Sui and Tang · Warlord and Rebel

Du Fuwei 杜伏威

c. AD 590 - AD 624

Passages
23
Chapters
1
Histories
1

Overview

Du Fuwei was a warlord and Rebel.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Changed name Li 李 Li

Life and dates

Death

Age

Attested activity

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Origins and identity

  • enrolled in the Tang imperial clan register
    AD 621 to AD 622 高祖授以東南道行臺尚書令 · Polity Tang 唐
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 30

Career and standing

  • bandit chief 盜主
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 6
  • Director of the Southeastern Circuit Executive Secretariat 東南道行臺尚書令
    AD 621 to AD 622 高祖授以東南道行臺尚書令 · Appointed
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 30
  • Grand Ambassador for the Pacification of Jianghuai 江淮安撫大使
    AD 621 to AD 622 高祖授以東南道行臺尚書令 · Appointed
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 30
  • Grand Commander of the Southeastern Circuit 東南道大總管
    AD 618 to AD 619 上表越王侗 · Appointed
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 28
  • Grand Mentor of the Heir Apparent concurrently Director of the Executive Secretariat 太子太保兼行臺尚書令
    AD 622 to AD 624 伏威懼，乃入朝 · Appointed
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 36
  • Administrator of Liyang 歷陽太守
    AD 618 to AD 619 宇文化及以為歷陽太守 · Refused
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 25
Show 11 more source-backed claims

Places and affiliations

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Learning and skills

Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

Show 11 more source-backed claims

Assessments and attributes

Source notes

  • After absorbing Zhao Pochen his following reached tens of thousands
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 15
  • As a youth he was wild and extravagant and paid no heed to making a living
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 3
  • Began employing scholars, repaired weapons, lightened taxes, abolished burial of the living with the dead, and killed adulterers, thieves, and bribe-taking officials without pardon
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 27
  • Divided booty among his men; when a soldier died in battle his wife was buried with him
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 24
  • On raids he went out as vanguard and returned as rearguard, so comrades chose him as chief
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 6
  • Selected five thousand daredevils called First Recruits, shared hardship with them, insisted on being first to scale walls, and executed men wounded in the back
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 23
Show 1 more source-backed claim
  • AD 621 to AD 622 高祖授以東南道行臺尚書令
    From Du 杜 · To Li 李 · Reason granted the imperial surname and enrolled in the imperial clan register
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 30

References in the histories

23 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 92Volume 92 Biographies 17: Du, Kan, Wang, Li, Yuan, Luo, Wang · 23 passages
Open chapter
公祏數盜姑家牧羊以饋伏威，縣跡捕急出《禮記·禮運》：「大道之行也，天下為公，選賢與能，講」，乃相與亡命為盜，時年十六。 Fu Gongshi often stole sheep from his aunt's household to feed Fuwei. When the county authorities were hot on their trail, he quoted from the Record of Rites, "When the Great Way prevails, the empire belongs to all alike; the worthy are chosen and the capable employed, and sincerity is cultivated," then the two fled together and took to banditry. Fuwei was sixteen at the time.
隋遣虎牙郎將來整戰於黃花輪，伏威大敗，身重創，與公祏財有眾數百，亡去，行收卒得八千，與虎牙郎將公孫上哲戰鹽城，覆其軍。 The Sui dispatched Tiger Tusk General Lai Zheng to fight him at Huanghualun. Fuwei suffered a crushing defeat and was gravely wounded. He and Fu Gongshi escaped with only a few hundred men, but as they marched they gathered troops until they had eight thousand, then met Tiger Tusk General Gongsun Shangzhe at Yancheng and annihilated his force.
高祖授以東南道行臺尚書令、江淮安撫大使、上柱國、吳王，賜姓，豫屬籍，以其子德俊為山陽公，賜帛五千段，馬三百匹。 Emperor Gaozu appointed him Director of the Southeastern Circuit Executive Secretariat, Grand Ambassador for the Pacification of Jianghuai, Upper Pillar of State, and King of Wu; granted him the imperial surname and enrolled him in the imperial clan register. His son Dejun was made Duke of Shanyang, and he received five thousand bolts of silk and three hundred horses.