家族

戚继光出生于军户家庭，六世祖戚详是安徽定远县人，跟随朱元璋作战，1382年左右战死于云南，追授世袭山东登州卫指挥佥事。戚继光父亲戚景通承袭祖职，1528年55岁时生下戚继光，1535年升任京师神机营副将。戚继光弟弟戚继美也从军，1582年任职贵州总兵。

生平

早年

戚继光年少时自父亲戚景通学习诗书礼仪和兵法战略，1544年父亲过世，戚继光承职父职。1548年至1552年间，他奉命率领登州卫所士兵远戍北京东北的蓟门，春去秋归，每年一次。1549年，他考中山东武举，次年入京会试落第，因事暂留京城。当时正逢蒙古入侵，进逼北京，戚继光参与守城，并上书明世宗，陈述与蒙古作战与防御对方再次入侵的方略。当时戚继光获计士元、刘瑶、阮鹗等多位官员举荐，颇孚众望。1553年戚继光26岁时，获任命为山东都指挥佥事，负责防范山东沿海的倭寇。他严格执行军纪，严惩不听令的部下，以纪律严明著称。

镇守南方

1553至1566年，是东南沿海倭寇为祸最烈的时期。当时浙江倭寇肆虐，朝廷选派有才能的将领前往浙江，增强当地军力。1555年，戚继光调任浙江，担任浙江都司佥书，负责屯田事宜，次年受浙江总督胡宗宪赏识，升任参将，负责防御钱塘江以东地区，并支援宁波、绍兴、台州三府。他与台州知府谭纶一同训练当地军队对抗倭寇。谭纶很赏识戚继光，从此一直把戚继光留在左右。戚继光计划训练乡勇以抵御倭寇，得到胡宗宪批准后，他开始招兵，1557年，在绍兴招募了三千多人进行训练。1558年，戚继光在舟山群岛抵抗王直养子，并不成功。他发现将城市人训练为精兵实在困难，决定只训练农村青年。1559年，官兵进攻浙江岑港的倭寇巢穴，久而无功，戚继光和俞大猷虽然没有参与战斗，却被降职，受令限一个月内荡平岑港，否则带至京城问罪。之后戚继光受命负责训练来自义乌的三千多名志愿者，创立新的阵形「鸳鸯阵」。戚继光有感当时官兵漫无纪律，犹如乌合之众，旗号犹如儿戏，练兵特别注重军纪、战术、战技、侦察，并培养士兵的战斗精神。这支军队后来以戚家军闻名，有效打击倭寇。

1560年3月，戚继光恢复参将职位，统辖台州、严州和金华三地军务，继续训练士兵。次年，倭寇大举入侵台州沿海，戚继光领兵抗击，一个月内九战九胜，倭寇几乎全部歼灭，而戚家军伤亡极少。立功后，戚继光升任为都指挥使，名声大震，江西官员向朝廷要求派他前往江西镇压叛乱。1561年11月，他率兵前往江西，不出一个月就凯旋，江西人见识到一支纪律严明、给养充足，领导有方、作战有素、富有默契的军队。1557年倭寇首领王直被捕后，馀党由舟山群岛南迁，为祸福建和广东。1562年6月，戚继光率军援救福建以抵御倭寇，多次战胜后返回浙江。12月，倭寇援兵大量抵达，攻陷福建各地，包括平海卫城和兴化府城。倭寇之乱以来，这是第一次连府城也沦陷，远近震动。次年初，戚继光获任命为副总兵，负责福建北部沿海防务；谭纶获任命为巡抚，提督福建军务。二人齐心协力，重挫倭寇，在5月时收复平海和兴化，并摧毁倭寇在福建沿海最后的基地。

1563年，戚继光升任为都督同知，年底被召回福建，升任总兵，统领闽浙两省军务。次年追击在福建与倭寇勾结的寇贼吴平，一直追至广东。戚家军是长胜部队，胜利纪录无出其右。其他官兵几个月都无法解决的倭寇据点，戚家军可以在几小时内攻克。戚继光平倭有功，不仅取决于训练精良，还在于守备有方，并能与其他官员齐心合力。他从受倭寇侵略的地区招募乡勇，并在当地知县支持下，给予乡兵丰厚军饷。由于训练有素，士兵勇敢作战，不会胆怯退缩。戚继光和福建巡抚谭纶和监军汪道昆密切配合，到1567年，已将福建沿海倭寇肃清。

镇守北方

明朝开始重视北方边防，戚继光被召到北京，负责到京城北部训练军队。离开闽浙前，他把自己出色的旧部皆委以军事重任。1567年戚继光到达北京后，获任命为禁军神机营副将，这是他父亲曾担任过的职位。他自觉无用武之地，请求负责蓟州、辽东、昌平和保定地区的防务。谭纶比戚继光先入京，担任蓟辽总督，极力推荐戚继光。1568年5月，戚继光受命总理蓟州、昌平和保定三地防务，次年又兼任蓟州总兵。1570年，谭纶由蓟辽总督转任兵部尚书，戚继光则仍留守蓟州，其后辅佐了四任总督。戚继光训练一支作战有方的军队，在张居正和谭纶辖下严密布防。张居正对戚继光十份信任，指示他要保持边境和平，不要主动进攻，而戚继光自己则其实想采取攻势。1571年明朝与蒙古订立和约。与在沿海平定倭寇相比，戚继光守卫长城抵御蒙古人的十五年间，可谓平静许多。他从一名战略指挥转型为一位军务管理者。他请求徵调一些他在浙江时的旧部，朝廷批准把他在浙江训练的士兵调到蓟州，最初员额为三千人，后来扩充至二万。由于北方士兵质素极不理想，戚继光还是主要信赖来自南方的旧部。1573年，蒙古土蛮与俺答曾侵犯边境，戚继光领兵截击。蒙古人因畏于戚继光守边，此后不敢再进犯蓟州。

戚继光屡受封赏，1570年，他获任命为右都督，1571年长城塔楼基本竣工，他接任世袭登州卫千户。1574年，升任明朝最高军职左都督，七年后加封锦衣卫百户、少保兼太子太保。戚继光到任前，蓟州十五年间换了八任总兵，而戚继光担任蓟州总兵则长达14年之久，除了因为他有军事才干外，也因为他在朝廷有兵部尚书谭纶及首辅张居正为后盾。

晚年

1582年张居正逝世，戚继光因与张居正关系密切而得罪明神宗。大臣提醒明神宗，戚继光是宫门外的猛兽，只听命于张居正，别人无法节制。张居正逝世后不到六个月，戚继光遭受弹劾而被罢免，回到登州，后来调为广东总兵，官阶依旧，但失去了拱卫京师的重要地位。1585年他被参劾，被明神宗免职。戚继光罢官居家后，很少朋友仍然和他来往。他积蓄甚少，晚年一贫如洗，甚至医药费不继。1588年，有监察御史上疏建议重新起用戚继光，受明神宗驳回和责罚。3个月后，戚继光在登州家中辞世，身后汪道昆为他撰写墓志铭。

军政

针对倭寇

戚继光在浙江建立戚家军，建军方案有条不紊，他宣布招兵方法，规定月饷数额，拟定职务分配的原则，确定官兵的职责，统一武器规格，颁发旗帜金鼓以便通讯等等。他确立严厉军法，实行连坐法，一人退却则一人斩首，全队退却则队长斩首，队长殉职而全队退却则全队斩首。士兵由此培养出同生死、共胜败的精神。士兵擅自离开小便会被罚以割去耳朵。戚继光治军赏罚分明，其部下每人年饷银10两，军饷大体与农村短工收入相等，但另设重赏，一个敌人首级赏额白银30两。他只招募农民而不收城市人，因后者多狡猾无赖，不能奋勇杀敌，往往临阵逃脱。凡脸色白晢，眼神轻灵、动作轻快的人一概摈诸门外。

1559年，戚继光在浙江练兵时创立「鸳鸯阵」，每队由12名士兵组成，分工合作，密切配合。在不同战情或地形下，一队可以一分为二。每队队长一人，伙兵一人，战士十人，其中四人操长枪，为攻击主力，前面有四名士兵，右方士兵持大而长的藤牌，左方士兵持小而圆的藤牌，之后有两名士兵手执狼筅。长枪手之后，有二名士兵带镋钯。右方持大藤牌的士兵，主要任务是保持既得位置，稳定本队阵脚，左边持圆藤牌的士兵则要匍匐而进，在牌后掷出标枪，引诱敌人离开有利防御的位置。如果引诱成功，后面两个士兵以狼筅扫倒敌人，然后让手持长枪的夥伴一跃而上刺死敌人。手持镋钯的士兵则负责保护本队后方，警戒侧翼，必要时支持前方夥伴，构成第二线的攻击力。鸳鸯阵同时配备长兵器和短兵器，接战时，长12尺的长枪是有效的攻击武器，但必须和敌人保持相当距离，如果敌人已进入枪杆距离之内，长枪即形同作废。手持狼筅的士兵不需特别技术，只要臂力够大就胜任。当时明军士兵的长枪常被倭寇用倭刀砍断，戚继光为了对付倭刀，便采用以竹竿所制、坚硬的狼筅，效果甚佳。此后明军开始普遍使用这种兵器。戚继光很重视倭刀的威力，也给自己的军队装备了倭刀。

戚继光训练的部队，分为营、总、官、哨、队五级，十二人为一队，四队为一哨，四哨为一官，四官为一总，四总为一营，一营将士3072人。实战时，视乎敌人多寡强弱，随时调整，有时四级，有时三级。他严格训练士兵的武艺，要士兵互相切磋，练习跑步以锻练体力；训练时要士兵操持较重的武器，使他们上阵时使用兵器更为纯熟。他深知倭寇战斗力强，要以五对一的优势迎敌。戚继光为部下配备少数火铳与火炮，他知道火器的威力，但在实战中并不依赖火器。当时明朝所造的鸟铳质素太低，铳管常会炸裂，以致士兵提心吊胆，不敢双手握铳以作瞄准，有的铅弹与火炮口径尺寸不合，有的火炮导火线无法燃点。因此戚继光只把火器应用于有限范围。后来他为每队步兵配备鸟铳二枝，规定铳手必须出发前领取足够弹药，临阵时假称用完弹药，以畏敌论罪。

明朝官员对应在陆上还是在海上迎击倭寇意见分歧，戚继光倾向在陆上迎敌，他建立三层防御体系，在福建沿海小岛建立哨站，大军戍守主要城市，他自己则指挥一支高度机动的军队，一闻警报便立即赶赴。他在城镇四面重要路口设下哨兵，每处三或五人，日夜值班，遇有敌情，以火铳和火把作出警报，警戒严密，使敌人无法突袭。戚继光作战时顾虑精密，临阵前两三天，戚继光就派兵侦察敌情，要每两小时报告一次。地图用红黑两色绘制，有时甚至用泥土塑成地形模型。他以一串740粒珠子的捻珠计时，以掌握准确时间。

针对蒙古

在蓟州防守时，戚继兵引入战车以对付蒙古骑兵。这种战车的车箱没有箱板，而是有八片可以折叠的屏风，共长15尺，平时放在车辕上，作战时打开树立在一边车轮之后。几十辆战车可以并肩衔接，摆成或圆或方的防御据点。一辆战车装备大口径火枪「佛朗机」两门，以青铜或铁铸，长三至七尺不等，口径小于二寸，从炮口装入铅弹，最大型的佛朗机射程为二千尺。佛朗机和鸟铳都在战车上屏风后开火，屏风开洞作为铅弹出口，敌军进入250尺或500尺范围才开火。士兵20人配备战车一辆，其中10人直接附属战车，施放佛朗机，另外10人是「杀手」，以藤牌、镋钯和长柄单刀迎敌。杀手和战车距离保持在25尺以内，杀手前进，战车也随之推进。其他步兵仍使用鸳鸯阵，稍有差异的是藤牌手应匍匐前进斩砍敌人马脚，长枪手则挑刺敌军使之堕马，竹制的狼筅部份已改为铁制。迎敌时骑兵先在前方阻挡敌人，让战车有充裕时间组成作战队形。敌军逼近，骑兵就退入战车阵内。军中也可能携带大炮，俗称「大将军」，重一千斤，以骡车装运，放炮时须用大木楔入地面加以固定，不用弹丸，而是以小铁球和石块充填，作用是近距离大量杀伤敌军人马。火器发挥威力后，步兵就从战车后冲出攻击，以喇叭声音协同动作。当敌人攻势受挫，队形散乱，骑兵就从战车后出击。这套战术因明朝与蒙古人议和，实战经验无多。1571年，戚继光上奏请求设立车营，四人推车一辆，作战时结成方阵，骑兵步兵处于其中。他又制作拒马器，轻巧便利，可遏止敌骑的来袭。

戚继光提议修筑长城。北京一带「边墙」原本为明初大将徐达所筑，戚继光建议增造堡垒，最初计划以250人组成一营，每营一年内要建造堡垒70座，蓟州全境共建造三千座。后来朝廷批准施工1200座，工程绵延十载才竣工。堡垒标准规格是三层，台顶方12尺，可驻守30至50士兵，建筑材料砖石灰泥主要由北方士兵自制，筑成后，主要由南兵把守。

著作

1560年戚继光在浙江时，将练兵方法写成《纪效新书》18卷，1562年由他本人初刊。在筹备蓟州防务期间，他编纂了《练兵实纪》9卷及《练兵杂记》6卷，总结他在蓟州练兵和守边的经验，1571年初刊。戚继光文集《止止堂集》于1580年左右刊印，除了收录他的兵书外，还包括其杂记《愚愚稿》2卷和诗文集《横槊稿》3卷。其《纪效新书》及《止止堂集》都得到当时文坛领袖王世贞作序。戚继光的诗歌给人拘束和平庸的感觉，以当时武官标准来说，其文章造诣仅次于俞大猷。后来戚继光的兵书多次被删节或修改，以别名刊印，如《莅戎要略》或《长子心钤》。他的一些重要奏章收录于陈子龙的《皇明经世文编》，另有些奏章和诗词收集于其子戚祚国为他所编的年谱。

家庭

戚继光在1545年结婚，相当惧内；其妻性情豪迈，1561年曾率兵守卫一个被倭寇包围的要塞。婚后戚继光一直没有子嗣，1563年后他瞒著夫人，娶妾三人，生子五人，直到儿子长大成人，其夫人都不知道他们的存在。戚继光去世前，其夫人离弃了他。长子戚祚国生于1567年，三子戚昌国生于1573年，曾任职京城锦衣卫。传说戚继光第二子因违犯军法而被他处死。

地位

戚继光被视为明朝当时最有才能的将领，和他同时的将领，没有人能建立如此辉煌的功业。他获封少保兼太子太保，在明代，只有四名武官获得比他地位更高的太傅头衔，他也是在明代唯一一位获封少保的布衣官员。戚继光卒后30年，朝廷追谥他为「武毅」，在他任职之地都建有祠堂以示纪念，在兴化府就有三所。1630年，戚继光儿子戚昌国上书请求为台州戚公祠赐名，明思宗赐其名为「表忠祠」。戚继光肃清福建的倭寇，当地人在福清县修建戚公祠。1733年戚公祠重修，1937年日军侵华时再次重修。《明史》以他和俞大猷相比，认为他的操行不如俞大猷，但更为果敢刚毅。袁世凯推崇戚继光为中国军事英雄。戚继光的兵书被视为兵法经典，多次刊印，曾国藩和蒋介石都强调戚继光兵书对行军打仗很重要，蒋介石称其书是孙子以后最好的兵书。

纪念

纪念地

• 中国山东省蓬莱市建有戚继光祠

• 中国浙江省台州市建有戚继光祠

• 中国浙江省玉环市建有戚继光平倭纪念碑

影视作品

• 《抗倭侠侣》，2014年中国大陆古装戏

• 《戚继光》，2014年中国大陆动画片

• 《抗倭英雄戚继光》，2015年中央电视台电视剧

• 《荡寇风云》，2017年电影

军舰

• 中华民国海军成功级巡防舰3号舰继光号巡防舰（PFG-1105）是一艘以戚继光来命名的军舰

• 中国人民解放军海军680型训练舰首舰戚继光号，弦号83，以戚继光来命名。戚继光号满载排水量9000吨，是中国海军吨位最大、现代化水平最高的专业训练舰。

注释

参看

• 戚继光牌坊（父子总督坊与母子节孝坊）

• 戚继光墓

• 蓬莱水城

• 光饼

• 咸光饼

• 鼎边糊

• 三合面

• 土笋冻

延伸阅读

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Biography

Early life

Qi Jiguang was born in the town of Luqiao in Shandong province to a family with a long military tradition. His forefather served as a military leader under Hongwu Emperor and died in battle. When Zhu Yuanzhang became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he bestowed upon the Qi family the hereditary post of commander-in-chief of Dengzhou Garrison, a district of the present day Penglai.

Qi Jiguang's father Qi Jingtong (戚景通) (1473–1544) was a skilled martial arts expert and an upright and devoted military general. Strongly influenced by his family, Qi Jiguang took an early interest in the military. As a child, he built ramparts from clay, piled up rubble to form barracks, and made flags from bamboo sticks and paper to play war games with his friends and himself as the commander.

When his father died, Qi Jiguang took over the commandership of Dengzhou Garrison at the age of 17. As his siblings were still young, he married Lady Wang and left domestic affairs to her. Besides building up the naval defense at the garrison, he also led his troops in the defense of Jizhou (蓟州, east of present-day Beijing) against Mongol raiders during spring time from 1548 to 1552.

At the age of 22, Qi Jiguang headed for Beijing to take part in the martial imperial examination. During this time, Mongol troops led by Altan Khan broke through the northern defenses and laid siege to Beijing. Candidates participating in the martial arts exam were mobilized to defend the nine gates of the capital. Qi Jiguang twice submitted defense proposals to the emperor and was noted to have displayed extraordinary valor and military cunning during the battle, and saw the defeat of the invaders.

Battles against the wokou pirates

In 1553, Qi Jiguang was promoted to Assistant Regional Military Commissioner (都指挥佥事) of Shandong's defense force against wokou pirates, which included Japanese, Portuguese, and Southeast Asians, but were mostly Chinese. When Qi Jiguang took over the commandership of Shandong's coastal defense, he had less than 10,000 troops at hand, though the recorded strength was 30,000. Furthermore, many of his soldiers who were young and strong men deserted to make a living elsewhere, leaving behind the old and the weak. The troops also lacked training and discipline, while the defense works were dilapidated due to years of negligence.

In the fall of 1555, Qi was sent to Zhejiang where the pirating situation had spiraled out of control. Together with two other generals, Yu Dayou and Tan Lun, Qi led Ming forces to a decisive victory at Cen Harbor (岑港) in 1558. Henceafter, his troops continued to deal blows to the pirates at Taozhu (桃渚), Haimen Garrison and Taizhou. After the victory at Cen Harbor, not only was Qi not credited for his valor, he was almost demoted over slander that he liaised with wokou pirates.

With the situation in Zhejiang under control, Qi shifted his focus to drilling his soldiers. He drafted mainly miners and farmers from the county of Yiwu because he believed these people to be honest and hardworking. He also oversaw the construction of 44 naval vessels of various sizes to be used against pirates at sea.

The first trial for Qi's new army came in 1559. After a month-long battle with wokou pirate in Taizhou Prefecture, the pirates suffered over 5,000 casualties, while Qi's army established a name for itself among both the people of Zhejiang and its enemies. Partly as a result of Qi's military success in Zhejiang, pirate activities surged in the province of Fujian. More than 10,000 pirates had established strongholds along the coast from Fu'an in the north to Zhangzhou in the south.

In July 1562, Qi Jiguang led 6,000 elite troops south into Fujian. Within two months, his army had eradicated three major lairs of wokou pirates at Hengyu (横屿), Niutian (牛田) and Lindun (林墩). However, his own army also suffered significant losses to fighting and disease.

Seeing the pirate infestation in Fujian subdued, Qi then returned to Zhejiang to regroup. The pirates took the opportunity to invade Fujian again, this time succeeding in conquering Xinghua (兴化, present day Putian).

In April 1563, Qi Jiguang led 10,000 troops into Fujian and reclaimed Xinghua. Over the next year, a series of victories by Qi Jiguang's army finally saw the pirate problem in Fujian resolved.

In September 1565, a major battle against wokou pirates was fought on the island of Nan'ao, which lies near the boundary between the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. There Qi joined arms with his old comrade Yu Dayou again to defeat the remnant of the combined Japanese and Chinese pirate force.

Years on the northern frontier

After eliminating the pirate threat, Qi Jiguang was called to Beijing in late 1567 to take charge of training the imperial guards.

With the revolt against the Yuan Dynasty in mid-14th century, Hongwu Emperor drove the Mongols north beyond the Great Wall and founded the Ming Dynasty. However, he did not manage to eliminate Mongolian power, which continued to pester the northern frontier for the next two hundred years. When Qi was in Beijing in 1550, Altan Khan, ruler of the Tumed Mongols, broke through the northern defenses and nearly devastated Beijing. In 1571, the Ming Dynasty bestowed the title "Lord Shunyi" (顺义王) upon Altan Khan and established trade with the Mongols. Altan Khan then forbade his subordinates from raiding Chinese settlements. However, other Mongols led by Jasaghtu Khan continued to test Qi's defenses, though without much success.

In the next year, he was given command of the troops in Jizhou to defend against the Mongols. Qi oversaw the repair work on the segment of the Great Wall between Shanhai Pass and Juyong Pass. He also directed the construction of watchtowers along the wall. After two years of hard work, more than 1,000 watchtowers were completed, giving the defensive capability in the north a great boost.

In the winter of 1572, Qi also conducted a month-long military exercise involving more than 100,000 troops. Based on his experience with the exercise he wrote the Records of Military Training (练兵实纪), which became an invaluable reference for military leaders after him.

During the early reign of the Wanli emperor (1570s), the Mongol army led by Dong Huli, chieftain of the Duoyan tribe, continuously invaded the Ming territory. Qi Jiguang's troops defeated them many times and captured Dong Huli's younger brother Changtu. When Dong Huli brought his nephew and 300 clansmen to beg tearfully for mercy at the outpost, Qi Jiguang accepted their surrender. Dong released captives from his previous plunders and vowed to never invade Jizhou again.

Death

In early 1583, Qi was relieved of his duty. His wife left him soon after and he spent the rest of his years in poverty and ailing health.

He died on 17 January 1588.

Legacy

Books by Qi Jiguang

Qi Jiguang documented his ideas and experience in the form of two books on military strategy, the Ji Xiao Xin Shu (纪效新书) and the Lianbing Shiji (练兵实纪) or Record of Military Training. He also wrote a great number of poems and proses, which he compiled into the Collection of Zhizhi Hall (止止堂集), named after his study hall during his office in Jizhou.

Guangbing

A type of hard pancake called guangbing (光饼, Foochow Romanized: guŏng-biāng, known as kompyang in Malaysia and Indonesia) was named after Qi Jiguang.

Chi Kuang frigate

The Republic of China Navy Cheng Kung class frigate Chi Kuang (FFG 1105) as well as the People's Liberation Army Navy Type 680 training ship Qi Jiguang are after him.

In popular culture

A Taiwanese film 1978 Qi Jiguang (戚继光) (English title Great General) depicts the conflict with the pirates.

Qi Jiguang's late years in Shandong are the subject of the 1980 Hong Kong film, The Warrant of Assassination (密杀令).

The 2008 Chinese television series The Shaolin Warriors provided a fictional account of Qi Jiguang enlisting the help of Shaolin Monastery's warrior monks in defending China from the wokou and other invaders. Malaysian actor Christopher Lee played Qi Jiguang.

In 2017 the film God Of War is another fictional portrayal of the General and his wife, with Vincent Zhao in the leading role.

A historical portrayal of Qi Jiguang is represented in the 2008 Discovery Channel special Behind the Great Wall (name of the actor not shown in the credits). The documentary focuses on Qi's rebuilding of the Great Wall through his partnership with Imperial Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng.