Gao Xianzhi

Who was Gao Xianzhi?

Gao Xianzhi, or Go Seonji, was a Tang general of Korean descent. He was known as a great commander during his lifetime. He is most well known for taking part in multiple military expeditions to conquer the Xiyu region over the infamous Pamir Mountains, all the way to the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea. In 751, he was the commander of the Tang forces during the Battle of Talas, fighting against forces of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Tang defeat is considered the event that marked both the end of western expansion by Tang and eastern expansion by the Abbasid Caliphate.

Around the new year 756, while Gao and fellow general Feng Changqing were defending Tong Pass against forces of An Lushan, who had rebelled against Tang rule in 755, both Gao and Feng offended the powerful eunuch Bian Lingcheng. Bian then accused Feng of cowardice and Gao of corruption, and both were executed.