Dai Zhou (died 633),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Xuanyin, posthumously known as Duke Zhong of Dao, was a Chinese official who lived in the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
and early
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
. He served as a
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
during the reign of
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...
.
During Sui Dynasty
It is not known when Dai Zhou was born, and little is known about his family background, other than that he was from Xiang Province (相州, roughly modern
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
—although Dai appeared to be from the part of Xiang Province now part of
Anyang
Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively.
It had a ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
). He was said to be honest and capable. He studied law in his youth and was an excellent record-keeper. Near the end of the reign of
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), also known as Emperor Ming of Sui () during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong, was the second emperor of ...
, he served as a low-level official in the examination bureau of the government (門下省, ''Menxia Sheng''), and he was honored by both
Su Wei and
Pei Ju
Pei Ju (547-627), birth name Pei Shiju, courtesy name Hongda, formally Duke Jing of Anyi, was a Chinese cartographer, diplomat, politician, and writer who lived in the Sui and Tang dynasties, briefly serving as a chancellor during the reign of ...
, the head and the deputy head of the examination bureau. In 618, after Emperor Yang was killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern
Yangzhou
Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...
,
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 ...
), the Sui officials at the eastern capital
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
declared Emperor Yang's grandson
Yang Tong
Yang Dong (; 600s–619), known in traditional histories by his princely title of Prince of Yue (越王) or by his era name as Lord Huangtai (皇泰主), posthumous name (as bestowed by Wang Shichong) Emperor Gong (恭皇帝), courtesy name Renji ...
the Prince of Yue emperor. Dai was slightly promoted in Yang Tong's administration, but remained relatively low in his position.
Service under Wang Shichong
Later in 618, the Sui general
Wang Shichong
Wang Shichong (; 567– August 621), courtesy name Xingman (行滿), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Sui dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state ...
, who opposed rapprochement with
Li Mi, who had led a rebellion against Emperor Yang, killed the officials who were in favor of peace with Li, and seized power as regent. After he defeated Li and forced Li to flee to
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
territory, he began to have designs on the throne. Seeing this, Dai spoke to Wang:
:''The relationship between emperor and subject is like the relationship between father and son. There needs to be propriety so that it would have a good start and a good end. You, honored Duke, has both civil and martial abilities, and the empire depends on you. Whether it succeeds or falls depends on what you do. I hope that you are faithful to the imperial house, and you follow the examples of
Yi Yin
Yi Yin (, born Yī Zhì ( 伊 挚), also known as A Heng ( 阿 衡)), was a Chinese politician who served as a minister of the early Shang dynasty, and one of the honoured officials of the era. He helped Tang of Shang, the founder of the Shang dyna ...
and the
Duke of Zhou
Dan, Duke Wen of Zhou (), commonly known as the Duke of Zhou (), was a member of the royal family of the early Zhou dynasty who played a major role in consolidating the kingdom established by his elder brother King Wu. He was renowned for acting ...
, so that the empire can be as secure as
Mount Tai
Mount Tai () is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the '' Jade Emperor Peak'' (), which is commonly reported as being t ...
and your own lineage can pass on for generations in honor, then the people, all the way to the sea, will be glad.''
Wang praised Dai's words publicly and rewarded him, but did not relent on the efforts to take over the throne. In 619, when Wang had Yang Tong bestow the
nine bestowments
The nine bestowments () were awards given by Chinese emperors to officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. While the nature of the bestowments was probably established during the Zhou Dynasty, there was no record of anyone r ...
on him—the penultimate step before seizing the throne—Dai spoke against it, but Wang did not accept Dai's suggestion. Rather, he made Dai the secretary general of Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
) to assist his nephew Wang Xingben () in defending
Hulao Pass
Hulao Pass () is a choke point northwest of Xingyang, Henan province, China in the foothills of Mount Song. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to the s ...
. He continued to serve in that role after Wang seized the throne later in 619, ending Sui and establishing a new state of Zheng as its emperor. In 621, the Tang general
Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...
the Prince of Qin (a son of Tang's
Emperor Gaozu), during the campaign against Zheng, captured Hulao, and Dai became captive. Li Shimin made Dai a military advisor on his staff.
During Tang Dynasty
Dai Zhou's activities for the next few years were not clear. In 626, Li Shimin, locked in an intense rivalry with his older brother
Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng (; 589 – July 2, 626, formally Crown Prince Yin (, literally, "the hidden crown prince"), nickname Vaishravana (; Sanskrit: Vaiśravaṇa), was the first crown prince of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the found ...
the
Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
and fearing that Li Jiancheng would kill him, ambushed Li Jiancheng and another brother who supported Li Jiancheng,
Li Yuanji
Li Yuanji (李元吉) (603 – 2 July 626The date of the incident at Xuanwu Gate was the fourth day of the sixth month of the ''Wude'' era, which translates to July 2, 626, according to the Academia Sinicabr>), formally Prince La of Chao (巢剌 ...
the Prince of Qi, at
Xuanwu Gate and killed them. He then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to first create him crown prince and then yield the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong). Once he took the throne, he made Dai an assistant to the minister of defense, and he also created Dai the Baron of Wuchang.
In 627, Dai was made the deputy chief judge of the supreme court. At that time, there was an incident where
Zhangsun Wuji
Zhangsun Wuji (; died 659), courtesy name Fuji (輔機), formally the Duke of Zhao, was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor in the early Tang dynasty. He was Empress Zhangsun's brother, which made him a brother-in-law of Emperor Taiz ...
, Emperor Taizong's brother-in-law and the minister of civil service affairs, forgot to take off his sword when entering the palace, a major violation of regulations. The
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Feng Deyi
Feng Lun (; 568–627), courtesy name Deyi (), better known as Feng Deyi, formally Duke Miao of Mi, was a Chinese official of the Sui and Tang dynasties who served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong ...
recommended that the guard who did not notice Zhangsun's entrance with the sword to be executed, while Zhangsun be fined a large amount of copper. Emperor Taizong agreed to Feng's proposed punishment. Dai rejected it, however, stating that according to the law, both the guard and Zhangsun should be put to death. Emperor Taizong sent the suggestion back to the high level officials for rediscussion, and Feng again proposed the same punishments—execution for the guard and a fine for Zhangsun. Dai then spoke again, arguing that it was unfair for the guard to be executed and Zhangsun to be only fined. Emperor Taizong agreed and spared the guard.
At that time, the imperial administration was selecting many officials to fill its posts, and there were many officials who received positions after lying about their lineages or past experiences. Emperor Taizong issued an edict ordering the officials to admit to their falsehoods, promising to spare them if they did so before a deadline, but stating that they would be executed if their falsehoods were discovered after the deadline. When some officials were indeed discovered after the deadline to have falsified their lineages or past experiences, Emperor Taizong ordered that they be executed, but Dai rejected the order and instead sentenced them to exile. Emperor Taizong stated, "I issued an edict that those who did not admit would be executed, but you, lord, sentenced them only to exile. This made my words not stand up to the people. Are you betraying justice, lord?" Dai responded, "If Your Imperial Majesty had killed them on the spot, there would be nothing I could do. Now that you have sent them to the supreme court, I have to follow the law." Emperor Taizong stated, "You, lord, are following the law, but you are making me lose credibility." Dai responded, "The law is how the empire can keep its credibility. Your Imperial Majesty made your words based on your feelings at that time, and you declared executions based on your anger. By repudiating your action and putting them in the hands of the law, you are showing that you can hold back your anger and respect the state's credibility. I would feel pity if Your Imperial Majesty followed your anger and not your credibility." Emperor Taizong was pleased and responded, "I now know that if there is a problem with the law, you, Duke, will correct it. I do not worry any more." It was said that Dai often spoke against Emperor Taizong's wishes in this way, and that as a result, people were not falsely convicted or punished while he was serving.
Later in 627, Dai was made a deputy head of the important executive bureau of government (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng''). At that time, where there were famines, the Tang local governments would first distribute from the local food storages to the people, but after the local storages ran out, they would send the people to other prefectures for food, and the system was insufficient to stop people from starving. Dai proposed that Emperor Taizong follow the example of
Emperor Wen of Sui
The Emperor Wen of Sui (; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name Yang Jian (), Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (), alias Narayana () deriving from Buddhist terms, was the founder and the first emperor of the Chinese Sui dynasty. The ''Book of ...
and establish large food storages to prepare for famines, and that both the nobles and the regular populace be made to submit a regular tax in either wheat or rice so that the food storages can be filled. Emperor Taizong agreed, and in recognition of this suggestion, because Dai was not wealthy, he awarded Dai with money.
Around that time, the positions of the heads of the executive bureau happened to be both vacant—as
Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu (575 – 19 July 648), courtesy name Shiwen, posthumously known as Duke Zhenbian of Song, was an imperial prince of the Western Liang dynasty who later became an official under the Sui and Tang dynasties. He served as a chancellor dur ...
had just been removed from office, and Feng had just died. Emperor Taizong had Dai temporarily take over their responsibilities,
[Later in 627, Zhangsun Wuji was named a head of the executive bureau, so Dai's temporary authority was likely brief.] and it was said that Dai carried out appropriate and rapid decisions. Emperor Taizong also had Dai and
Wei Zheng
Wei Zheng (580–643), courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumously known as Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian. He served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was a ...
rotate in submitting suggestions to him.
In 629, Dai became the minister of census, as well as an advisor to Emperor Taizong's son and crown prince
Li Chengqian
Li Chéngqián (李承乾) (618 – 5 January 645), courtesy name Gaoming (高明), formally Prince Min of Hengshan (恆山愍王), was a crown prince of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was Emperor Taizong's oldest son and first crown prince, but was ...
. In 630, while the chancellor
Du Ruhui
Du Ruhui (585–630), courtesy name Keming, posthumously known as Duke Cheng of Lai, was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dynasty. He and his colleague, Fang Xuanling, were often described as ...
was on his deathbed, he submitted a suggestion to Emperor Taizong that Dai be put in charge of civil service affairs, and Emperor Taizong therefore had Dai, in addition to his other responsibilities, also become the minister of civil service affairs—and also gave Dai the additional designation of ''Canyu Chaozheng'' (), making him a ''de facto'' chancellor. It was said that Dai was capable, but as he was not learned, he selected largely people who are capable in the law and not in writing, and was criticized by others at the time for this. Later in the year, he was no longer the minister of civil service affairs, but he kept his other posts and continued to be designated ''de facto'' chancellor. He was also created a duke.
Also in 631, Emperor Taizong was set to build palaces at Luoyang. Dai spoke against it, reasoning that the people were too worn out by the wars to be ready for large construction projects. Emperor Taizong praised and rewarded him, stating, "Dai Zhou is not a relative to me, but he is faithful and capable. He is also considerate of the state, and where there is something important, he did not hesitate to let me know. The offices and titles he received are but tokens of my thanks to him."
Dai died in 633. Emperor Taizong posthumously created him the greater title of Duke of Dao. He commissioned the official
Yu Shinan to author the text of a stone monument to Dai, and as Dai's residence was small and had no room for a temple to be dedicated to Dai, he had the construction officials build a temple for Dai. It was said that both Wei Zheng and
Fang Xuanling
Fang Qiao (; 579 – 18 August 648), courtesy name Xuanling, better known as Fang Xuanling, posthumously known as Duke Wenzhao of Liang, was a Chinese statesman and writer who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dynas ...
were impressed with Dai and was therefore endeared to him, and that after his death, when both visited places where they had previously visited with Dai, they would shed tears. As Dai had no sons, his nephew
Dai Zhide Dai Zhide (戴至德) (died March 16, 679), formally Duke Gong of Dao (道恭公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
Background
It is not known when Dai Zhide was born. His u ...
inherited his title.
Notes and references
* ''
Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'', vol. 7
* ''
New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 9
* ''
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 ...
'', vols.
187,
192,
193.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dai Zhou
633 deaths
Sui dynasty politicians
Chancellors under Emperor Taizong of Tang
Chinese judges
Politicians from Anyang
Year of birth unknown
Tang dynasty politicians from Henan