| “ | Silly fool, how dare you defy me! Am I not in charge of the affairs of state? If I want to do it, who shall say me no? Do you doubt the temper of my sword? | „ |
| ~ Dong Zhuo to Yuan Shao |
Dong Zhuo 董卓 was a warlord in service of the Han. He was known as a man with a cruel ambition which came to fruition when he seized control of the capital city of Luoyang in 189 AD, after the battle against The Regular Attendants. To fuel his power, he deposed Emperor Shao and set the very young Emperor Xian upon the throne, which he used as his puppet to indirectly control the land. In response to his actions, the Guandong Coalition led by Yuan Shao was formed against him. However, they did not achieve much success against Dong Zhuo's forces and they soon squabbled amongst each other. Dong Zhuo's most notable action during the time he controlled the Emperor was moving the capital of Luoyang into Chang’an, looting Luoyang and the imperial tombs. Dong Zhuo continued to engage in cruel acts, massacring entire clans and imprisoning anyone who dared oppose him. Finally, his general, Lü Bu, was fed up with his behavior and assassinated him.
Biography[]
Dong Zhuo was from Lintao county, Longxi commandery, as the second of three sons.[1] In his youth he was chivalrous. He made travels to the Qiang tribes and made many friends with the commanders. After he returned home, he was visited by some of the tribal leaders. When Dong Zhuo invited them into his home he killed his prize bull to feed them. Apparantly the leaders were moved by this because when they returned they brought with them 1,000 sheep and presented them to Dong Zhuo.
In the latter years of Emperor Huan's reign Dong Zhuo became Gentleman of the Feather Forest. This was because of his good relations in the six regions.
Dong Zhuo was a talented individual. He carried two quivers and could shoot them while riding a horse. He served as a military major. With Central Gentleman General, Zhang Huan, he attacked Bingzhuo (rebels) and won merit. He was then appointed Gentleman of the Palace and awarded 9,000 spools of silk. Dong Zhuo divided it among his soldiers. He became the prefect of Guangwu, then Controller Commandant of northern Shu prefecture, and then Colonel of the Western Peripheral. He was also appointed Inspector of Bingzhou and Grand Administrator of Hedong.[2]
Yellow Turban Rebellion[]
- Main article: The Yellow Turban Rebellion
Dong Zhuo was one of the four generals directly under General-in-Chief He Jin during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Initially he wasn't one of the four, but when Lu Zhi was sentenced to death commuted by one degree by Emperor Ling following slander from Zuo Feng, Dong Zhuo, who was General of the Gentlemen of the Household of the East at that time, was sent to replace him.[3]
Lu Zhi had been fighting a succesful battle against Zhang Jue and driven him back to Guangzhong. It appeared however, that Zhang Jiao had fallen ill after Lu Zhi's initial attack and his youngest brother Zhang Liang had replaced him.
When Dong Zhuo took over, presumably in early summer, he attempted to follow up on Lu Zhi's succes. The Yellow Turban rebels, however, were now concentrated in a stronghold rather than spreading out across the field and, moreover, the imperial troops might have lost morale after Lu Zhi was treated so badly. In any case, Dong Zhuo failed to gain any succes against Zhang Liang's troops and was called back to be replaced by Huangfu Song.[4]
Soon after, as rebellion broke out in Liang province and Chang’an came under threat Dong Zhuo was sent to the west as a subordinate general, first under Huangfu Song and then under his replacement Zhang Wen.
Later, in 185 A.D., Han Sui rebelled in Liang province and Dong Zhuo was sent to resist him. For this assignment he was re-assigned as General of the Gentlemen of the Household.
In the eleventh month of 185 A.D. Dong Zhuo combined forces with Bao Hong of Youfufeng and they attacked Bian Zhang and Han Sui together and completely defeated them. Bian Zhang and Han Sui fled to Yuzhong.
Struggle Against The Eunuchs[]
- Main article: Struggle against The Regular Attendants
In 189 A.D. , after the passing of Emperor Ling, tension between He Jin and the Imperial eunuchs Jian Shuo and Zhang Rang reached its peak and warlords were summoned to assist the General-in-Chief in his struggle against the eunuchs. One of the summoned warlords was Dong Zhuo, but this action was met with criticism by the Intendant Imperial Clerk Zheng Tai, who said:
"Dong Zhuo is extremely brutal and has small sense of honour, while his ambitions have no limit. If you involve him in the imperial government and entrust him with great affairs you will lose control over his evil intentions and you will certainly endanger the court. Through your own personal qualities, and by your close relationship to the throne, you hold the authority of Aheng with power to make your own decisions and to take your own action against criminals. It is quite inappropriate for you to favour Dong Zhuo by asking for his assistance. Furthermore, if you delay matters, there will be changes. The example of Yin is not far off. You must make your mind up soon."
The Master of Writing Lu Zhi agreed on this, but He Jin listened to neither and Dong Zhuo was summoned. Zheng Tai resigned his position because of this.
When Dong Zhuo set out, directly after he had received He Jin's summons, he sent a memorial in reply:
"Your minister prostrates himself and believes the source of why the realm has rebels without end is that each of the Regular Palace Attendants; Zhang Rang and his fellows insult and abuse Heaven's constants. They grasp and control imperial orders, making them, father and son as well as elder and younger brothers, all occupy provinces and commanderies. When just one message from them leaves their gates, they then receive 1,000 gold. Millions of the rich, fertile soil, and the beautiful land of capital region and its commanderies all belong to Zhang Rang and the others, culminating in causing resentful feelings to rise up like steam, and so evil traitors rise up like a swarm of bees."
"Your minister previously received an edict to suppress Yufuluo, but my soldiers were famished and were unwilling to cross the Yellow River. All of them said that they wanted me to go to the capital city to first execute the lowly eunuchs in order to remove the danger toward the people and to beg for financial resources from the central government. I followed [their words] as to comfort and soothe them, and so I have arrived at Xin'an. I have heard that scooping up the soup to stop it from boiling is worse than extinguishing the fire by removing the fuel; although piercing an carbuncle is painful, it is superior to nurturing that meat. Calling for boats when drowning is like regrets toward it being too late."[5]
He also sent a memorial to the Emperor.
"The Regular Palace Attendant; Zhang Rang has seized your fortune and exploits his favor, confusing and disturbing those within the seas. Of old, Zhao Yang revolted in Jinyang and thus chased out his lord's evil favorites. Your minister shall thus ring the bells in Luoyang, and thereupon attack Rang and the others."
By the time Dong Zhuo arrived in Luoyang, He Jin was killed, and the capital was in chaos from the political fallout.[6]
What is great are Heaven and Earth, and then lord and subject. These form governance. Now the August Emperor is ignorant and weak. He cannot offer to the ancestral temples, yet he is the ruler of the realm. I wish to emulate Yi Yin and Huo Guang in the past deeds, and install the Prince of Chenliu. So?
more later..
Death[]
The attack startled Dong Zhuo and he fell down his chariot. As Dong Zhuo had always wore armor under his robes, he was not mortally wounded. Dong Zhuo quickly shouted, "Where is Lü Bu!" Lü Bu emerged and said, "Right here. We have an edict!" The former loyal general ordered his troops to behead Dong Zhuo, and as they approached him, he scolded Lü Bu, saying, "Lowly cur, you dare act like this?!" These were Dong Zhuo's last words recorded in history, as Lü Bu beheaded him.[7]
Family[]
- Parents
- Father: Dong Junya 董君雅, who was Commandant of Lunshi county 綸氏尉.[1]
- Mother: Lady Dong
- Brothers
- Children
Notes[]
- ↑ Sima Lang was born in 171 and was 20 years old in 191 where this conversation was recorded.
Fact vs. Fiction[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "《英雄記》曰：卓父君雅，由微官為潁川綸氏尉。有三子：長子擢，字孟高，早卒；次即卓；卓弟旻字叔穎。"
("The Records of Famed Heroes state: Zhuo's father was Junya, who was a minor official: Commandant of Lunshi, Yingchuan. He had three sons: the eldest was Zhuo 擢, styled Menggao 孟高, who died early. The second was Zhuo. Zhuo's younger brother, Man, was styled Shuying.")
Chen Shou. "Biography of Dong Zhuo" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, cited by Pei Songzhi. - ↑ Book of Heroes.
- ↑ HHS 64/54, 2118 (13a-b), the Biography of Lu Zhi.
- ↑ Rafe de Crespigny
- ↑ "典略載卓表曰：「臣伏惟天下所以有逆不止者，各由黃門常侍張讓等侮慢天常，操擅王命，父子兄弟並據州郡，一書出門，便獲千金，京畿諸郡數百萬膏腴美田皆屬讓等，至使怨氣上蒸，妖賊蠭起。臣前奉詔討於扶羅，將士饑乏，不肯渡河，皆言欲詣京師先誅閹豎以除民害，從臺閣求乞資直。臣隨慰撫，以至新安。臣聞揚湯止沸，不如滅火去薪，潰癕雖痛，勝於養肉，及溺呼船，悔之無及。」"
"(The Dianlüe contains Zhuo's petition: "Your minister prostrates and believes the source of why the realm has rebels without end is that each of the Regular Attendants at the Yellow Gates; Zhang Rang and the others insult and abuse Heaven's constants. They grasp and control imperial orders, making them, father and son as well as elder and younger brothers, all occupy provinces and commanderies. When just one message from them leaves their gates, they then receive 1,000 gold. Millions of the rich, fertile soil, and the beautiful land of capital region and its commanderies all belong to Rang and the others, culminating in causing resentful feelings to rise up like steam, and so evil traitors rise up like a swarm of bees. Your minister previously received an edict to suppress Yufuluo, but my soldiers were famished and were unwilling to cross the Yellow River. All of them said that they wanted me to go to the capital city to first execute the lowly eunuchs in order to remove the danger toward the people and to beg for financial resources from the central government. I followed [their words] as to comfort and soothe them, and so I have arrived at Xin'an. I have heard that scooping up the soup to stop it from boiling is worse than extinguishing the fire by removing the fuel; although piercing an carbuncle is painful, it is superior to nurturing that meat. Calling for boats when drowning is like regrets toward it being too late." ")
Chen Shou. "Biography of Dong Zhuo" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, cited by Pei Songzhi. - ↑ "卓未至，進敗。中常侍段珪等劫帝走小平津，卓遂將其眾迎帝於北芒，還宮。"
("Zhuo had not yet arrived when Jin fell. The Regular Palace Attendant; Duan Gui forced the Emperor to walk to Xiaoping Ford, but Zhuo thus commanded his troops to welcome the Emperor at Beimang and return to the palace.")
Chen Shou. "Biography of Dong Zhuo" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, cited by Pei Songzhi. - ↑ HHJ: Annals of Emperor Xian 『卓衣内有铠，不入，伤臂坠车，大呼曰：「呂布何在？」對曰：「在此。」布曰： 「有詔。」趣兵斬之。卓罵曰：「庸狗敢如是邪？」遂斬之。卓母子皆誅之，屍於市。司徒王允使人然火卓腹上，臭乃埋之。』
- ↑ 是時董卓遷天子都長安，卓因留洛陽。朗父防為治書御史，當徙西，以四方雲擾，乃遣朗將家屬還本縣。或有告朗欲逃亡者，執以詣卓，卓謂朗曰：「卿與吾亡兒同歲，幾大相負！」 Chen Shou. "Biography of Sima Lang" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, cited by Pei Songzhi.