Xiahou Dun () (died 13 June 220),

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 ...

Yuanrang, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

during the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

of China.''Sanguozhi'' vol.9. He served for a few months under Cao Cao's successor,

Cao Pi Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest son ...

, before his death. As one of Cao Cao's most trusted generals, Xiahou Dun aided the warlord in his campaigns against

Lü Bu Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betray ...

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...

Sun Quan Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime es ...

and others. Xiahou Dun lost his left eye when he was a hit by a stray arrow during a battle against Lü Bu in the late 190s, and subsequently became known among the rank and file as "One-eyed Xiahou". His image as a one-eyed warrior was popularized by the 14th-century historical novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

'', in which he yanked the arrow out of his eye and devoured his eyeball.

Early life

Xiahou Dun was from Qiao County (), Pei State (), which is on present-day

Bozhou Bozhou () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and Henan to the north. Its population was 4,996,844 at the ...

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

. He was a descendant of

Xiahou Ying Xiahou Ying (died 172 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Wen of Ruyin, was a Chinese official who served as Minister Coachman () during the early Han dynasty. He served under Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu), the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, a ...

, who served under the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

's founding emperor, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and though the family didn't reach national prominence in the centuries since, they were a leading family in Pei, often intermarrying down the generations with other prominent local clans the Ding's and the Cao's. Xiahou Dun first gained prominence when he killed a man who insulted his teacher when he was 13 years old. In the 180s, possibly when Cao Cao was appointed Cavalry Commandant to help fight Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan, Xiahou Dun helped raise troops and from then on, would follow him across many a battle as his second in command. In 190, when

was raising an army to participate in the

campaign against Dong Zhuo The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against the warlord Dong Zhuo in 190 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The members of the coalition claimed that Dong had the ...

, Xiahou Dun became his Major () and when they defeated by Xu Rong at Suanzao, Xiahou Dun went with Cao Cao to recruit more troops in Yang province, though they would face a mutiny among their new soldiers.''Sanguozhi'' vol. 1. Xiahou Dun was sent to garrison Boma (白馬; near present-day

Hua County Hua County or Huaxian () is a county under the administration of Anyang City, in the north of Henan province, China. Its predecessor administrative area Huazhou/Hua prefecture was first established in 596 during the Sui dynasty. In 606 it was ...

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 ...

), later promoted to Colonel Who Breaks and Charges () and as Cao Cao became Governor of Yan in 192, succeeded him as the Administrator () of

Dong Commandery Dong Commandery ( zh, 東郡) was a commandery in historical China from the Warring States period to Sui dynasty. Its territories were situated in present-day Henan, Hebei and Shandong provinces. The commandery was established by the state of Qi ...

(東郡; the areas around present-day

Puyang Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei ...

, Henan and

Liaocheng Liaocheng (), is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Dezhou to the northeast, Tai'an to the south, and the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the west. The Grand ...

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

Defence of Yan Province

In 193, Cao Cao left his base in

Yan Province Yan Province or Yanzhou was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), it covered roughly present-day southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, and the northwestern corner of Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ...

on a

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

against Tao Qian, the Governor of

Xu Province Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ...

, whom he held responsible for the murder of his father

Cao Song Cao Song (died 193), courtesy name Jugao, was an official who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the foster son of the eunuch Cao Teng and the father of the warlord Cao Cao, who rose to prominence in the final years of Easte ...

. Xiahou Dun was left behind in Dong commandery, stationed to hold its capital

. While Cao Cao was away in Xu Province, his subordinates

Zhang Miao Zhang Miao (died 195), courtesy name Mengzhuo, was a Chinese politician and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early life and career Zhang Miao was from Shouzhang County (), Dongping Commandery (), which is in present- ...

and Chen Gong rebelled in Yan Province and invited the warlord

to take Yan but Zhang Miao's attempt to reassure

Xun Yu Xun Yu (163–212), courtesy name Wenruo, was a Chinese military official and politician who served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early life Xun Yu was from Yingchuan Commandery (around pr ...

of Lü Bu's intent instead tipped off

of the revolt so Xun Yu wrote to Xiahou Dun for reinforcements''Sanguozhi'' vol.10. to

Juancheng County Juancheng County falls under the jurisdiction of Heze, in the southwest of Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic ...

. Xiahou Dun led a lightly armed force towards Juancheng but he encountered Lü Bu's army on the way and engaged the enemy in battle. Lü Bu withdrew his forces and took advantage of Xiahou Dun's absence to conquer Puyang, capturing much of Xiahou's supplies and equipment. Lü Bu later sent his men to pretend to surrender to Xiahou Dun, who fell for the ruse and was taken hostage by the enemy in his own camp. Lü Bu's men demanded a heavy ransom. Xiahou Dun's troops became fearful and confused when they heard that their commander had been taken hostage. Xiahou Dun's personally recruited subordinate

Han Hao Han Hao ( 190s–215), courtesy name Yuansi, he gained a reputation for loyalty and valor, comparable to Shi Huan. A military officer serving under the warlords Wang Kuang, Yuan Shu and Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China, he b ...

settled the troops then ordered an attack on the surprised hostages takers who surrendered, Han Hao ordered them executed and Xiahou Dun was saved. Xiahou Dun, mishap dealt with, continued to lead his forces eastwards to Juancheng, reinforcing the small garrison there with some officials and members of the garrison plotted joining the revolt. That night, Xiahou Dun executed the plotters and settled the army. He also urged Xun Yu not to go to meet the wavering Inspector of Yu Guo Gong and his army as Xun Yu was too important but Xun Yu went and was able to persuade Guo Gong to withdraw. Xiahou Dun would be a core part of the Cao loyalists holding the slim remaining holdings in the eastern part of Yan, he and Xun Yu sending the local

Cheng Yu Cheng Yu (141 – December 220), originally named Cheng Li, courtesy name Zhongde, was a Chinese politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was an adviser to Cao Cao, the warlord who became the ''de facto'' head of ...

to encourage Fan and Dong'e to hold out. When Cao Cao learned of the rebellion, he withdrew his army from Xu Province and returned to Yan Province to attack Lü Bu. Xiahou Dun participated in the camapign against Lü Bu, and was hit in the left eye by a stray arrow during a skirmish. After the loss of his left eye, when Dun and his cousin

Xiahou Yuan Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day Ga ...

had both reached the rank of General (putting this from 209 onwards), he was given the nickname "One-eyed Xiahou" () in Cao Cao's army. Xiahou Dun hated this nickname and he would throw a mirror to the ground whenever he saw his own reflection. Lü Bu and Cao Cao fought near Puyang for over 100 days, with Xiahou Dun's Major

Dian Wei Dian Wei (; died February or March 197) was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Famed for his enormous strength, Dian Wei excelled at wielding a pair of '' ji''s (a halberd-like weapon), ...

catching Cao Cao's eye, but famine cost Lü Bu momentum and in 195, Cao Cao drove Lü Bu out of Yan.

Mid-career

Xiahou Dun was appointed as the Administrator () of Chenliu (陳留; around present-day

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

)

commandery In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...

, the area once under Zhang Miao's control, where had a falling out with his Reporting Officer Wei Zhen around 200. Xiahou Dun invited Wei Zhen to bring his wife out to the feast, to which Wei Zhen strongly objected to as inappropriate to the fury of Xiahou Dun who had his subordinate jailed but soon released him. Then to Jiyin (濟陰; near present-day

Dingtao County Dingtao District () is a district under the jurisdiction of Heze in Shandong province, China. Emperor Gaozu of Han's ill-fated consort Qi Consort Qi may refer to: Consorts with the surname Qi *Consort Qi (Han dynasty) (224–194 BC), concubine of ...

) commandery, and held the rank of General Who Builds Martial Might (). He was also enfeoffed as the

Marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

of Gao'an District (). While he was in office, a drought broke out and there was a locust infestation in the region. To counter these problems, Xiahou Dun spearheaded an agricultural program, in which he instructed workers to dam up the Taishou River (太壽水; a tributary of the

Huai River The Huai River (), Postal Map Romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins ...

) to create a large pond. He personally participated in the construction works and also encouraged the people to grow crops in the inundated land. This program greatly aided the people during those years of severe famine. He was later reassigned to be the

Intendant of Henan Henan Commandery ( zh, 河南郡) was a commandery in China from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in modern northern Henan province. During the reign of King Xuanhui of Han, Sanchuan Commandery (三川郡) was established. It was named Sanchu ...

(). In 198 Xiahou Dun was dispatched to Xu to reinforce the allied

, who was under attack from

Gao Shun Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...

on the orders of Lü Bu, but Gao Shun defeated Xiahou Dun then would drive out Liu Bei. Xiahou Dun did not participate in Cao Cao's campaigns in northern China against

Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred to ...

, Yuan's sons and their allies throughout the 200s CE. Instead, he held Henan, possibly the camapign being the put where he was made Intendant of Henan, helping keep Cao Cao's western flank secure. In 202, Cao Cao's rival

, who had sought refuge under

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

's governor

Liu Biao Liu Biao () () (151 – September 208), courtesy name Jingsheng, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for serving as the Governor of Jing Province (coveri ...

, launched a series of raids into Cao Cao's lands. In response, Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun,

Yu Jin Yu Jin (died 221), courtesy name Wenze, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He joined Cao Cao in 192 around the start of the civil wars leading to the collapse of the dyna ...

and

Li Dian Li Dian ( 180 – 217), courtesy name Mancheng, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He participated in the Battle of Guandu in 200 between Cao Cao and Yua ...

to lead an army to resist Liu Bei, both sides clashed at the

Battle of Bowang The Battle of Bowang, also known as the Battle of Bowang Slope, was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 202 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Background Liu Bei originally sought refuge under the northern warlord Yuan ...

. Liu Bei burnt his camps and feigned retreat to lure the enemy into an ambush. Xiahou Dun and his men fell for the trick and were defeated in the ambush. Li Dian, who warned Xiahou Dun about the danger of an ambush and did not join in the pursuit, led reinforcements to help Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin. Liu Bei withdrew his forces after seeing Li Dian's approach and the raid stropped. After the Battle of Ye in 204, Xiahou Dun was promoted to General Who Calms the Waves () but retained his appointment as the Intendant of Henan with the freedom to act on his own initiative without being restricted by regulations. In 205,

Gao Gan Gao Gan () (died 206), courtesy name Yuancai, was a minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was a maternal nephew and subordinate of the warlord Yuan Shao. Life Gao Gan was from an influential family in Yu Count ...

encouraged revolts in Hedong with Wei Gu holding the Shan crossing and local loyal forces unable to cross, Xiahou Dun was sent but before he could arrive,

Du Ji Du Ji (early 160s – 224), courtesy name Bohou, was an official who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served as a high-ranking official in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He had the reputation of be ...

persuaded Xiahou Dun to let him go across with a small escort and plot with the local loyalists. On 21 March 207, as Cao Cao prepared to attack the remnants of the Yuan family, he rewarded 20 of his officers with greater enoffments with Xiahou Dun granted an additional 1,800 taxable households in his marquisate in recognition of his contributions, bringing the total number of households to 2,500. Xiahou Dun befriended Tian Chou and would be sent by Cao Cao to, unsuccessfully, persuade Tian Chou to take up honors for his service In 213, Xiahou Dun would be one of the signatories calling for Cao Cao to become Duke of Wei.

Later life and death

Xiahou Dun accompanied the 215

Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west. The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as the ...

against the theocratic warlord Zhang Lu but Cao Cao's forces struggled against Zhang Wei's forces. According to Dong Zhao's account, Cao Cao issued orders to recall with Xiahou Dun and

Xu Chu Xu Chu () (died 230), courtesy name Zhongkang, was a Chinese military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of China. He started his career as a bodyguard to the warlord Cao Cao and later became a g ...

were sent to bring the troops back from the hills. In the confusion, some of the returning troops got lost in the night and surprised some of the defenders who fled from their position. This was reported back to Xiahou Dun and, with some not believing it, Xiahou Dun rode forward to see for himself then went back to tell Cao Cao so they could exploit it, Zhang Wei's position collapsed and Zhang Lu soon surrendered. In 216, he accompanied Cao Cao to Juchao (居巢; in present-day

Chaohu Chaohu () is a county-level city of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hefei. Situated on the northeast and southeast shores of Lake Chao, from which the city was named, Ch ...

) against southern rival

but met with stalemate. In 217, Cao Cao withdrew but left behind Xiahou Dun as Area Commander in command of 26 ''jun''s () until Sun Quan negotiated terms including an acceptance of Cao Cao as King. As a reward for his contributions including at Juchao, he received a number of performing dancers and musicians. The imperial order that came with the reward read: "When Wei Jiang (魏絳) pacified the

Rong people Xirong () or Rong were various people who lived primarily in and around the western extremities of ancient China (in modern Gansu and Qinghai). They were known as early as the Shang dynasty (1765–1122 BCE), as one of the Four Barbarians that ...

, he was only rewarded with gold and riches. Don't you, General, deserve more than him?" In 219, when Cao Cao marched to Mobei (摩陂; southeast of present-day Jia County,

) in response to Guan Yu's attack, he treated Xiahou Dun with exceptional honors that no other officer received, by letting Xiahou ride in the same carriage and allowing Xiahou to enter Cao Cao's private quarters. At the time,

Emperor Xian Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220. Liu Xie was a so ...

had made Cao Cao a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...

king under the title "King of Wei" () and granted him permission to set up an independent vassal kingdom, which was still nominally under Han imperial control. While many of Cao Cao's subordinates had been appointed to positions in his vassal kingdom, Xiahou Dun still held appointments under the Han central government. Xiahou Dun requested to serve in Cao Cao's vassal kingdom to show his loyalty, but Cao Cao told him, "I heard that the best rulers learn from their subjects while the second best befriend their subjects. Officials are noble men of virtue. Why lower yourself to serve such a small kingdom like Wei?" Xiahou Dun insisted, so Cao Cao appointed him as General of the Vanguard (). Xiahou Dun then returned soldiers to Shouchun () and later garrisoned at Zhaoling (). Around late 219, Xiahou Dun, along with

Chen Qun Chen Qun (died 7 February 237), courtesy name Changwen, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He initiated the Nine-rank system for civil service nomination in Wei. Following the death of th ...

Huan Jie Huan Jie ( 190s–220s), courtesy name Boxu, was a Chinese official who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and served under the warlord Cao Cao. After the fall of the Eastern Han dynasty, he briefly served in the state of Cao Wei during ...

and others, urged Cao Cao to take the throne from Emperor Xian. Xiahou Dun said, "Everyone in the Empire knows that the Han dynasty's lifespan has come to an end and that there are many contenders seeking to replace it. Since ancient times, whoever succeeds in eliminating the people's troubles will win the hearts of the people and become their ruler. As of now, Your Highness has been fighting battles for over 30 years, you've made outstanding achievements and the hearts of the people are with you. You should follow the will of Heaven and the people. What's there to hesitate about?" Cao Cao replied, "'These qualities are displayed in government. This then also constitutes the exercise of government.' If the

Mandate of Heaven The Mandate of Heaven () is a Chinese political philosophy that was used in ancient and imperial China to legitimize the rule of the King or Emperor of China. According to this doctrine, heaven (天, ''Tian'') – which embodies the natural ...

does belong to me, I'll be like

King Wen of Zhou King Wen of Zhou (; 1152–1050 BC, the Cultured King) was Count of state of Zhou, Zhou during the late Shang dynasty in ancient China. Although frequently confused with his fourth son Duke of Zhou, also known as "Lord Zhou", they are different hi ...

." Cao Cao died in early 220 and passed on his vassal king title to his son,

, who was still a nominal subject of Emperor Xian. Xiahou Dun was promoted to General-in-Chief () on 23 April. He died some months later on 13 June with Cao Pi leading mourning at Ye's east gate The ''Cao Man Zhuan'' () and the ''Shiyu'' () mentioned that Xiahou Dun once suggested to Cao Cao to eliminate

first in order to force Sun Quan to surrender of his own accord, and then follow in the footsteps of the mythological rulers

Shun Shun may refer to one of the following: *To shun, which means avoiding association with an individual or group * Shun (given name), a masculine Japanese given name *Seasonality in Japanese cuisine (''shun'', 旬) Emperor Shun * Emperor Shun (� ...

and Yu by making Emperor Xian voluntarily abdicate the throne to him. Cao Cao accepted his proposal. After Cao Cao's death, Xiahou Dun regretted his words and fell sick and died. The historian Sun Sheng dismissed the ''Shiyu'' account as nonsense, saying that it did not match what was recorded in the main text of Xiahou Dun's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' – Xiahou Dun felt ashamed of serving under the Han imperial court so he requested to serve in Cao Cao's vassal kingdom.

Family

In late 220,

forced

to abdicate the throne in his favour and established the state of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

, marking the end of the Han dynasty and the start of the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period. Cao Pi granted Xiahou Dun the

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

"Marquis Zhong" (), which literally means "loyal marquis". Xiahou Dun's original marquis title, "Marquis of Gao'an District" (), was inherited by his son, Xiahou Chong (). Later, in recognition of Xiahou Dun's past contributions, Cao Pi added 1,000 taxable households to Xiahou Chong's marquisate and made each of Xiahou Dun's seven sons and two grandsons a Secondary Marquis ().

Cao Rui Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later remarr ...

on 7 June 233 started sacrifices at the Ancestral Temple to a few select figures who had helped create a dynasty, Xiahou Dun was one of the three. Xiahou Dun's younger brother, Xiahou Lian (), was also enfeoffed as a marquis. Xiahou Dun's second son,

Xiahou Mao Xiahou Mao ( 220s–230s), courtesy name Zilin, was a military general and marquis of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Xiahou Dun, a general who served under the warlord Cao Cao, while Xiah ...

, married one of Cao Cao's daughters, Princess Qinghe (), and held high-ranking positions in the Wei imperial court. Xiahou Dun also had two other sons—Xiahou Zizang () and Xiahou Zijiang (). When Xiahou Chong died, his marquis title was inherited by his son, Xiahou Yu (). Xiahou Yu, in turn, was succeeded by his son Xiahou Shao (). According to the ''Jin Yang Qiu'' (), Xiahou Dun did not have any successor after his grandson, Xiahou Zuo (), died in 266 but the last Cao Wei Emperor

Cao Huan Cao Huan () (245/246–302/303), courtesy name Jingming, was the fifth and last emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. On 4 February 266, he abdicated the throne in favour of Sima Yan (later Emperor Wu of the Jin dyn ...

ordered that kinsman be found to continue the line of such a distuginhed servant in Cao Wei's founding.

Appraisal

Although Xiahou Dun was often traveling as a soldier, he ensured he had teachers come to help him study. He led a frugal and simple lifestyle and used his excess wealth to help the needy. He took from official treasuries (instead of directly from the common people) when he did not have enough money. He also did not own much property.

In ''Records of the Three Kingdoms In Plain Language''

From a work in the 13th century, as part of a series of historical fiction, he serves as a brave warrior who is prone to being lured into fake retreat duels. First appears when

Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were among the earlies ...

arrives in Cao Cao's camp, for the second time, seeking help against Lü Bu. Xiahou Dun calls out to Zhang Fei and was delighted to get a meeting, appointed vanguard. Duels Lü Bu who faked defeat and when Xiahou Dun pursued, shot Xiahou Dun in the left eye. Dismounting, Xiahou Dun pulled out the arrow with the famous line, held the eye in the his mouth and returns to fighting an astonished Lü Bu who is forced to retreat. Xiahou Dun survived longer in the this work then he did historically. In Zhuge Liang's first of his northern camapigns, Xiahou Dun held the key pass at Jieting and heard

Jiang Wei Jiang Wei (202 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Boyue, was a military general of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in Ji County (present-day Gangu County, Gansu), Jiang Wei started his career as a military officer ...

had placed his camp in a dangerous position. Only worried about Zhuge Liang, he considered Jiang Wei a stupid little boy and launched a surprise attack at night only to fall into an ambush led by

Wei Yan Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dy ...

, Xiahou Dun fled with Jieting lost. At Chang'an, he informed Emperor

Cao Fang Cao Fang () (232–274), courtesy name Lanqing, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was an adopted son of Cao Rui, the second ruler of Wei. Cao Fang ruled from 239 to 254 as a nominal emperor bef ...

who would appoint

Sima Yi Sima Yi ( ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 un ...

to oppose Zhuge Liang.

In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''

Xiahou Dun is featured as a character in the 14th-century historical novel ''

'', which romanticises the historical events before and during the

period. See the following for some fictitious stories in ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' involving Xiahou Dun: * Battle of Xiapi#Xiahou Dun losing his left eye * Battle of Bowang#In fiction

In popular culture

Xiahou Dun is featured as a playable character in

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's ''

Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...

'' video game series, as well as ''

Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' (specifically ''Dynasty Warriors 5'' an ...

'', a crossover between ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''

Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and it is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, rele ...

''. He also appears in all installments of Koei's ''

'' strategy game series. There is a card based on Xiahou Dun, called "Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed", in the ''

Portal Three Kingdoms Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

'' set of the ''

Magic: The Gathering ''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a Tabletop game, tabletop and Digital collectible card game, digital Collectible card game, collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards ...

'' collectible card game. The anime ''

Battle Vixens , also known as ''Battle Vixens'' in North America, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūji Shiozaki. Loosely based on the classic 14th century Chinese novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', the series revolv ...

,'' ''

Koihime Musō is a series of Japanese adult visual novels and strategy video games primarily developed and published by BaseSon for the Windows and is based on the classic 14th century Chinese novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong. ...

,'' and ''

Yuyushiki is a Japanese 4-panel manga series written and illustrated by Komata Mikami, which began serialization in Houbunsha's '' Manga Time Kirara'' magazine from April 2008 issue. An anime television adaptation by Kinema Citrus aired in Japan betw ...

'' also make references to Xiahou Dun, in which he is known by his Japanese name "Kakōton". Xiahou Dun also appears as a playable character in '' Total War: Three Kingdoms'', and is prominently featured in the game as a general in the service of Cao Cao.

Notes

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * * Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). ''

'' (''Sanguo Yanyi''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * Yu family (13th Century) Records in Plain Language (Sanguozhi Pinghua) {{DEFAULTSORT:Xiahou, Dun Year of birth unknown 220 deaths Chinese people with disabilities Han dynasty politicians from Anhui Han dynasty generals from Anhui Politicians from Bozhou Generals under Cao Cao Officials under Cao Cao Cao Cao and associates People during the end of the Han dynasty