生平

史书未记载其生年。胡人多以部落称姓，因以为氏。祖沮，左清道率。父道元，安西副都护，世居安西。哥舒翰家富于财，倜傥任侠，好然诺，纵蒲酒。哥舒翰初为陇右节度使王忠嗣幕府将，能读《左氏春秋》、《汉书》，颇得士兵拥戴。

天宝六年（747年），王忠嗣提拔哥舒翰为大斗军副使，迁左卫郎将。天宝年间与吐蕃战于苦拔海，屡破吐蕃，擢授右武卫员外将军。王忠嗣为宰相李林甫所忌，故诬陷王忠嗣「欲奉太子」，玄宗以哥舒翰取代王忠嗣。朝廷对忠嗣严加审讯，打算处以极刑。哥舒翰闻知后，极言王忠嗣无罪，请求用自己的官爵来赎王忠嗣的罪，玄宗不听，走入内宫，哥舒翰一路追随，「言词慷慨，声泪俱下」，玄宗深受感动，遂贬忠嗣为汉阳（今湖北）太守。

天宝八年（749年）六月，哥舒翰统领陇右、河西及突厥阿布思之兵，向石堡城发起进攻。吐蕃凭险据守，唐军进攻多日，伤亡惨重。哥舒翰大怒，限三日内破城，否则斩杀攻城先锋官副将高秀岩、张守瑜。三日后，唐军占领石堡城。功拜特进、鸿胪员外卿。

天宝十一年（752年），进为开府仪同三司。

天宝十二年（753年)八月三十日，进封西平郡王。天宝十三年（754年），又拜太子太保，加实封三百户，兼御史大夫。唐诗中即有一首哥舒歌：「北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。」宰相杨国忠厌恶安禄山，知其必反，联合哥舒翰牵制安禄山。

天宝十四年（755年)哥舒翰患风疾（即中风）半身不遂，回到长安，病废于家。

安史之乱时，名将封常清、高仙芝受诬被杀，唐玄宗命哥舒翰代替高仙芝守潼关（今陕西潼关东北）。哥舒翰到了潼关，风疾愈来愈严重，不复躬亲，政事悉委行军田丘良，阵中大将王思礼、李承光争权。哥舒翰知道敌锋正锐，应避之以待援军前来共御潼关。

此一策略与封常清、高仙芝所部相同。经研拟后，哥舒翰在潼关的二十万大军即坚守不出。

天宝十五年(756年)二月，哥舒翰的旧属时任元帅府马军(骑兵)都将的王思礼，密说翰抗表请诛杨国忠，但翰不赞同对杨国忠下手;思礼又说翰谋杀安思顺(在安史之乱爆发前，安思顺曾多次提醒中央，安禄山有不轨举动)。安思顺跟哥舒翰结怨。于是，翰命人伪造安禄山寄给安思顺的书信，在潼关派人抓住信使，搜出信件呈报给中央；哥舒翰列出安思顺七条罪责，要求处死安思顺。三月，安思顺与弟安元贞皆被赐死，家属迁徙于岭外，天下冤之。宰相杨国忠无法救安思顺，对哥舒翰开始感到畏惧。

天宝十五年(756年)六月，当时有人跟杨国忠说：「天下兵马尽在哥舒翰之手，如果他想西进，那您岂不危险?」杨国忠大惧，于是上奏：「潼关兵力虽盛，但没有后备部队，那京师不就岌岌可危。请扩军三千人并且训练。」唐玄宗同意，杨国忠又派他的亲信杜乾运囤驻于霸上，名为御敌实则堤防哥舒翰。哥舒翰知道此举是针对他，于是上表请奏把霸上的一万人部队归潼关统一指挥，并且邀杜乾运来潼关议事，却找个罪状斩首杜乾运，杨国忠恐慌，对自己儿子说：「我恐怕死无葬身之所」。哥舒翰也感到不安，谋划很久又不敢作决断，数次上奏：「安禄山窃据河朔之地，不得人心，我们只要谨慎持重，等待贼军内部分裂，兵不血刃就可以抓到安禄山。」

安禄山的将领崔乾佑守陕郡，故意放倒旗子停止敲鼓，故意示弱引诱出战。有人就说：「贼人没有防备，我们可以攻打他们。」唐玄宗相信了，诏见哥舒翰商量该如何讨伐。哥舒翰说：「安禄山带兵很久，隐藏很久现在才开始反叛，不可能没有防备，他是故意用阴谋引诱我们。贼人大老远来，最希望速战速决。上计是王师坚守，不要随便出关。而且其他地方的部队还没有集合完毕，最好还是继续观察，不必急。」当然，安禄山虽然占领河北、洛阳，但到处滥杀无辜，人民怨恨他。好几个月都不能再推进。郭子仪、李光弼又收复常山几个郡，安禄山开始后悔作出反叛的决定，在幽州坚守。而杨国忠却建议唐玄宗要哥舒翰出潼关收复陕、洛。郭子仪、李光弼远在外地上书劝谏：「贼人知道哥舒翰老了而且病很重，而且我们的军队训练不足以应战。贼人派精锐往南占领宛、洛，而其馀的人守幽州。我直捣敌人老巢，抓住他们的族人威胁它们投降，就可以得到安禄山的脑袋。倘若潼关的大军出战打败，京城安全出现问题，那天下就完了。」极力要求不要让哥舒翰出战，但唐玄宗不听。一直派使臣要求哥舒翰出战。

哥舒翰痛哭，不得已出关与崔乾佑一战。灵宝南面靠山，北临黄河，中间为七十里长的狭窄山道。哥舒翰乘船在黄河上见崔乾佑兵少，命令大军冒进，于是唐军进入隘路，军队行进不成行列，贼人从高处砸落石打死了不少官兵。哥舒翰登上北部的高地，命令三万人沿著河岸鸣鼓，王思礼率领精锐当先锋，其他十万人紧跟在后。崔乾佑部队的阵型，以最小编制的「什」「伍」组成，一回前进一回后退，有五千名陌刀手排列在阵行后面。官兵们看贼人的阵法乱无章法，忍不住用手指著嘲笑他们。才刚开始战斗，崔乾佑部队就有人想逃跑。官兵们开始松懈，突然贼军开始拼命近身搏斗。哥舒翰下令毛皮毡帐蒙住马车，想要往北突围，贼军就用木柴堵塞通道，顺著风势烧马车，浓烟让官兵们看不清楚还自相残杀，过很久才知道杀到同袍。官兵们丢盔卸甲奔向山谷也有的溺死在河里。河边有运粮船数百艘，因为争相上船的逃难官兵太多，船就沉了。有的人用矛绑著盾牌想渡河。贼军就趁胜追击。快要逃到潼关，关门前挖三道壕沟，黑暗中士兵看不清楚方向掉进壕沟，被后面掉进去的人压死，三道壕沟都被官兵的尸体填满。

哥舒翰带数百名骑兵渡河，剩下不到八千人的老弱残兵。哥舒翰回到潼关，崔乾佑又开始进攻。火拔归仁等将领造反，把哥舒翰绑架到洛阳交给安禄山处置。次日王思礼自潼关奔回，报明哥舒翰降贼，玄宗授思礼为陇右河西节度使。

安禄山与哥舒翰有旧怨。早年，安禄山欲结交哥舒翰，对其曰：「我父是胡、母是突厥；公父是突厥、母是胡。与公族类同，何不相亲乎？」哥舒翰则回答：「古人云，野狐向窟嗥，不祥，以其忘本也。敢不尽心焉！」两人仇怨日深。

如今安禄山见到哥舒翰被俘，骂说：「汝常轻我，今日如何？」哥舒翰为免死，向之谢罪说：「肉眼不识陛下，遂至于此。」安禄山大喜，用他劝降唐将，拜为司空、同中书门下平章事。安禄山骂火拔归仁等将领背主弃义，把他们都斩首。哥舒翰写信招降其他将帅，反被其他唐军将帅辱骂不能死节，安禄山知其无用，将他囚禁于禁苑。

至德二载，安禄山为其子安庆绪所杀，九月二十八日，唐军进攻长安，安庆绪屡败，十月十六日（757年12月1日）安庆绪逃往邺（今河南安阳），临行前，杀哥舒翰、程千里等三十馀名俘虏。唐代宗赠太尉，谥曰武愍。

史书评论

《旧唐书》：「大盗作梗，禄山乱常，词虽欲诛国忠，志则谋危社稷。于时承平日久，金革道消，封常清、高仙芝相次率不教之兵，募市人之众，以抗凶寇，失律丧师。哥舒翰废疾于家，起专兵柄，二十万（旧唐书本纪第九,玄宗下：「哥舒翰将兵八万…」）众拒贼关门，军中之务不亲，委任又非其所。及遇羯贼，旋致败亡，天子以之播迁，自身以之拘执，此皆命帅而不得其人也。《礼》曰：「大夫死众。」又曰：「谋人之军师败则死之。」翰受署贼庭，苟延视息，忠义之道，即可知也，岂不愧于颜杲卿乎！抑又闻之，古之命将者，推毂而谓之曰：「阃外之事，将军裁之。」观杨国忠之奏事，边令诚之护戎，又掣肘于军政者也，未可偏责三帅，不尤伊人。后之君子，得不深鉴！」

历代评论

李白《答王十二寒夜独酌有怀》讽刺哥舒翰在石堡城之战军事表现，我众敌寡下牺牲巨大，却能媚主求荣：「君不能学哥舒，横行青海夜带刀，西屠石堡取紫袍。」

事实上，先前的陇右节度使王忠嗣曾分析过石堡城地势险要，贸然强攻石堡城必死者数万，唐玄宗不听，王忠嗣大败后又被宰相李林甫诬陷谋反，哥舒翰接替王嗣忠的职位。上命陇右节度使哥舒翰帅陇右，河西及突厥阿布思兵，益以朔方，河东兵，凡六万三千，攻吐蕃石堡城。其城三面险绝，惟一径可上，吐蕃但以数百人守之，多贮粮食，积檑木及石，唐兵前后屡攻之，不能克。翰进攻数日不拔，召裨将高秀岩、张守瑜，欲斩之，二人请三日期可克；如期拔之，获吐蕃铁刃悉诺罗等四百人，唐士卒死者数万，果如王忠嗣之言。

杜甫《喜闻盗贼蕃寇总退口号五首》，对于朝廷放弃和亲政突然起用哥舒翰发动对吐蕃战争之事表达不满：「朝廷忽用哥舒将，杀伐虚悲公主亲」

事实上虽然金城公主和亲后唐朝跟吐蕃虽然维持一段长久和平关系（西元729年唐军占领石堡城，吐蕃连战连败要求和亲，金城公主出嫁吐蕃），但金城公主过世的前几年，吐蕃与唐朝就开始爆发军事冲突。而金城公主去世（西元739年）后，吐蕃有派使者到长安报丧，之后两国冲突就日渐升温，西元741年，吐蕃占领石堡城。西元749年，哥舒翰重新夺回石堡城。并非唐朝单方面放弃和亲政策，而是两国关系早就已经无法继续维持和平。

当时民歌（后世称哥舒歌）赞颂哥舒翰抵御吐蕃侵略有功：「北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。」

南宋谢采伯《密斋笔记》：「哥舒翰始亦善用兵，后困于酒色之娱，迫于君命，恸哭而出，潼关丧师二十万，仅存八千。」

大意是：哥舒翰也是个善用兵的将领，但因为好酒色，染上风疾病废家中多年。病重情况下还不得不听从君命出关，换来惨败的下场。

明代王夫之《读通鉴论·卷二十三·肃宗》：「其一，自天宝以来，边兵外疆，所可与幽，燕，河北并峙者，唯王忠嗣之于朔方耳。自削其辅，夺忠嗣而废之，奉忠嗣之馀威收拾西陲者，哥舒翰也。翰为禄山屈而称病闲居，朔方之势已不振，既且尽撤之以守潼关，而陷没于贼。」

大意是：王夫之认为天宝年间，只有王忠嗣镇守的朔方（事实上王忠嗣是河西、陇右、朔方、河东四镇节度使），能够与幽、燕、河北的势力相抗衡（后来的安禄山统领平卢、范阳、河东三镇）。但唐玄宗听信谗言不信任王忠嗣，削弱了朔方的军力。哥舒翰没有能力牵制安禄山的情况下只好称病在家闲居（事实上是高仙芝调回中央、封常清入朝、哥舒翰因病回家休养，各节度使诸镇主将不在任上，才让安禄山有机可趁），等到安禄山势力大到无法制衡，只好撤掉朔方退守潼关，最后朔方被安禄山给占领（实际上朔方并未被安禄山占领，潼关之战战败后，玄宗携太子、宠妃仓皇逃往成都，行经马嵬驿。马嵬民众拦阻玄宗请留，玄宗不从。太子李亨留下，随即往朔方节度使所在地灵武，任命郭子仪为朔方节度使，联合回纥展开反攻）。

清代临洮诗人吴镇在《题哥舒翰纪功碑》一诗中赞到：

:::李唐重防秋，哥舒节陇右。浩气扶西倾，英名壮北斗。

:::带刀夜夜行，牧马潜遁走。至今西陲人，歌咏遍童叟。

:::渔阳烽火来，关门竟不守。惜哉百战雄，奸相坐掣肘。

:::平生视禄山，不值一鸡狗。伏地呼圣人，兹颜一何厚。

:::毋乃贼妄传，藉以威其丑。不然效李陵，屈身为图后。

:::英雄值老悖，天道遘阳九。终焉死偃师，曾作司空否？

:::轰轰大道碑，湛湛边城酒。长剑倚崆峒，永与乾坤久！

清末民初文人蔡东藩在其演义小说《唐史演义》第五十一回评论道：「哥舒翰之所为，不谓无罪，但守关不战，待贼自敝，未始非老成慎重之见，况有郭李诸将，规复河朔，固足毁贼之老巢，而制贼之死命者乎。国忠忌翰，促令陷贼，潼关不守，亟议幸蜀，陷翰犹可，陷天子可乎？惟国忠之意，以为都可弃，君可辱，而私怨不可不复，身命不可不保，兄弟姊妹，不可不安。自秦赴蜀，犹归故乡，庸讵知王思礼等之窃议其旁，陈玄礼等之加刃其后耶？杨玉环不顾廉耻，竞尚骄奢，看似无关治乱，而实为乱阶，蛊君误国，不死何待？历叙之以昭大戒，笔法固犹是紫阳也。」

大意是：哥舒翰投降还刻意巴结安禄山的行为，虽然很难洗清叛主罪名。但是哥舒翰守关不战策略，却不能不说他为了顾全大局相当慎重。反观，杨国忠在国难之际，陷害哥舒翰让国君陷入危难，只顾自己跟家人安全。而杨玉环虽然看似跟安史之乱无关，但平日骄奢行为也影响君王无心于政事。杨国忠、杨玉环不顾大局只顾自身利益，这两人的死，都是罪有应得。

实际上，哥舒翰在潼关之战前陷害安思顺，激起杨国忠的危机意识，让两人关系恶化。当时的情报消息是驻守陕郡的崔乾佑没有防备，如果杨国忠是出自陷害哥舒翰的心理，怎么会让哥舒翰在看起来一面倒的有利战局下出击弱敌立功呢? 唐玄宗要是知道潼关大军有可能一战即溃，有可能冒著逃难的风险也要哥舒翰出关吗? 如果哥舒翰明知道是陷阱，又为何轻敌冒进呢？所以战前看似有利战局，才是唐玄宗愿意采纳杨国忠意见的原因。 而战场的地形，杨国忠也没有亲临现场观察地形和敌军部属情形，又如何推断杨国忠是为了私怨，故意要把唐玄宗和整个唐朝江山拖下水呢？哥舒翰用兵谨慎的话，就不该率领十几万大军穷追猛打掉进陷阱，而是留预备部队以防万一。所以杨国忠的罪责，在于怂恿唐玄宗逼哥舒翰出关，而哥舒翰也要为战场上部署失当导致惨败负起指挥官的责任。

英国汉学家Denis Crispin Twitchett在《剑桥中国史》第三册隋唐，第七章杨国忠的掌权（752—756年）中评论：「杨国忠最迫切需要的是一个强有力的军事盟友。他选中了唯一与安禄山明显为敌的突厥将领哥舒翰，此人是西北陇右和河西两地的节度使，已在753年农历八月被封为王他与安禄山的堂兄弟朔方节度使安思顺长期不和；虽然在快到李林甫临终时玄宗试图让宦官高力士去弥合双方的分歧，但这反而使局面更加恶化;安禄山和哥舒翰曾在朝廷公开激烈争吵。哥舒翰拥有庞大的军队，总数达14.3万人，他们久经沙场，在战斗中得到锻炼，在吐蕃边境的十多年中常常取胜。」

家庭成员

祖父：哥舒沮，官至左清道率。

父：哥舒道元，官至安西副都护。

母：尉迟氏，于阗王的公主

子：哥舒曜，字子明，官至右骁卫上将军，追赠幽州大都督。

孙：哥舒峘，哥舒崿，哥舒嵫，哥舒屺

Background

It is not known when Geshu Han was born. His paternal ancestors were tribal chiefs of Western Turkic extraction, bearing the Nushibi Geshu surname and belonging to the Duolu Tuqishi tribe. His grandfather Geshu Ju (哥舒沮) served as an officer in the Tang army, and his father Geshu Daoyuan (哥舒道元) served as the deputy to the Protectorate General to Pacify the West, and thus lived in Anxi Circuit (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang). His mother was a Khotanese princess. Geshu Han's household was said to be rich, and he used the wealth to further what he saw were just causes, and he also drank heavily. When he was 39, his father died, and he spent three years in the Tang capital Chang'an. On one occasion, he was disrespected by the sheriff of Chang'an County, and he took this disrespect as a reason to serve in the military.

Military service

Geshu Han first served under Wang Chui (王倕), the military governor (jiedushi) of Hexi Circuit (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu). He later served under Wang Chui's successor Wang Zhongsi, and, on one expedition that he commanded, an officer of the same rank was his deputy, but, because they were of the same rank, refused to follow Geshu's orders. Geshu had him executed by hammering, and this shocked the other officers into submission. He later distinguished himself in defending against multiple Tufan attacks.

In 747, Geshu was promoted to be a general, as well as deputy military governor of Longyou Circuit (陇右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai), which Wang Zhongsi governed at the time as well. At that time, Tufan forces were accustomed to pillage the Tang farms around Jishi Base (积石军, in modern Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai) every year at harvest time, to seize the wheat grown in the area—so much so that the people of the region jokingly referred to their region as "Tufan Farms." Geshu, after he took office, had his subordinates Wang Nande (王难得) and Yang Jinghui (杨景晖) hide with their troops, and then confronted the Tufan troops on their next raid. After he engaged them, Wang and Yang cut off the escape, and the Tufan forces were wiped out; this ended the periodic raids on the region.

Later that year, Wang Zhongsi was accused of hindering an attack against Tufan by the general Dong Yanguang (董延光), summoned to Chang'an, and put under interrogation. Geshu, who was then made the acting military governor of Longyou and acting governor of Xiping Commandery (西平, roughly modern Haidong Prefecture), was also summoned to Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong, who was impressed by his achievements. Geshu's subordinates suggested that he bring much treasure to bribe the central government officials to try to save Wang. Geshu responded:

Geshu subsequently met with Emperor Xuanzong and begged for forgiveness for Wang, offering to give up his own offices and titles to save Wang from death. Emperor Xuanzong initially became irritated and refused to talk with him further, but Geshu kneeled, hit the ground with his head, and cried bitterly. Emperor Xuanzong relented and spared Wang, but demoted him to be the governor of Hanyang Commandery (汉阳, in modern Wuhan, Hubei). Geshu's intercession for Wang, at much risk to himself, was praised by others of righteousness.

In 748, Geshu built Shenwei Base (神威军) upon Qinghai Lake, and Yinglong Castle (应龙城) on an island in the lake itself, as defensive posts against Tufan. When Tufan attacked those outposts, he defeated them, and it was said that thereafter Tufan forces did not dare to come close to Qinghai Lake. In 749, he also recaptured Shibao Castle (石堡城, in modern Xining, Qinghai), which Wang had refused to attack earlier, leading to Dong's campaign. However, Yinglong Castle fell to Tufan after the Qinghai Lake froze, allowing Tufan forces to attack it over the ice.

In 752, Geshu began to become part of the central government's intrigue, in the power struggle between the chancellor Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong, the second cousin of Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan, as both he and the chancellor Chen Xilie corroborated accusations that Li Linfu had friendly relations with Li Xianzhong (李献忠), an ethnically Tujue general who had been forced into rebellion earlier that year. This facilitated Yang Guozhong's aggrandizement of power and the reduction of Li Linfu's influence.

Later that year, when Emperor Xuanzong, seeing that Geshu had poor relations with An Lushan, then the military governor of Fanyang Circuit (范阳, headquartered in modern Beijing) and An Sishun (whose uncle was An Lushan's stepfather), then the military governor of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), and wanted to improve relations between these three key commanders of troops at the border, he summoned all three to the capital and had the powerful eunuch Gao Lishi host a feast for the three of them, trying to get them to resolve their unpleasantries. However, instead, at the feast, Geshu and An Lushan got into an argument, which only stopped after Gao gazed at Geshu, stopping him from responding to An Lushan's insults.

In 753, Geshu attacked Tufan again, capturing Hongji (洪济) and Damomen (大漠门) (both in modern Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) and seizing back the nine bends of the Yellow River. He was created the Duke of Liang. Meanwhile, Li Linfu had died, and Yang Guozhong had taken power as chancellor, and soon began to develop a rivalry with An Lushan. He knew that Geshu and An had poor relations, and therefore tried to ingratiate himself with Geshu to build an alliance. At his suggestion, Geshu was given the command of Hexi as well, and was created the Prince of Xiping. In 754, at Geshu's suggestion, two commanderies, Taoyang (洮阳) and Jiaohe (浇河), as well as a military base, were established over the recaptured region. Around that time, however, Geshu, while bathing, suffered a stroke. He therefore left his command and returned to Chang'an in order to recuperate.

In 755, An Lushan, after Yang Guozhong repeatedly had provoked him, rebelled, and the generals Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, after failing to defeat An, were executed. Emperor Xuanzong put Geshu in charge of 200,000 soldiers and had him take up command at Tong Pass, succeeding Gao Xianzhi. In 756, Emperor Xuanzong also gave Geshu the honorary titles of Zuo Pushe (左仆射), one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚书省, Shangshu Sheng) and chancellor de facto (同中书门下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi). Once Geshu got to Tong Pass, his subordinates suggested that he make a surprise attack on Chang'an and kill Yang Guozhong, seeing Yang Guozhong as the cause of An's rebellion—which Geshu rejected, stating, "If that happens, it is Geshu Han who is a rebel, not An Lushan." However, the news was leaked to Yang Guozhong, who, in apprehension, gave his associate Du Qianyun (杜乾运) a separate command, nominally under Geshu. Geshu, now suspicious of Yang Guozhong's intentions, took an opportunity where he summoned Du to Tong Pass to discuss military affairs to execute Du, increasing the tension with Yang Guozhong. Meanwhile, Geshu was still inimical to An Sishun. Geshu forged a letter from An Lushan to An Sishun, and then had the messenger captured at a pass. He presented the letter to Emperor Xuanzong, along with a petition accusing An Sishun of seven crimes. As a result, An Sishun and An Yuanzhen were executed, and their families were exiled to the Lingnan region, despite Yang Guozhong's attempt to intercede on An Sishun's behalf.

Soon thereafter, intelligence reports indicated that An's forward commander Cui Qianyou (崔乾佑) had weak forces outside the Tong Pass, and Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guozhong became convinced that it was the time to counterattack in order to recapture the eastern capital Luoyang—despite repeated petitions by Geshu that it was inadvisable, agreed with by Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, who were then attacking An's holdings north of the Yellow River and believed that the proper strategy was for Geshu to hold Tong Pass and for them to destroy An's power base first. Yang Guozhong, in particular, was concerned that Geshu was intending to attack him instead, and therefore had Emperor Xuanzong issue repeated edicts ordering Geshu to engage Cui. Geshu was forced to do so, and once he engaged Cui's troops, he fell into a trap that Cui had set, and most of the Tang army was wiped out. Geshu was only able to gather 8,000 soldiers to return to Tong Pass. He prepared to defend it anyway, but his subordinate Huoba Guiren, believing the situation to be hopeless, tried to convince him to surrender to Cui, pointing out that he was putting himself in the same position as Gao Xianzhi. Despite Geshu's protestations that he would rather be like Gao than to surrender, Huoba bound him to a horse and then took him to surrender to Cui.

After capture by An Lushan

Cui Qianyou delivered Geshu Han and Huoba Guiren to Luoyang, which An Lushan had made the capital of his new state of Yan after claiming imperial title. An executed Huoba for his treacherousness, and asked Geshu how he felt now, after having slighted An for years. Geshu responded that he simply did not see An's greatness at that time, and offered to write letters to Li Guangbi, Lai Tian, and Lu Gui, to ask them to surrender to An. An was pleased, and gave Geshu the titles of Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies) and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. Soon, however, those subordinates to whom Geshu wrote replied, rebuking him for his failure to die for Tang. An realized that Geshu was of no use to him, and put him under arrest.

In spring 757, An Lushan was assassinated by his son An Qingxu, who took the throne subsequently. Geshu remained under arrest. In winter 757, when Tang forces under Li Chu the Prince of Guangping and allied Huihe forces were arriving at Luoyang, An Qingxu decided to abandon Luoyang, and, as he did so, executed Geshu, Cheng Qianli (程千里), and 30 some other captured Tang generals. Geshu's son Geshu Yao (哥舒曜) was then a Tang general, and possibly because of this, Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong posthumously honored Geshu Han despite his having submitted to An Lushan, and gave him the posthumous name of Wumin (literally, "martial and suffering").