Five Dynasties · General and Official

Du Zhongwei 杜重威

First attested AD 944; died AD 948

Passages: 12
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Du Zhongwei was a general and Official.

Life and dates

Death

AD 948 高祖崩
Cause Executed after Gaozu of Han died · At the market 市
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53

Attested activity

AD 947 圍之百餘日
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 43, 48-49
AD 945 守貞與重威等攻下泰州
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 61
AD 944 從出帝幸澶州
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 58-59
AD 947 漢高祖定京師
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 41-42
AD 948 高祖崩
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Du Hongcan (杜弘璨)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53
Parent of Du Hongzhang (杜弘璋)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53
Parent of Du Hongsui (杜弘璲)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53
Spouse of Wife of Du Zhongwei (杜重威之妻)
wife 妻 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 49

Career and standing

military governor of Guide 歸德軍節度使
AD 947 漢高祖定京師 · Appointed and refused
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 41
Director of the Secretariat 中書令
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Appointed concurrently
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 50
acting Grand Preceptor 檢校太師
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 50
probationary Grand Tutor 守太傅
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 50
Grand Commandant 太尉
AD 947 漢高祖定京師 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 41
northern campaign commissioner 北面招討使
AD 944 從出帝幸澶州 · Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 58

Show 2 more source-backed claims

execution 誅
AD 948 高祖崩 · Executed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 53
pardon 赦
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Pardoned · Authority Gaozu of Han (漢高祖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 50

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Han 漢 · Relation Served then resisted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 41
Polity Later Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 58-59

Events and relationships

Refused appointment and was besieged
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Military · Defender · At Ye 鄴
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 41, 43, 48
Surrendered
AD 947 圍之百餘日 · Political · Actor · With Gaozu of Han (漢高祖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 49-50

Assessments and attributes

Assessment as commander exercised no restraint · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 59

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 41

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 52Volume 52 Miscellaneous Biographies 32: Du Zhongwei, Li Zhouzhen, Zhang Yanze · 12 passages

漢高祖定京師，拜重威太尉、歸德軍節度使，重威懼，不受命。 After Emperor Gaozu of Han secured the capital, he appointed Zhongwei Grand Commandant and military governor of Guide. Zhongwei was afraid and did not accept.

遣給事中陳同以詔書召之，重威不聽命，而漢兵數敗，圍之百餘日。 He sent Secretariat Gentleman Chen Tong with an imperial summons, but Zhongwei would not obey. Han forces suffered several defeats and besieged the city for more than a hundred days.

燕將張璉先以兵二千在鄴，聞燕兵見殺，乃勸重威固守。 The Yan general Zhang Lian had already been at Ye with two thousand men. Hearing the Yan troops had been killed, he urged Zhongwei to hold firm.

重威食盡，屑麹而食，民多逾城出降，皆無人色。 Zhongwei's food was exhausted. They ground chaff to eat. Many townspeople climbed over the walls to surrender, all deathly pale.

重威乃遣判官王敏及其妻相次請降，高祖許之。 Zhongwei then sent his aide Wang Min and then his wife in succession to request surrender. Gaozu granted it.

重威素服出見高祖，高祖赦重威，拜檢校太師、守太傅、兼中書令。 Zhongwei appeared before Gaozu in plain dress. Gaozu pardoned him and appointed him Honorary Grand Preceptor, Acting Grand Tutor, and concurrent Director of the Secretariat.

悉誅璉及重威將吏，而錄其私帑，以重威歸京師。 He executed Zhang Lian and Zhongwei's officers, confiscated his private stores, and brought Zhongwei back to the capital.

高祖病甚，顧大臣曰：「善防重威！」 When Gaozu was gravely ill he looked at his ministers and said, "Take good care against Zhongwei!"

高祖崩，秘不發喪，大臣乃共誅之，及其子弘璋、弘璨、弘璲尸於市，市人蹴而詬之，吏不能禁，支裂蹈踐，斯須而盡。 After Gaozu died the death was kept secret. The ministers jointly executed Zhongwei and his sons Hongzhang, Hongcan, and Hongsui. Their bodies were exposed in the market. Townspeople kicked and reviled them. Officers could not restrain them. The corpses were torn apart and trampled until in a moment nothing remained.

契丹入寇，出帝再幸澶州，杜重威為北面招討使，守貞為都監。 When the Khitan invaded, the Deposed Emperor twice went in person to Chanzhou. Du Zhongwei was northern campaign commander and Shouzhen was overall supervisor.

晉兵素驕，而守貞、重威為將皆無節制，行營所至，居民豢圉一空，至於草木皆盡。 Jin troops had long been arrogant, and neither Shouzhen nor Zhongwei as commanders exercised restraint. Wherever their camps went, the people's livestock was emptied and even vegetation was consumed.

守貞與重威等攻下泰州，破滿城，殺二千餘人。 Shouzhen and Zhongwei and the others captured Taizhou, stormed Mancheng, and killed more than two thousand.