改谥忠武。延佑六年（1319年），元仁宗加保大功臣，加封淮阳王，谥献武。
张弘范墓志铭
张弘范墓志1949年于河北定兴县出土，初置易县清真寺内，后移入清真寺隔壁回民小学。1984年3月由易县博物馆收藏。
元世祖至元十七年四月一日（1280年5月1日）立。李谦（1233-1311年）撰文书丹，李处巽篆盖，石匠秦德刊刻，张弘范之子张圭（1264-1327年）立石。
墓志为汉白玉质，志盖已佚。志石长0.97米、宽0.84米、厚0.15米，志文首题为：「故镇国上将军江东道宣慰使蒙古汉军都元帅张公墓志铭并序」，一共57行，满行50字，全文2440字，字体为楷书。
墓志记载了张弘范在至元十五年（1278年）俘虏南宋丞相文天祥及文天祥不屈的情节，还详细叙述了张弘范率元军「破襄樊、下郢汉」直至「收福建、平岒南」等和南宋军队交战直至统一全国的战争经过。这些记载对研究宋元战争史有极高的参考价值。
墓志铭是研究张弘范生平及其家族历史的第一手材料，可以和《元史·张弘范传》相互对照。
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