Lü Shang, also known as Jiang Taigong, was a renowned ancient Chinese military strategist and master of statecraft, whose deeds are chiefly recorded in pre-Qin and later texts. Public information about his dates of birth and death, native place, and early life is limited, making precise verification difficult today; this entry therefore introduces only his transmitted works. Our library holds two of his works, The Taigong Art of War and The Taigong Stratagems, commonly classified under military studies and social sciences. Both center on military strategy and the arts of governance and warfare, with concise, archaic prose and clear organization, reflecting the pragmatic and adaptable orientation of pre-Qin military thought. The Taigong Art of War has been cited since the Han dynasty and has deeply influenced later military scholarship, while The Taigong Stratagems focuses on political scheming and strategy, complementing the former. Because their composition and transmission are complex, works attributed to Lü Shang were often compiled and embellished by later hands, so readers should examine their textual sources with care.
