生平

早期經歷

沐英幼年時，父親早死，隨母避兵亂，母又死，八歲時被朱元璋收為義子，從朱姓，在朱元璋夫婦身邊生活。當時朱元璋已投郭子興部下為兵，沐英小時是在戰亂、兵營、征途中度過的。至正二十一年（1362年），沐英十八歲時，授為帳前都尉，駐守鎮江。後升為指揮使，駐守廣信。不久，跟隨征討福建，攻克分水關，奪取崇安，另外又攻克閔溪十八寨，生擒馮谷保。朱元璋這時命他恢復沐姓。沐英移軍鎮守建寧，節制邵武、延平、汀州三衛。不久，升為大都督府僉事，晉升為同知。大都督府中機務繁雜堆積，沐英雖年輕，卻聰明敏悟，剖決事務，毫無遺漏。孝慈高皇后多次稱讚他的才幹，朱元璋也十分器重他。

洪武九年（1376年），沐英受命前往關中地區，抵達熙河，詢問民間疾苦，發現有不利民眾之事，便加以更置，然後上奏。第二年，沐英擔任征西副將軍，跟隨衛國公鄧愈征討西蕃，西攻川、藏，到達崑崙山。因功勞頗多，被封為開國輔運推誠宣力武臣、榮祿大夫、柱國、西平侯，年祿二千五百石，並被授世券。第二年，沐英被授為征西將軍，征討西番，在土門峽將其擊敗。然後取道洮州，俘獲其首領阿昌失納，又在東籠山築城，擊擒酋長三副使、癭膆子等，平定朵甘納兒七站，拓地數千里，俘獲男女二萬、各種牲畜二十餘萬，才班師回朝。元朝國公脫火赤等駐紮和林，屢次騷擾明朝邊境。洪武十三年（1380年），沐英受命總領陝西軍隊出塞，攻取亦集乃路，橫渡黃河，攀越賀蘭山，涉過流沙，七天之後到達和林。兵分四路夜間進擊，沐英親自率領驍勇騎兵直衝敵軍中堅。擒拿脫火赤及知院愛足等，俘獲全部敵軍而返。第二年，沐英又隨徐達北征，分道出塞，攻取公主山長寨，攻克全寧四部，然後渡過臚朐河，生擒知院李宣，並盡俘其部眾。

平定雲南

洪武十四年（1381年）秋，沐英擔任征南右副將軍，與永昌侯藍玉一起跟隨傅友德攻取雲南。元梁王把匝剌瓦爾密派遣平章達里麻率軍十餘萬在曲靖抵禦。沐英乘大霧率軍直趨白石江。霧散之後，兩軍相望，達里麻大驚。傅友德想馬上渡江，沐英則說：「我軍應停止前進，因為我擔心會被敵軍所扼。」于是率領諸軍嚴陣江邊，製造即將渡江的聲勢。另外卻派遣奇兵從下游渡江，出現在元軍之後，在山谷中張開迷惑元軍的旗幟，並且每人吹一銅角。元軍大受驚擾。沐英迅速指揮軍隊渡江，命令善于潛水者先行，用長刀直砍元軍。元軍退卻，明軍全部渡江。鏖戰良久，明軍又派出鐵騎，于是大敗元軍，生擒達里麻，尸骸遍布十餘里。明軍長驅直入雲南，梁王逃亡途中自殺，右丞觀音保以雲南城投降，屬郡全被攻下。

段氏憑藉點蒼山、洱海，扼住龍首、龍尾兩關。兩關為南詔所築，由土酋段世駐守。沐英自己率軍直抵下關，派遣王弼由洱水東趨上關，胡海由石門抄小路渡河，攀上點蒼山，樹立旗幟。沐英率軍橫渡河流、闖關而進，山上軍隊也奔馳而下，夾擊元軍，擒獲段世。然後分兵收取還未歸附的諸少數民族，設官立衛駐守。這才率軍返回，與傅友德在滇池會合，分道平定烏撒、東川、建昌、芒部諸少數民族，設立烏撒、畢節二衛。土酋楊苴等又煽動諸少數民族二十餘萬人包圍雲南城。沐英奔赴援救，少數民族軍潰竄山谷之中，沐英分兵將其捕滅，斬首六萬。第二年，朱元璋下詔命傅友德及藍玉班師回朝，而留下沐英鎮守雲南。

鎮守雲南

洪武十七年（1384年），曲靖亦佐酋叛亂，沐英將其征討降服。並趁機平定普定、廣南諸少數民族，打通田州糧道。洪武二十年，平定浪穹少數民族，並奉詔自永寧至大理，每六十里設一堡壘，留下軍隊屯田。第二年，百夷思倫發反叛，誘使少數民族入侵摩沙勒寨，沐英派遣都督寧正率軍將其擊敗。洪武二十二年，思倫發再次攻打定邊縣（位于今天的大理白族自治州境內），軍隊號稱三十萬。沐英挑選騎兵三萬奔往援救，設置三行火炮勁弩。少數民族軍驅趕百象，身披甲衣，肩扛欄盾，左右挾著大竹筒，筒中裝設標槍，銳氣十足。沐英將軍隊分成三路，都督馮誠率領前軍，寧正率領左軍，都指揮同知湯昭率領右軍。即將開戰，沐英下令道：「今日之戰，有進無退。」于是乘風大呼，炮弩齊發，象都掉頭而跑。昔剌亦是少數民族梟將，他殊死而戰，左軍稍有退卻。沐英登高望見此情形，抽出佩刀，命令左右將左帥首級砍來。左帥見一人握刀奔下，心中恐懼，奮力大呼而突入陣中。大軍乘機衝殺，斬首四萬餘人，生獲三十七頭象，其餘的象全被射死。少數民族將帥各遭百餘箭，伏在象背死去。思倫發逃走，諸少數民族深受震懾，麓川從此不再被阻塞。

不久，沐英會合潁國公傅友德討平東川少數民族，又平息越州酋長阿資及廣西阿赤部。這年冬天，沐英入朝覲見，朱元璋在奉天殿賜宴招待，賞賜黃金二百兩、白金五千兩、鈔五百錠、彩帛百匹，然後派其返回。辭行之時，朱元璋親切地撫摸著沐英說道：「使我對南方能高枕無憂的人，是你沐英啊。」沐英返回滇中後，在景東再敗百夷。思倫發乞降，進貢土特產。阿資又反叛，沐英率軍將其擊敗。南中全部平定。又派遣使者以兵威諭降諸番，番部有通過翻譯輾轉前來進貢者。

沐英在治理雲南期間，他大力發展屯田，把屯田增減情況作為考察官吏政績的主要依據，使屯田總數超過一百萬畝。沐英還興修水利，注重商業發展，召集商人進入雲南；開發鹽井，修理道路，保護糧運，使人民安居樂業。此外，他還在各地重修及興建了一批儒學學宮，增設府州縣學十幾所，選擇民間優秀人才及土官子弟讀書。並親頒學制、學規，禮聘人才任教。此外，沐英在征討思倫發時，思倫發使用大象進行攻擊。沐英在使用火器時改進了射擊方式，提出三段擊戰術。

洪武二十五年（1392年）五月，沐英獲悉皇太子朱標去世，為之痛哭。此前孝慈高皇后去世時，沐英哭得吐血。到這時身染疾病，五月十七日死于滇中，終年四十七歲。軍民在里巷間相聚號哭，遠處少數民族也都為之流涕。沐英歸葬京城，追封為黔寧王，謚號昭靖，配享太廟。

家庭

配偶：

黔寧昭靖王原配夫人馮氏，早卒。無子。

黔寧昭靖王繼夫人耿氏（1344-1431）宣德六年十一月壬朔卒，壽八十七。

側室鮑生夫人方氏（1357-1439）浙江等處行中書省平章政事方複初的女兒。正統四年正月二十五日以壽終，年八十二。生一子沐昂。

側室誥命夫人顏氏（？ -1448）正統五年（1440年）十一月己未，明英宗賜封駙馬都尉沐昕母顏氏為誥命夫人。正統十三年九月卒。

後代：

沐英有五子，其中沐春、沐晟、沐昶（早殤）、沐昂，皆隨父鎮守雲南，沐昕則為駙馬，娶常寧公主。

沐英長子沐春襲封「西平侯」，鎮守雲南。沐春死後，沐晟襲爵，因征安南有功，進「黔國公」。後代鎮守雲南直到南明滅亡。

文學作品

金庸的小說《鹿鼎記》中的女主角之一的沐劍屏被形容是沐英的後裔。

Family

Consort and issue(s):

• Lady Zhaojing of Qianning, of the Feng clan (黔宁昭靖王夫人冯氏)

　• Mu Chun, Marquis of Xiping (西平侯沐春, d. 1399), first son

• Lady Zhaojing of Qianning, of the Geng clan (黔宁昭靖王继夫人耿氏, 1344-1431)

　• Mu Sheng, Duke of Qian (黔國公 沐晟, 1368 – 1449), second son

• Lady Baosheng, of the Fang clan (鲍生夫人方氏, 1357 – 1439)

　• Mu Ang, Count of Dingbian (定边伯 沐昂, d. 1445), fifth son

• Lady Gaoming, of the Yan clan (诰命夫人颜氏, d.1448)

　• Mu Xin, Marquis of Xiping (西平侯 沐昕), fourth son

• Unknown:

　• Mu Chang (沐昶), third son

　• Lady Mu (沐氏), 1st daughter

　　• Married Dai Yu (戴玉)

　• Lady Mu (沐氏), 2nd daughter

　　• Married 3rd son of Xu Da, Xu Zengshou, Duke of Ding

　• Lady Mu (沐氏), 3rd daughter

　　• Married Sun Yi (孙毅)

　• Lady Mu (沐氏), 4th daughter

　　• Married Zhou Zhong (朔州)

Ethnicity

In his The References of History of Islam in China, Bai Shouyi explained that he failed to find any reliable proof of Mu Ying was a Hui Chinese. Thus, "it sounded unconvincing" to "identify him as one of Hui people". However, later, the biography of Mu was included in A History of the Chinese Hui People (中国回回民族史), which was edited by Bai without further evidence.

Michael Dillon wrote that "There is no suggestion in most western accounts of Mu Ying's career or the Chinese sources on which they draw that Mu Ying was anything other than a Han Chinese by origin, yet he has been included in the major series of studies of the lives of eminent Hui as a Muslim without any comment. The surname Mu is also common among Chinese Muslims and is probably derived from Muhammad, although it is normally written with a different Chinese character. The character used to write Mu Ying's surname is the one associated with washing the hair and which appears on signs in every mosque in China as the first character of muyu the ritual baths to be used before prayer." He concludes that "He was probably descended from an old Muslim family but there is no evidence that he was a practising Muslim."

Jonathan Neaman Lipman notes that Mu Ying is among a number of generals "unambiguously claimed as Muslim by Sino-Muslim scholars" mentioning specifically Bai Shouyi. He writes that "There is considerable doubt among non-Muslim scholars as to the 「Muslim」 identity of most of these generals, but Sino-Muslims assert their 「Huiness」 unequivocally. Tazaka, Chugoku ni okeru kaikyo, 861, for example, questions not only Chang Yuqun』s identification as a Huihui but that of many others as well. F. Mote, in Goodrich and Fang, Dictionary, 1079–83, indicates that we have no evidence that Mu Ying was born a Muslim, and the story of his adoption and upbringing in Zhu Yuanzhang』s intimate circle certainly indicates that he was not raised as one."

However, other authors such as Li Qingsheng have pointed out his dietary practices of eating only lamb meat, his Muslim wife, and his construction of a mosque in Xining as examples of his identification with Islam. Moreover, many Muslims flocked to Yunnan during Mu's administration there.