Cao Zhongda (曹仲達) (882''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

''
vol. 86
-943''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''
vol. 80
), né Cao Hongda (曹弘達), was an official of the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

state

Wuyue Wuyue (; ), 907–978, was an independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960) of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Haiyan Qian clan (海盐钱氏), whose family name remains widespread in t ...

, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of its second king

Qian Yuanguan Qian Yuanguan (錢元瓘) (November 30, 887 – September 17, 941''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), formally King Wenmu of Wuyue (吳越文穆王), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king of the state of W ...

and third king

Qian Hongzuo Qian Hongzuo (錢弘佐; 14 August 928 – 22 June 947), courtesy name Yuanyou (), formally King Zhongxian of Wuyue (), possibly with the temple name of Chengzong (), was the third king () of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period ...

Background and service under Qian Liu

Cao Hongda was born in 882, during the reign of

Emperor Xizong of Tang Emperor Xizong of Tang (June 8, 862 – April 20, 888), né Li Yan, later name changed to Li Xuan (, changed 873), was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong ...

. His father Cao Gui (曹圭) was a general under

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

, who would eventually control the region (modern

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

) that became the territory of

. Cao Hongda was born at Linping (臨平, in modern

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

). After he grew older, Cao Gui wanted to train him physically, so Cao Gui had him eat with servants and not be given warm clothing even when it was in the winter. Cao Gui also had him lift bricks daily. After Cao Hongda grew yet older, he became a guard at the headquarters for one of the circuits Qian controlled, Zhendong Circuit (鎮東, headquartered in modern

Shaoxing Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitants. ...

). At that time, his father Cao Gui served as the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

), and wanted to enter into a marital alliance with a fellow general under Qian, Chen Xun (陳詢) the prefect of Mu Prefecture (睦州, in modern Hangzhou) — by having Cao Hongda marry one of Chen's daughters. He thus sent Cao Hongda on a mission to Mu, intending to have him marry Chen's daughter there. However, a fortuneteller informed Cao Hongda and/or Cao Gui, "The Chens are not appropriate for your marital relationship. You should marry with another family to bring glory and honor on you." When he went through the Qiantang (錢塘, in modern Hangzhou), the capital of Qian's main circuit, Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海), Qian was impressed by Cao Hongda's appearance, and therefore gave him a younger sister in marriage. Cao Hongda thereafter successively served as the prefect of Tai Prefecture (台州, in modern Taizhou,

), then of Chu Prefecture (處州, in modern

Lishui Lishui (; Lishuinese: ''li⁶ syu³'' ) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to ...

Service under Qian Yuanguan

Qian Liu, who then carried the title of King of Wuyue, died in 932, and was succeeded by his son

. Qian Yuanguan, who did not take the title of king but only that of military governor (''

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate", ...

'') of Zhenhai and Zhendong initially (as a vassal to

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four e ...

), put Cao Hongda in charge of the affairs of the state — effectively, to be chancellor, although not with that title as Qian Yuanguan was not claiming, at that point, statehood.''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'', vol. 277. When Qian Yuanguan claimed the title of king in 937 (then as a vassal of Later Tang's successor state

Later Jin Later Jin may refer to two states in imperial China: * Later Jin (Five Dynasties) (後晉; 936–947), one of the Five Dynasties * Later Jin (1616–1636) (後金; 1616–1636), precursor to the Qing dynasty See also * Jin (disambiguation) Jin ...

), he commissioned Cao, along with

Shen Song Shen Song () (863–938), courtesy name Jifu (), was a chancellor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Wuyue. Background Shen Song was born in 863, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. He was said to be from the Mi ...

and Pi Guangye, chancellors.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. (It was probably at this time that he changed his name to Cao Zhongda, as the name change was said to be to observe

naming taboo A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly r ...

for Qian Yuanguan's heir apparent

Qian Hongzun Qian Hongzun (錢弘僔) (925''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''vol. 83 – June 7, 940),''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter formally Heir Apparent Xiaoxian (孝獻世子, "the filial and w ...

, and it was at the time that Qian Yuanguan claimed the king title that he made Qian Hongzun his heir apparent.) He was said to be kind and honest, often donating food to the needy (implicitly, referring probably to Buddhist monks). Qian Yuanguan honored him greatly and referred to him only as "the Chancellor" rather than by name.

Service under Qian Hongzuo

Qian Yuanguan died in 941 and was succeeded as king by his son (Qian Hongzun's younger brother)

— as Qian Hongzun had died earlier. During Qian Hongzuo's mourning period, Cao Zhongda served as regent. When there was subsequently a disturbance among the army ranks where the soldiers claimed that there was unfairness in the rewards given to them, Cao personally met the soldiers to comfort them.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. He died in 943.

Notes and references

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'', vols.

277 __NOTOC__ Year 277 ( CCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Paulinus (or, less frequently, year 1030 ''A ...

, 281,

282 Year 282 (Roman numerals, CCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1 ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cao, Zhongda 882 births 943 deaths Politicians from Hangzhou Wuyue people born during Tang Later Tang people Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people Wuyue chancellors