Dong Zhuo (董卓) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Dong Zhuo as an administrator, general, official, and statesman. This record brings together 14 passages from 9 chapters across 5 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Dong Zhuo	董卓	Dǒng Zhuó
Surname	Dong	董	Dǒng
Personal name	Dong Zhuo	董卓	Dǒng Zhuó
Personal name	Dong Zhuo	董卓	Dong Zhuo
Personal	Dong Zhuo	董卓	Dong Zhuo
Given	Zhuo	卓	Zhuó
Given name	Zhuo	卓	Zhuó
Personal	Zhuo	卓	Zhuo

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:110:s0142, nanqishu:005:s0066
Sex: male
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0117, houhanshu:115:s0085, houhanshu:118:s0055, jinshu:108:s0117, jiutangshu:150:s0206, nanqishu:016:s0024, suishu:043:s0048

Roles

Administrator
General
Official
Statesman
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Manner: executed / 诛 · Agent Person Id: Wang Yun (王允)
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0118
Manner: killed · Statement: was killed
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0087

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 中平二年 afterward three years (~AD 188-192) · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:115:s0085, houhanshu:115:s0075
Source Date: Text: 中平元年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 184 · End: AD 189
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0091
Source Date: Text: 中平元年 · Western Year: AD 184
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:118:s0051, houhanshu:118:s0055
Source Date: Text: 中平六年 · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:113:s0117
Source Date: Text: 初平中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 190 · End: AD 193
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:110:s0142
Source Date: Text: 初平元年 afterward three years · Western Year: AD 192
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:115:s0087, houhanshu:115:s0086
Source Date: Text: 周、漢...莽、卓之亂 · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit event contextual date · jiutangshu:150:s0206
Source Date: Text: 漢中平六年 · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:005:s0066
Source Date: Text: 漢末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 189 · End: AD 192
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:016:s0024, suishu:043:s0048
Source Date: Text: 董卓 · Western Interval: Start: AD 189 · End: AD 192
Explicit event contextual date · jinshu:108:s0117

Career and standing

Label: Grand Preceptor / 太師 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 漢末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 189 · End: AD 192
Explicit · nanqishu:016:s0024
Label: Chancellor / 相国 · Action: held
Explicit · houhanshu:110:s0142
Label: Governor of Bing Province / 并州牧 · Action: held
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0091
Label: Grand Commandant / 太尉 · Action: held
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0092
Label: shepherd of Bingzhou / 并州牧 · Action: held
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0117
Status: regent · Action: held
Explicit · nanqishu:005:s0066

Places and affiliations

Label: Eastern Han / 汉 · Relation: under
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:115:s0085
Label: Later Han / 後漢 · Relation: active-in
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0117

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Other Person Id: Cai Yong (蔡邕)
Explicit · houhanshu:110:s0142

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: proposer · Action: abolished-excessive-zong-titles · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 初平中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 190 · End: AD 193
Explicit · houhanshu:110:s0142
Kind: political · Role: actor · Action: executed empress dowager, deposed and later killed the emperor · Other Person Id: Empress He (何皇后)
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0055
Kind: political · Role: summoned-general · Action: led-troops-to-capital
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0117
Kind: military · Role: actor · Action: summoned to help destroy eunuchs; capital fighting followed
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0091
Kind: military · Role: perpetrator · Action: turmoil-burned-capital
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0085

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · nanqishu:016:s0024

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 110Volume 99: Rituals and Worship Part Three · 1 passage

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初平中，相国董卓、左中郎将蔡邕等以和帝以下，功德无殊，而有过差，不应为宗，及余非宗者追尊三后，皆奏毁之。 In Chuping, Dong Zhuo, Cai Yong, and others argued that from Hedi onward the emperors lacked distinct merit yet had been over-honored as zong, and that three improperly raised empresses should be stripped; all were ordered dismantled.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 113Volume 102: Astronomy Part Three · 2 passages

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中平六年，官车晏驾，大将军何进令司隶校尉袁绍私募兵千余人，阴跱雒阳城外，窃呼并州牧董卓使将兵至京都，共诛中官，对战南、北宫阙下，死者数千人，燔烧宫室，迁都西京。 In Zhongping 6 the emperor died; He Jin ordered Yuan Shao as colonel director of retainers to raise a thousand picked troops outside Luoyang and secretly call Dong Zhuo from Bingzhou; the plot to slaughter the eunuchs ignited fighting at the palace gates, thousands fell, the halls went up in flames, and the court fled west.

及司徒王允与将军吕布诛卓，卓部曲将郭汜、李傕旋兵攻长安，公卿百官吏民战死者且万人。 After Wang Yun and Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo, Guo Si and Li Jue wheeled their hosts on Chang’an; nearly ten thousand officials and townspeople perished in the sack.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 115Volume 104: Five Elements Part Two · 2 passages

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其后三年，灵帝暴崩，续以董卓之乱，火三日不绝，京都为丘墟矣。 Within three years the emperor was dead; Dong Zhuo’s occupation left Luoyang burning three days until nothing remained but rubble.

其后三年，董卓见殺。 Three years later Dong Zhuo lay dead.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 118Volume 107: Five Elements Part Five · 3 passages

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后董卓戮太后，被以不孝之名，放废天子，后复害之。 Then Dong Zhuo murdered the empress dowager on a charge of filial impiety, deposed the boy emperor, and later murdered him as well.

阴呼并州牧董卓欲共诛中官，中官逆杀大将军进，兵相攻讨，京都战者塞道。 They secretly called in Dong Zhuo, governor of Bing Province, to help destroy the eunuchs; the eunuchs struck first and murdered General-in-Chief He Jin, and as rival forces clashed the streets of Luoyang choked with combat.

皇太后母子遂为太尉卓等所废黜，皆死。 The empress dowager and the boy emperor were then deposed by Dong Zhuo and his allies, and both perished.

Book of Jin, Chapter 108Volume 108 Records 8: Murong Hui · 2 passages

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王敦唱禍于前，蘇峻肆毒於後，凶暴過於董卓，惡逆甚於傕、汜，普天率土，誰不同忿！ He catalogued Jin's domestic rebels beside Han villains.

且孫氏之初，以長沙之眾摧破董卓，志匡漢室。 Sun Jian's loyalty anchored Wu rise.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 146 Biographies 96: Xue Bo, Bao Fang, Li Ziliang, Li Shuo, Yan Shou, Xiao Xin, Du Ya, Wang Wei, Li Ruochu, Yu Qi, Lu Zheng, Yan Ping, Zheng Yuan, Du Jian, Pei Bin, Xue Pi · 1 passage

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及王室浸微，遂有莽、卓之亂。 When the royal house gradually declined, the disorders of Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo followed.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 5Volume 5 Annals 5: Prince of Hailing · 1 passage

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案漢中平六年，獻帝卽位，便改元爲光熹，張讓、段珪誅後，改元爲昭寧，董卓輔政，改元爲永漢，一歲四號也。 It is on record that in Han Zhongping 6, when Emperor Xian ascended, the era was at once changed to Guangxi; after Zhang Rang and Duan Gui were killed it became Zhaoning; when Dong Zhuo seized power it became Yonghan—four era names in one year.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 16Volume 16 Treatises 8: Official Posts · 1 passage

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漢末，董卓爲太師。 Late in Han, Dong Zhuo held the Grand Preceptorship.

Book of Sui, Chapter 43Volume 43 Biographies 8: He Jian Wanghong, Yang Chugang, Yang Zichong, Guang De, Wang Xiong · 1 passage

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婁敬之與漢高，殊非血胤，呂布之于董卓，良異天親，芝焚蕙歎，事不同此。 Lou Jing stood with Emperor Gaozu of Han though they shared no blood; Lü Bu served Dong Zhuo though heaven had made them no kin. When one orchid withers the others may grieve, but your case is not like that.