Du You () (735 – December 23, 812),

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 Theob ...

Junqing (), formally Duke Anjian of Qi (), was a Chinese historian, military general, and politician. He served as chancellor of the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

. Du was born to an eminent aristocratic family in what is now Xi'an, Shaanxi, almost eighteen years before the abrupt rebellion of

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion. An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lush ...

, and received office for the privilege as administrator of Chi-nan

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 ...

(modernly

Licheng District Licheng may refer to the following locations: *Licheng County (), of Changzhi, Shanxi *Licheng District, Jinan (), Shandong *Licheng District, Putian (), Fujian *Licheng District, Quanzhou (), Fujian *Licheng Subdistrict, Xianyou County (), Fujian * ...

Robert G. Hoyland Robert G. Hoyland (born 1966) is a historian, specializing in the medieval history of the Middle East. He is a former student of historian Patricia Crone and was a Leverhulme Fellow at Pembroke College, Oxford. He is currently Professor of Late ...

considers him a "political thinker on a grand scale," comparable to Ibn Khaldun, but he is most often remembered for his thirty-six year compilation of the ''

Tongdian The ''Tongdian'' () is a Chinese institutional history and encyclopedia text. It covers a panoply of topics from high antiquity through the year 756, whereas a quarter of the book focuses on the Tang Dynasty. The book was written by Du You from 766 ...

,'' a historical encyclopedia of 200 sections (volumes) collecting laws, regulations, and general events from ancient times to his own. While considering Confucian teachings on the relationship between father and son essential, Du stated that he didn't believe that they provided relevant information for government policy. A legal specialist and authority over state finances, he became Commissioner for Public Revenue and Salt and Iron, and has been called a "Legalist" for his appreciation of political planners, dismissal of antiquity and concepts like fate, and strong interest in the Xunzi.

John Keay John Stanley Melville Keay FRGS is a British historian, journalist, radio presenter and lecturer specialising in popular histories of India, the Far East and China, often with a particular focus on their colonisation and exploration by Europ ...

calls him "enamored" of

Shang Yang Shang Yang (; c. 390 – 338 BC), also known as Wei Yang () and originally surnamed Gongsun, was a Chinese jurist, philosopher, and politician.Antonio S. Cua (ed.), 2003, p. 362, ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy'"The fifth important legali ...

. However, despite expending little effort on rectifying Imperial conduct, along the lines of

Xun Kuang Xun Kuang (; BCE), better known as Xunzi (; ), was a Chinese philosopher of Confucianism who lived during the late Warring States period. After his predecessors Confucius and Mencius, Xunzi is often ranked as the third great Confucian philos ...

he still believed in the possibility of moral transformation, and considers rites essential to government (which in Xun Kuang's view encompass all government regulations and institutions). Du favored the light taxation system of the Confucians and the recommendation system of 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 ...

as a replacement for the examination system. As a character he has often been regarded as antithetical to the more Confucian

Lu Zhi Lu Zhi or Lu Chih may refer to: *Empress Lü (呂雉), first empress of the Han dynasty *Lu Zhi (Han dynasty) (盧植), minister of the Eastern Han dynasty **Lu Zhi (卢志), great-grandson of the Eastern Han minister and confidant/strategist of Si ...

, but in reality they seemed to agree on a number of points and Lu didn't have any problem recommending Du for his abilities.

Writing of the ''Tongdian''

Du You had been impressed by a 35-volume work by Liu Zhi during Emperor Xuanzong's reign known as the '' Zhengdian'', which was a compendium of philosophies, rites, and principles of governance. However, Du considered the ''Zhengdian'' to be incomplete, so he expanded on the coverage of the ''Zhengdian'' and added writings about the rites, music, and written works of Emperor Xuanzong's time, into a 200-volume work. In 801, while he was still at Huainan, he had his subordinates carry the work to Chang'an to offer it to Emperor Dezong. Emperor Dezong issued an edict greatly praising the work. The work became popular and a key source of information on rites, music, criminal law, and governance for the people of the time, and it was said that it was so detailed that the information from the last thousand years could be accessible easily.

Background

Du You was born in 735, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family, the

Du clan of Jingzhao The Du clan of Jingzhao () was a prominent Chinese clan, centred around the Jingzhao region (modern day Xi'an). Tracing its origins back to the Western Han dynasty, it retained its prominence in Chinese politics and society up to the end of the Ta ...

, was from the

capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin S ...

and traced its ancestry to a line of officials of Chu,

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

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 ...

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' < Middle Chinese: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

Jin Dynasty (266–420) The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...

Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty a ...

, and Tang. Du You's great-grandfather Du Xingmin (), grandfather Du Que (), and father Du Xiwang () all served as officials in Tang governments.''Old Book of Tang''
vol. 147
. Du You's own civil service career started from a position that he was given on account of his heritage — the military advisor to the governor of Ji'nan Commandery (濟南, in modern Jinan, Shandong). He later was made secretary general of Yan County (剡縣, 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 inhabitant ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...

). As he went through Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern

Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

), he went to see the prefect, Wei Yuanfu (), who had previously been a beneficiary of Du Xiwang's, but initially, Wei, not remembering that, treated him only like the son of an old friend. On one way during Du You's visit, however, when Wei was judging over a difficult case, Wei wanted to test Du and therefore asked him for his opinions, and his opinions were all correct ones, impressing Wei. Wei kept him as legal advisor. Later, when Wei served successively as the governor of Zhexi Circuit (浙西, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang) and 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 Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered 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 ...

), he continued to invite Du to serve on staff and entrusted Du with many responsibilities. Later, Du was recalled to Chang'an to serve as ''Gongbu Langzhong'' (), a supervisorial official at the ministry of public works (工部, ''Gongbu''). Yet later he successively served as the director of the ''Qingmiao'' () tax (i.e., taxation on young food crops) for Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern

Nanchang Nanchang (, ; ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. Located in the north-central part of the province and in the hinterland of Poyang Lake Plain, it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east ...

Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...

); the prefect of Fu Prefecture (撫州, in modern

Fuzhou, Jiangxi Fuzhou (,), also known as Gandong (), is a prefecture-level city in the northeastern part of Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. Fuzhou is located to the south of the provincial capital Nanchang, bordered in the east by Fujian Province ...

); and the director of Rong District (容管, headquartered in modern

Yulin, Guangxi Yulin (, ), alternately romanized as Watlam, is one of the fourteen prefecture-level cities of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Its Chinese name was changed in 1956 from the historical name "" (), which is homop ...

During Emperor Dezong's reign

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's great-grandson Emperor Dezong, after Yang Yan became chancellor in 779, Yang had Du recalled to Chang'an, and Du successively served as ''Gongbu Langzhong'' again and then as ''Jinbu Langzhong'' (), a supervisorial official at the ministry of census (戶部, ''Hubu''). In 780, Yang also had Du made the director of food supplies from the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

and

Huai River The Huai River (), formerly 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 in China, and like them runs from west to ea ...

regions. He later served in another supervisorial position at the ministry of census — ''Duzhi Langzhong'' (), before being promoted to be the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, ''Hubu Shilang''), in charge of the financial matters of the state. With Emperor Dezong waging multiple campaigns against warlords ruling their circuits in ''de facto'' independent manners at the time, Du was forced to raise taxes heavily and force merchants to lend one quarter of their assets to the state to cover the expenses. Du would become despised by Yang's successor as primary chancellor, Lu Qi, and Lu had him sent out to be the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou,

). Du declined the assignment on account that his mother was still alive and the previous prefect of Su Prefecture had to leave office when his mother died. He was then made the prefect of Rao Prefecture (饒州, in modern

Shangrao Shangrao () is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in the northeast of Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. The city borders the province of Anhui to the north, the province of Zhejiang to the east, and the province of Fujian to t ...

), and soon thereafter the military governor of Lingnan Circuit (嶺南, headquartered in modern

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

). Up to that point, the military governor of Lingnan customarily also carried the title of director of five special districts that Lingnan was divided into — one of which was Rong District, which Du had previously governed. Because Emperor Dezong had been forced to flee Chang'an due to a rebellion by

Zhu Ci Zhu Ci (; 742–784) was a Chinese military general, monarch, and rebel during the Tang dynasty. He initially served as military governor (''Jiedushi'') of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), but later became a general ...

in 783, however, the officials at his makeshift court did not have full knowledge about precedents, and Du became the first military governor of Lingnan not to also be director of the five districts. In 787, Du was recalled to Chang'an to serve as ''Shangshu Zuo Cheng'' (), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng''). He was later made the governor (觀察使, ''Guanchashi'') of Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern

Sanmenxia Sanmenxia (; postal: Sanmenhsia) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Henan Province, China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Henan, Sanmenxia borders Luoyang to the east, Nanyang to the southeast, Shaanxi Province to the west and S ...

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 ...

) and then the military governor of Huainan Circuit. While he was serving there, his mother died, but Emperor Dezong recalled him from his mourning period to continue his service. In 800, after

Zhang Jianfeng Zhang Jianfeng (; 745–800), courtesy name Benli (), was a Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was prece ...

the military governor of neighboring Xusihao Circuit (徐泗濠, headquartered in modern

Xuzhou Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...

) died, the soldiers of Xusihao assassinated the acting military governor Zheng Tongcheng () and supported Zhang's son Zhang Yin () as his replacement. Emperor Dezong gave Du the additional post as military governor of Xusihao, gave him the honorary chancellor designation of ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), and ordered him to attack Xusihao's capital Xu Prefecture. Du sent his officer Meng Zhun () to attack Xu Prefecture, but Meng was defeated while trying to cross the Huai River. When another attack by Zhang Pi () the prefect of Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern

Huai'an Huai'an (), formerly called Huaiyin () until 2001, is a prefecture-level city in the central part of Jiangsu province in East China, Eastern China. Huai'an is situated almost directly south of Lianyungang, southeast of Suqian, northwest of Yan ...

) also failed to capture Xu Prefecture, Emperor Dezong was forced to make Zhang Yin the military prefect (團練使, ''Tuanlianshi'') of Xu Prefecture, but took the other two prefectures of the circuit and merged them into Huainan Circuit, under Du's command. (When one of Zhang Jianfeng's staff members, the future chancellor Li Fan, subsequently fled to Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture, one of Zhang Jianfeng's former subordinates, Du Jian (), falsely accused Li Fan of encouraging Zheng's assassination and the soldiers' support of Zhang Yin. Emperor Dezong, believing Du Jian's accusation, ordered Du You to execute Li, but at Du You's intercession, Li was spared.)''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 235. In 802, with Du You repeatedly requesting to be replaced, Emperor Dezong made Wang E () Du's replacement and recalled him to Chang'an. After Du arrived in Chang'an in 803, he was made chancellor with the designation of ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' and acting ''Sikong'' (司空, one of the

Three Excellencies The Three Ducal Ministers (), also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in Ancient China and Imperial China. These posts were abolished by Cao Cao in 208 AD a ...

).''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 236.

During Emperor Shunzong's and Emperor Xianzong's reigns

When Emperor Dezong died in 805 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Shunzong, Du You served as regent for several days before Emperor Shunzong officially took over the reins of the state. Soon thereafter, Du was again put in charge of the financial matters of the state, with Emperor Shunzong's close associate

Wang Shuwen Wang Shuwen ( zh, 王叔文; born 753, died 806) was a Chinese economist and politician during the Tang dynasty. He was a close associate of Emperor Shunzong (Li Song) while Li Song was crown prince under his father, Emperor Dezong, and was pow ...

as his deputy — as Wang, who was powerful at the time, believed that it would be more appropriate to serve as deputy to the senior Du. Several months later, however, when Wang Shuwen's mother died and he had to leave official service to observe a mourning period for her, Wang's partisans lost power. Wang's ally

Wang Pi Wang Pi ( zh, 王伾; died 805?) was a Chinese calligrapher and politician of the Tang dynasty, who was a close associate of Emperor Shunzong (Li Song). He, along with his ally Wang Shuwen, was powerful during Emperor Shunzong's brief reign in 8 ...

made repeated requests to Du for him to intercede to recall Wang Shuwen from his mourning period, but Du was either unwilling or unable to. Soon thereafter, Emperor Shunzong, who was seriously ill, yielded the throne to his son

Emperor Xianzong Emperor Xianzong of Tang (4 March to 1 April 778''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 14. – 14 February 820; r. 805 – 820), personal name Li Chun, né Li Chun (), was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Shunzon ...

, and Wang Shuwen and his associates were almost immediately purged. While Du was serving as the director of finances, he reorganized the financial matters and returned a number of responsibilities that the director of finances had undertaken to other agencies which had previously had those responsibilities. When Emperor Shunzong died in 806, Du again briefly served as regent for several days. Later in 806, Du requested that he be relieved from his financial responsibilities and recommended his deputy Li Sun (李巽, who had replaced Wang Shuwen at Du's recommendation) as his replacement.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 237. Also in 806, he was made, in addition to chancellor, ''Situ'' (司徒, also one of the Three Excellencies) and created the Duke of Qi. As Du was old at that time, Emperor Xianzong afforded him great respect, referring to him only as ''Situ'' and not by name. When Du requested retirement due to old age in 807, Emperor Xianzong had him keep all of his offices but be allowed to go into semi-retirement at his mansion in Fanchuan (樊川, near Chang'an), only to visit the office of the chancellors two or three times a month to discuss important matters of state. Fanchuan was scenic, and Du often invited the other officials to feasts there. Around that time,

Dangxiang The Tangut people ( Tangut: , ''mjɨ nja̱'' or , ''mji dzjwo''; ; ; mn, Тангуд) were a Tibeto-Burman tribal union that founded and inhabited the Western Xia dynasty. The group initially lived under Tuyuhun authority, but later submitted ...

tribesmen often served as guides for Tufan forces in attacking Tang territory, and there were many suggestions by officials to attack Dangxiang tribes. Du submitted a petition advising against attacking Dangxiang, reasoning that the better strategy is to treat Dangxiang tribes with kindness to get them to submit. Emperor Xianzong appreciated the suggestions. In 812, when Du fell ill, he again requested retirement, and this time Emperor Xianzong approved. Du died later in the year and was given great posthumous honors. His grandson

Du Cong Du Cong () (c. 794?-873?''New Book of Tang'', vol. 166.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 252.), courtesy name Yongyu (), formally the Duke of Bin (), was an official of the Tang dynasty of China, serving two terms as chancellor during the reigns of Empero ...

later served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Wuzong and Emperor Yizong; another grandson,

Du Mu Du Mu (; 803–852) was a Chinese calligrapher, poet, and politician who lived during the late Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Muzhi (), and art name Fanchuan (). He is best known for his lyrical and romantic quatrains. Regarded as a maj ...

, was a famed poet of the late Tang period. It was said that Du was diligent and studious, and even when he reached the apex of governmental service, he continued to study earnestly. Whenever he discussed policies with his staff members, they were impressed by his logical reasoning and knowledge. It was said that his acts were almost without fault, except that his reputation suffered when, during his service as military governor of Huainan, his wife Lady Liang died, and he promoted a

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

, Lady Li, to be his new wife despite his family members' urging against it.

Notes and references

* '' Old Book of Tang''
vol. 147
* '' New Book of Tang''
vol. 166
* ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...

'', vols. 226,

227 Year 227 ( CCXXVII) 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 Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 '' Ab urbe cond ...

, 235,

236 __NOTOC__ Year 236 ( CCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Verus and Africanus (or, less frequently, year 989 ''Ab ...

237 Year 237 ( CCXXXVII) 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 Perpetuus and Felix (or, less frequently, year 990 '' Ab urbe con ...

238 __NOTOC__ Year 238 ( CCXXXVIII) 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 Pius and Pontianus (or, less frequently, year 991 ''Ab ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Du, You 735 births 812 deaths 8th-century Chinese historians Chancellors under Emperor Dezong of Tang Chancellors under Emperor Shunzong of Tang Chancellors under Emperor Xianzong of Tang Du clan of Jingzhao Historians from Shaanxi Tang dynasty generals from Shaanxi Tang dynasty historians Tang dynasty politicians from Shaanxi Tang dynasty jiedushi of Huainan Circuit Tang dynasty jiedushi of Lingnan Circuit Tang dynasty jiedushi of Wuning Circuit Politicians from Xi'an Regents of China Writers from Xi'an