Six Tactics of War, traditionally attributed to Jiang Wang (also known as Taigong or Dangzi Ya), comprises sixty chapters in the extant version, totaling nearly 20,000 words, and is divided into six volumes: Tactics of the Civil, Tactics of the Martial, Tactics of the Dragon, Tactics of the Tiger, Tactics of the Leopard, and Tactics of the Dog. This book is encyclopedic in nature: Tactics of the Civil discusses ways to govern the country and strive for prosperity; Tactics of the Martial elaborates on strategies for defeating powerful enemies and seizing control of the realm; Tactics of the Dragon details military governance, operational deployments, and comprehensive support; Tactics of the Tiger describes weaponry and tactics; Tactics of the Leopard summarizes tactical implementations across various battlefield environments; and Tactics of the Dog discusses the coordination of chariots, cavalry, and infantry. It covers almost all aspects of military affairs pertinent to the pre-Qin period.
The content of Six Tactics of War was widely circulated no later than the Han Dynasty and, from the Eastern Han onwards, was particularly regarded as a source of ingenious military strategies, highly valued by kings, nobles, generals, and ministers. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the court included it, alongside Sun Tzu's Art of War, The Art of War by Wu Zi, Sima's Rules of War, and Wei Liaozi, in the Seven Military Classics, after which it was revered as a sacred text of military science and became essential reading for strategists. The current version of Six Tactics of War originates from this compilation. Consequently, from the Song and Ming dynasties onward, it was frequently published, with numerous commentators emerging, and many works elaborating on and interpreting its teachings appeared. However, by the late Qing Dynasty, traditional military science declined, and Six Tactics of War fell into obscurity until it regained attention in the 1980s. In the ensuing 40 years, a plethora of publications, including facsimile editions, collated and annotated versions, modern translations, and foreign translations of the Seven Military Classics, which include Six Tactics of War, have been released. Among them, standalone editions of Six Tactics of War are not uncommon, making this military treatise a well-known classic of traditional Chinese culture.
The book is reputedly authored by Taigong Wang (also known as Lv Shang or Dangzi Ya) at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty and is structured as a dialogue between Taigong and Kings Wen and Wu. It was recorded in the bibliographic catalog of the national library of the Western Han Dynasty, The Book of Han: Treatise on Literature, which states: "Taigong comprises 237 chapters, including 81 on strategy, 71 on speeches, and 85 on military affairs." Ban Gu noted that "Lv Wang served as the preceptor of the Zhou dynasty and was originally a man of great wisdom."
