The Southern Barbarians

The southern tribes are of many kinds, and their nature cannot be constrained by a unified teaching. They form alliances and factions according to circumstance, and when their interests are thwarted they attack one another. They live in caves and rely on mountains, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing. Their range extends west to Kunlun and east to the seas; the coasts produce rare goods, and therefore the people are greedy and brave in battle. In spring and summer there are many plagues and epidemics; therefore, in using troops against the southern barbarians, the advantageous course is swift battle and quick decision—the army must not remain long in the field. Modern Application:This chapter forms a contrast with the preceding chapter, “The Eastern Yi.” The core of the Eastern Yi chapter is not to launch a hard attack while the opponent is “harmonious above and below,” but to wait for its internal consistency to loosen. The Southern Barbarians chapter deals with another situation: the opponent has no unified organizational center and no fixed structure......