Dong Zhuo
Encyclopedia
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang
in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction
and some court officials led by General-In-Chief He Jin
. Dong Zhuo subsequently deposed Emperor Shao
and instated Emperor Xian.
Dong Zhuo rose to power in the Imperial Court and ruled the nation with tyranny and cruelty for a brief period of time. The following year, a coalition of regional officials and warlords launched a punitive campaign
against Dong, forcing him to move the capital city to Chang'an
. Dong Zhuo was assassinated in 192 by his foster son Lü Bu
as part of a plot orchestrated by Interior Minister Wang Yun
.
, Gansu
) and was said to be a chivalrous youth who was excellent in horseback archery in his early days. He travelled around the Qiang region and befriended many men of gallantry. When he grew up, he returned and started farming in the countryside, where he incidentally excavated a blade, which had obscure inscription fading from it which said" slash the kings like logging." When he took the sabre to the famed scholar Cai Yong
for appraisal, the later asserted him that was the blade of the Chu Hegemon King, Xiang Yu
. As a physically adept man with a good background, Dong became an imperial guard, and joined Zhang Huan
's campaign against Qiang rebels in Bing Province (并州) as a Major. He was rewarded with 9,000 rolls of fine silk
for his performance, all of which he distributed to his colleagues and subordinates.
Dong was sent to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion
in the early 180s after a few subsequent promotions but he was defeated by the rebels and demoted. When the tribes of Qiang and Hu rebelled with local gentries Han Sui
and Bian Zhang in Liang Province, Dong was reinstated as Knight General and sent to suppress the rebels. During a battle with the Qiang tribes, who were the strongest participants amongst the rebels, Dong Zhuo's army was outnumbered and a river sealed his retreat route. To prevent his army from being routed by the enemy, Dong ordered his troops to dam
the river and pretend to fish in the reservoir formed. He sent his men to cross the drained lower stream and break the dam in order to thwart any subsequent pursuits by the enemy. Despite failing the campaign, Dong's unit was the only unscathed unit of the Han forces.
Dong Zhuo was henceforth promoted to General of the Van and Inspector of Bing Province. However, he refused to accept his new post as he was unwilling to leave his troops and subordinates back in Liang Province. Realizing the Han authority was declining from its failure in subjugating the Qiang tribe, Dong focused on building his power in Liang. At the time, a Han military officer, Sun Jian
, suggested to his superior that Dong's arrogance and insubordination to the court warranted a death sentence, but his advice was not heeded.
in 189, General-in-Chief He Jin
ordered Dong Zhuo to lead his troops into Luoyang
to aid him in eliminating the eunuch faction
. Before Dong's arrival, He Jin was assassinated by the eunuchs and the capital city fell into a state of turmoil. The eunuchs took Emperor Shao
hostage and fled from Luoyang. Dong Zhuo's army intercepted the eunuchs and brought the emperor back to the palace.
At the same time, He Jin's half brother, General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao (何苗), was killed by his subordinates after they accused him of colluding with the eunuchs. He Jin and He Miao's forces were without a leader and came under Dong Zhuo's command when the latter led his ferocious Liang Province troops into the city. Dong also instigated Lü Bu
to kill his foster father and Imperial Commandant of Capital Guards, Ding Yuan
, when the latter disagreed on his proposal to replace Emperor Shao
with a younger Liu Xie
. Lü then became Dong's adopted son and trusted aide, and assisted Dong to take total control of the imperial capital of Luoyang. At the onset of his arrival to Luoyang, the powerful gentries and eastern warlords did not wish to see Dong becoming influential, and Dong was aware of that and told his generals to lead troops out of the city at night and re-enter through the front-gate at noon. Thus, the lords perceived Dong as possessing a sizeable army and dared not make a move, and Dong was able to grab power using a series of plots deemed injustice in most Confucians' eyes.
In 190, Dong deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with the Prince of Chenliu
, who became known as Emperor Xian. Dong declared himself Chancellor
and monopolized state power. He was given special permission to carry his sword to the Imperial Court while others were forbidden to do so. This privilege had not been granted to any state official since Xiao He
in Emperor Gaozu's time. Dong Zhuo was also allowed to enter the court without removing his footwear. Records of the Three Kingdoms recorded an incident in which Dong Zhuo led his troops to Yangcheng
(陽城) and ordered them to kill all the male inhabitants and loot the city, under the pretext of eliminating a rebel army. It was said that Dong Zhuo even slept on the emperor's bed and had sex with palace maids.
and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. In response, he sent a detachment to intercept the coalition vanguard led by Sun Jian, and ordered his son-in-law, Niu Fu
to develop the fortress of Mei
, where Niu stored 30 years of food supply. After his subordinates Hua Xiong
, Hu Zhen
, and Lu Bu were defeated by Sun at Yangren, Dong sent the eloquent Li Jue to propose a marriage between Sun's son and Dong's daughter, and promised Sun that the country could be split between them. But Sun rebutted Li strongly and made further preparation to attack Luoyang. Thus, Dong evacuated everyone in Luoyang and moved them to the new capital city of Chang'an
(present-day Xi'an
) in the west. Before the relocation, Dong ordered his troops to excavate the tombs of the late Han emperors for treasures and sent his men to seize valuables from the wealthier residents in Luoyang, as well as burn down the palaces and anything that might be useful to the allied forces.
Then, Dong assembled his forces in the city and personally led them to ambush the approaching army. When Sun advanced to the imperial graveyard, he was intercepted by Dong, who had been awaiting him. However, Dong was unable to suppress his archrival, and was routed. He then ordered Lu Bu to lead his cavalry back to the city to halt Sun's progress before he fled to Frog Pond (黽池). Lu got back to Luoyang before Sun did as he was unable to hold the eastern third gate when the latter attacked, and was forced to fight inside the city, where he was defeated.
, and Zhang Ji
to the frontline against the eastern warlords. At the time the alliance was having internal conflicts and did not focus on fighting them, so the senior imperial officer, Zhu Jun
could only ask his old friend, Tao Qian
to give him a hand in a futile effort to fight the forces of Dong. Tao, despite having a general alliance with Dong, indeed sent 3,000 elite danyang troops to Zhu to battle Dong forces at Zhongmu, where Zhu was totally crushed. Li and his comrades then performed raids around area of Chenliu and Yingchuan, wherein Cao Cao
and the likes were unable to stop them, and many residents there were hijacked and enslaved. The soldiers of the coalition were quite terrified by the creative and insane treatment Dong designed for them, if captured: he would have the captives tied up with fat-soaked clothes, and started a fire from their foot; as the captives' heads were unbound, he could enjoy the scream and facial expressions from them, however, such hobby was not shared by most of the educated imperial officials.
Since the warlords were far from able to stop him separately, Dong's regime started to stablize in the new capital, and Dong appointed his younger brother Dong Min as General of the Left and several of his kin became court officials as well. Dong also constantly built up his personal castle in Mei county near Chang'an, where he thought he could outlive the coalition even if the latter worked together again and insisted on fighting him. He also threw lavish banquets, during which savage tortures would be performed on betrayers as entertainment:he would first cut their tongue so they wouldn't make much noise for the following operations, which were the sever of limbs and removal of eyeballs. The operations required professional skill because the betrayers would remain conscious when they were thrown into boiling oil. Now, a literal "meat-ball" would be rolling around the center of the banquet for all to observe. Dong was quite comfortable with his "masterpiece" and enjoyed his meal as usual, while the other audience was said to have experienced a high degree of discomfort. Dong would also dish out cruel punishments to his political enemies; when he was in Luoyang, he wiped out the entire Yuan clan within the city, because Yuan Shao
was the leader of the coalition against him. Within two years, thousands of public servants were wrongly accused and executed, and numerous commoners were kidnapped or killed under his tyrannical rule. In order to purchase materials for further development of his invincible Mei citadel, he also had bronze statues and bells melted and recast into coins, which flooded the market and caused serious inflation
, rendering the coin currency useless. His venomous policies had greatly reduced Han authority and raised resentment among most gentries and commoners of the time (while the Liang armies adored him like a god).
as a personal bodyguard, who shadowed him most of the time. When Dong throws a temper, he would hurl a halberd at Lü Bu whereins Lü dodged the weapon every time and Dong's anger subsided quickly. Nonetheless, Lü bore a furtive displeasure for his adoptive father for that. Besides, as Lü had access to Dong's residence, he had an amorous affair with one of Dong's chambermaids and was constantly in fear of being discovered.
In 192, with encouragement from Interior Minister Wang Yun
, Lü Bu made his decision to kill Dong Zhuo. One morning, Lü greeted Dong at the palace gate with a dozen trusted men led by Cavalry Captain Li Su. Li stepped forward and stabbed Dong. Dong cried out for Lü Bu to save him, but Lü merely answered, "This is an imperial order," after which he delivered a fatal blow to Dong. It was recorded that Dong's corpse was left on the streets for people to enjoy the sight of a lit corpse: The official guarding the corpse lit a wick on Dong's navel
(belly) and it burned for days with the corpse's fats as fuel. But a special provision stating anyone who went forth to collect the body would be killed. However, three officials including the famous Cai Yong still challenged the order and were executed. Meanwhile, all the affiliates of Dong clan were put to death, including Dong's 90-year-old mother, who screamed for her amnesty.
, Zhang Ji
and Fan Chou
, escaped on the belief that their allegiance to him would be considered as treason
. Wang Yun, who had taken control of the government, heard their appeal for pardon and said, "Of all those who should be forgiven, they are the exceptions." The four then planned to relinquish their positions and go into hiding. However, an advisor named Jia Xu
suggested they should take this opportunity to launch a strike at Chang'an since the Liang faction was actually unscathed. The four then roused several-thousand hardcore followers to attack Chang'an. Wang sent Xu Rong and Hu Zhen
(former members of the Liang faction) to fight the Liang force en route, but Xu was killed in the first encounter and Hu led his troops to join the rebels and the size of the rebel force was inflated to 100,000 when they surrounded the capital. Lu Bu attempted to break the siege, but was defeated outside the city gate, thus Chang'an fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's followers and Emperor Xian was taken hostage. State power fell into the hands of the Liang faction once again.
, a 14th century historical novel by Luo Guanzhong
, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. Because the real-life Dong Zhuo was already much of a cruel and treacherous character, the novel probably could do little more to accentuate that treachery and cruelty. It did, however, on two occasions deviate from the history.
and the battle was turning into a rout.
The three newly sworn brothers, Liu Bei
, Guan Yu
and Zhang Fei, happened to be nearby. They then led their forces out to Dong Zhuo's rescue. Suddenly met with this new opposition, the rebels were swept off their feet and had to retreat.
After returning to camp, Dong Zhuo asked the three brothers what offices they currently held. And they replied that they held none. Dong Zhuo harrumphed and then ignored them. This angered Zhang Fei so much that he grabbed his sword and wanted to kill Dong Zhuo. He was however stopped by his two brothers, who suggested taking their service elsewhere. Thus was Dong Zhuo's life spared and the three brothers went their own way.
, which eventually led to the death of Dong Zhuo in the hands of his own adoptive son, Lü Bu.
After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to the more strategically sound Chang'an, Interior Minister Wang Yun started to contemplate a plot to assassinate the tyrant by using the petite Diaochan, a song girl who was brought up in his household but whom he had been treating like his own daughter, to plant the seed of dissension between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu.
Inviting Lü Bu over one night, Wang Yun asked Diaochan to serve wine to the guest. Lü Bu was immediately seized by the girl's beauty. Well aware of this, Wang Yun then promised to marry Diaochan to the mighty warrior.
A few days later, however, Wang Yun laid a feast for Dong Zhuo and repeated the feat. Like Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo could not lift his eyes off Diaochan, who also displayed her prowess in song and dance. Dong Zhuo then brought Diaochan home and made her his concubine.
When Lü Bu heard about this early the next morning, he headed for Dong Zhuo's bedroom and peeped in through the window. There he saw Diaochan sitting up grooming her hair while Dong Zhuo was still asleep. Aware of Lü Bu's presence, Diaochan put up a sorrowful expression and pretended to wipe tears off her eyes with a handkerchief.
A similar incident recurred about a month later, but this time Dong Zhuo woke up in time to see Lü Bu staring fixedly at Diaochan. Lü Bu was then thrown out and forbidden to come into the house.
Then one day, while Dong Zhuo was holding a conversation with Emperor Xian, Lü Bu stole to his foster father's residence and met with Diaochan in the Fengyi Pavilion (鳳儀亭). Weeping, Diaochan pled with Lü Bu to rescue her from Dong Zhuo. Placing his halberd aside, Lü Bu held Diaochan in his arms and comforted her with words.
Right then, Dong Zhuo returned to find the duo in the pavilion. The startled Lü Bu turned to flee. Dong Zhuo grabbed the halberd and gave chase. Being too slow, Dong Zhuo could not catch up with the agile Lü Bu. He then hurled the halberd at Lü Bu but the latter fended it off and got away.
After the incident, Lü Bu became increasingly displeased with Dong Zhuo. The displeasure was further inflamed by Wang Yun, who suggested subtly that Lü Bu kill Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu was eventually persuaded.
The conspirators sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo from his castle in Meiwu (郿塢) under the pretense that the emperor intended to abdicate the throne to the warlord. The overjoyed Dong Zhuo then came to the palace gate, where his troops were barred from entering. As Dong Zhuo's carriage neared the palace building, soldiers loyal to Wang Yun escorted Dong Zhuo to the trap they set. Then suddenly a general stabbed Dong Zhuo.
Injured only in the arms, Dong Zhuo then cried out for Lü Bu to save him. Lü Bu walked over and impaled Dong Zhuo's throat with his halberd, proclaiming, "I have an imperial decree to slay the rebel!"
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction
Ten Attendants
The Ten Attendants were a group of eunuchs from the Eunuch Faction of the Han Imperial Court in China...
and some court officials led by General-In-Chief He Jin
He Jin
He Jin was the elder half-brother of Empress He, consort to Emperor Ling of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in China. He shared power with his sister as regents in 189, following the death of Emperor Ling. In the ensuing struggle with the influential eunuch faction for power, He Jin was assassinated...
. Dong Zhuo subsequently deposed Emperor Shao
Prince of Hongnong
The Prince of Hongnong , was briefly an emperor of China during the Han dynasty. He is also known as "Emperor Han Shao" , a name which he shares with several other emperors with brief reigns...
and instated Emperor Xian.
Dong Zhuo rose to power in the Imperial Court and ruled the nation with tyranny and cruelty for a brief period of time. The following year, a coalition of regional officials and warlords launched a punitive campaign
Campaign against Dong Zhuo
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...
against Dong, forcing him to move the capital city to Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. Dong Zhuo was assassinated in 192 by his foster son Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
as part of a plot orchestrated by Interior Minister Wang Yun
Wang Yun
Wang Yun was a Minister over the Masses under Emperor Xian during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. During Wang Yun's time, the emperors were mere puppets under the power of eunuchs and warlords. In 192, Wang Yun plotted and successfully staged Lü Bu's assassination of Dong Zhuo, the...
.
Early life
Dong Zhuo was born in Lintao, Longxi Commandery (present-day Min CountyMin County
Min County is administratively under the control of Dingxi, Gansu province. In ancient times, it was known as Lintao County.- Transport :*China National Highway 212...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
) and was said to be a chivalrous youth who was excellent in horseback archery in his early days. He travelled around the Qiang region and befriended many men of gallantry. When he grew up, he returned and started farming in the countryside, where he incidentally excavated a blade, which had obscure inscription fading from it which said" slash the kings like logging." When he took the sabre to the famed scholar Cai Yong
Cai Yong
Cai Yong was a Chinese scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was well-versed in calligraphy, music, mathematics and astronomy. One of his daughters is the famous Cai Wenji.-Early life:...
for appraisal, the later asserted him that was the blade of the Chu Hegemon King, Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
. As a physically adept man with a good background, Dong became an imperial guard, and joined Zhang Huan
Zhang Huan
Zhang Huan is a Chinese artist based in Shanghai and New York. He made his BA at the He Nan University in Kai Feng and his MA at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing...
's campaign against Qiang rebels in Bing Province (并州) as a Major. He was rewarded with 9,000 rolls of fine silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
for his performance, all of which he distributed to his colleagues and subordinates.
Dong was sent to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion
Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Yellow Turban Rebellion, also translated as Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty...
in the early 180s after a few subsequent promotions but he was defeated by the rebels and demoted. When the tribes of Qiang and Hu rebelled with local gentries Han Sui
Han Sui
Han Sui was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. For most of his life he was active in Liang Province and was involved in several rebellions against the Han Dynasty and against the warlord Cao Cao.-Biography:With the backing of the Qiang people who populated much of...
and Bian Zhang in Liang Province, Dong was reinstated as Knight General and sent to suppress the rebels. During a battle with the Qiang tribes, who were the strongest participants amongst the rebels, Dong Zhuo's army was outnumbered and a river sealed his retreat route. To prevent his army from being routed by the enemy, Dong ordered his troops to dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
the river and pretend to fish in the reservoir formed. He sent his men to cross the drained lower stream and break the dam in order to thwart any subsequent pursuits by the enemy. Despite failing the campaign, Dong's unit was the only unscathed unit of the Han forces.
Dong Zhuo was henceforth promoted to General of the Van and Inspector of Bing Province. However, he refused to accept his new post as he was unwilling to leave his troops and subordinates back in Liang Province. Realizing the Han authority was declining from its failure in subjugating the Qiang tribe, Dong focused on building his power in Liang. At the time, a Han military officer, Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
, suggested to his superior that Dong's arrogance and insubordination to the court warranted a death sentence, but his advice was not heeded.
Rise to power
Following the death of Emperor LingEmperor Ling of Han
Emperor Ling of Han, trad. ch. 漢靈帝;, sim. ch. 汉灵帝, py. hàn líng dì, wg. Han Ling-ti, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang. The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out during Emperor Ling's reign.Emperor Ling's reign saw yet another repetition of...
in 189, General-in-Chief He Jin
He Jin
He Jin was the elder half-brother of Empress He, consort to Emperor Ling of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in China. He shared power with his sister as regents in 189, following the death of Emperor Ling. In the ensuing struggle with the influential eunuch faction for power, He Jin was assassinated...
ordered Dong Zhuo to lead his troops into Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
to aid him in eliminating the eunuch faction
Ten Attendants
The Ten Attendants were a group of eunuchs from the Eunuch Faction of the Han Imperial Court in China...
. Before Dong's arrival, He Jin was assassinated by the eunuchs and the capital city fell into a state of turmoil. The eunuchs took Emperor Shao
Prince of Hongnong
The Prince of Hongnong , was briefly an emperor of China during the Han dynasty. He is also known as "Emperor Han Shao" , a name which he shares with several other emperors with brief reigns...
hostage and fled from Luoyang. Dong Zhuo's army intercepted the eunuchs and brought the emperor back to the palace.
At the same time, He Jin's half brother, General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao (何苗), was killed by his subordinates after they accused him of colluding with the eunuchs. He Jin and He Miao's forces were without a leader and came under Dong Zhuo's command when the latter led his ferocious Liang Province troops into the city. Dong also instigated Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
to kill his foster father and Imperial Commandant of Capital Guards, Ding Yuan
Ding Yuan
Ding Yuan was a regional governor and minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In 189, both he and Dong Zhuo were summoned into the capital Luoyang with their individual troops to assist in the struggle against the powerful eunuch faction...
, when the latter disagreed on his proposal to replace Emperor Shao
Prince of Hongnong
The Prince of Hongnong , was briefly an emperor of China during the Han dynasty. He is also known as "Emperor Han Shao" , a name which he shares with several other emperors with brief reigns...
with a younger Liu Xie
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
. Lü then became Dong's adopted son and trusted aide, and assisted Dong to take total control of the imperial capital of Luoyang. At the onset of his arrival to Luoyang, the powerful gentries and eastern warlords did not wish to see Dong becoming influential, and Dong was aware of that and told his generals to lead troops out of the city at night and re-enter through the front-gate at noon. Thus, the lords perceived Dong as possessing a sizeable army and dared not make a move, and Dong was able to grab power using a series of plots deemed injustice in most Confucians' eyes.
In 190, Dong deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with the Prince of Chenliu
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, who became known as Emperor Xian. Dong declared himself Chancellor
Chancellor of China
The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
and monopolized state power. He was given special permission to carry his sword to the Imperial Court while others were forbidden to do so. This privilege had not been granted to any state official since Xiao He
Xiao He
Xiao He was a Chinese statesman who lived during the early Han Dynasty. He served Liu Bang during the insurrection against the Qin Dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han contention against Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He became chancellor and held office until...
in Emperor Gaozu's time. Dong Zhuo was also allowed to enter the court without removing his footwear. Records of the Three Kingdoms recorded an incident in which Dong Zhuo led his troops to Yangcheng
Yangcheng
Yangcheng may refer to the following in China:*Yangcheng County , of Jincheng, Shanxi*Yangcheng Lake , in Suzhou*Yangcheng, Qingyuan County, Hebei , town of Qingyuan County, Hebei...
(陽城) and ordered them to kill all the male inhabitants and loot the city, under the pretext of eliminating a rebel army. It was said that Dong Zhuo even slept on the emperor's bed and had sex with palace maids.
Initial stage
In the same year, regional officials and warlords around the country formed a coalition forceCampaign against Dong Zhuo
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...
and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. In response, he sent a detachment to intercept the coalition vanguard led by Sun Jian, and ordered his son-in-law, Niu Fu
Niu Fu
Niu Fu was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Niu Fu served under Dong Zhuo, who was also his father-in-law. When Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang to the ground and retreated to Chang'an, Niu Fu was sent to defend Anyi. After Dong Zhuo was...
to develop the fortress of Mei
Mei County, Shaanxi
Mei County is a county in Baoji, Shaanxi, China....
, where Niu stored 30 years of food supply. After his subordinates Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong was a military general under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. In 190, various warlords from around the country formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was holding Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial court...
, Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen, style name Wencai , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was described as a man of influence in Liang Province ....
, and Lu Bu were defeated by Sun at Yangren, Dong sent the eloquent Li Jue to propose a marriage between Sun's son and Dong's daughter, and promised Sun that the country could be split between them. But Sun rebutted Li strongly and made further preparation to attack Luoyang. Thus, Dong evacuated everyone in Luoyang and moved them to the new capital city of Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
(present-day Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
) in the west. Before the relocation, Dong ordered his troops to excavate the tombs of the late Han emperors for treasures and sent his men to seize valuables from the wealthier residents in Luoyang, as well as burn down the palaces and anything that might be useful to the allied forces.
Then, Dong assembled his forces in the city and personally led them to ambush the approaching army. When Sun advanced to the imperial graveyard, he was intercepted by Dong, who had been awaiting him. However, Dong was unable to suppress his archrival, and was routed. He then ordered Lu Bu to lead his cavalry back to the city to halt Sun's progress before he fled to Frog Pond (黽池). Lu got back to Luoyang before Sun did as he was unable to hold the eastern third gate when the latter attacked, and was forced to fight inside the city, where he was defeated.
Final stage
After their capture of Luoyang, the allied forces found nothing but a scene of ruins, so they retreated back and awaited further development. Dong Zhuo then sent his skilled generals, Li Jue, Guo SiGuo Si
Guo Si , also known as Guo Duo , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He assisted Dong in his many campaigns, and was placed under Dong's son-in-law after Dong relocate the imperial capital to Chang'an...
, and Zhang Ji
Zhang Ji
Zhang Ji , style name Derong , was a a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. During the Battle of Tong Pass, Zhang helped defend Chang'an together with Xiahou Yuan. According to the records of history, Zhang Ji later became the protector of Yong Province...
to the frontline against the eastern warlords. At the time the alliance was having internal conflicts and did not focus on fighting them, so the senior imperial officer, Zhu Jun
Zhu Jun
Zhu Jun , style name Gongwei , was a politician during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. As a character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was attributed certain actions that he did not actually carry out.Zhu Jun achieved a number of victories over...
could only ask his old friend, Tao Qian
Tao Qian
Tao Qian , better known as Tao Yuanming , was a Chinese poet. Born in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi, he was one of the most influential pre-Tang Dynasty Chinese poets....
to give him a hand in a futile effort to fight the forces of Dong. Tao, despite having a general alliance with Dong, indeed sent 3,000 elite danyang troops to Zhu to battle Dong forces at Zhongmu, where Zhu was totally crushed. Li and his comrades then performed raids around area of Chenliu and Yingchuan, wherein Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
and the likes were unable to stop them, and many residents there were hijacked and enslaved. The soldiers of the coalition were quite terrified by the creative and insane treatment Dong designed for them, if captured: he would have the captives tied up with fat-soaked clothes, and started a fire from their foot; as the captives' heads were unbound, he could enjoy the scream and facial expressions from them, however, such hobby was not shared by most of the educated imperial officials.
Since the warlords were far from able to stop him separately, Dong's regime started to stablize in the new capital, and Dong appointed his younger brother Dong Min as General of the Left and several of his kin became court officials as well. Dong also constantly built up his personal castle in Mei county near Chang'an, where he thought he could outlive the coalition even if the latter worked together again and insisted on fighting him. He also threw lavish banquets, during which savage tortures would be performed on betrayers as entertainment:he would first cut their tongue so they wouldn't make much noise for the following operations, which were the sever of limbs and removal of eyeballs. The operations required professional skill because the betrayers would remain conscious when they were thrown into boiling oil. Now, a literal "meat-ball" would be rolling around the center of the banquet for all to observe. Dong was quite comfortable with his "masterpiece" and enjoyed his meal as usual, while the other audience was said to have experienced a high degree of discomfort. Dong would also dish out cruel punishments to his political enemies; when he was in Luoyang, he wiped out the entire Yuan clan within the city, because Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
was the leader of the coalition against him. Within two years, thousands of public servants were wrongly accused and executed, and numerous commoners were kidnapped or killed under his tyrannical rule. In order to purchase materials for further development of his invincible Mei citadel, he also had bronze statues and bells melted and recast into coins, which flooded the market and caused serious inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
, rendering the coin currency useless. His venomous policies had greatly reduced Han authority and raised resentment among most gentries and commoners of the time (while the Liang armies adored him like a god).
Downfall and death
Dong Zhuo was fully aware that his provocative actions and reckless behavior had aroused the anger of many, and he was at a high risk of being assassinated by enemies, so he ordered his strongest warrior and adopted son, Lü BuLü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
as a personal bodyguard, who shadowed him most of the time. When Dong throws a temper, he would hurl a halberd at Lü Bu whereins Lü dodged the weapon every time and Dong's anger subsided quickly. Nonetheless, Lü bore a furtive displeasure for his adoptive father for that. Besides, as Lü had access to Dong's residence, he had an amorous affair with one of Dong's chambermaids and was constantly in fear of being discovered.
In 192, with encouragement from Interior Minister Wang Yun
Wang Yun
Wang Yun was a Minister over the Masses under Emperor Xian during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. During Wang Yun's time, the emperors were mere puppets under the power of eunuchs and warlords. In 192, Wang Yun plotted and successfully staged Lü Bu's assassination of Dong Zhuo, the...
, Lü Bu made his decision to kill Dong Zhuo. One morning, Lü greeted Dong at the palace gate with a dozen trusted men led by Cavalry Captain Li Su. Li stepped forward and stabbed Dong. Dong cried out for Lü Bu to save him, but Lü merely answered, "This is an imperial order," after which he delivered a fatal blow to Dong. It was recorded that Dong's corpse was left on the streets for people to enjoy the sight of a lit corpse: The official guarding the corpse lit a wick on Dong's navel
Navel
The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
(belly) and it burned for days with the corpse's fats as fuel. But a special provision stating anyone who went forth to collect the body would be killed. However, three officials including the famous Cai Yong still challenged the order and were executed. Meanwhile, all the affiliates of Dong clan were put to death, including Dong's 90-year-old mother, who screamed for her amnesty.
Legacy
After Dong Zhuo's death, several of his loyalists, such as Li Jue, Guo SiGuo Si
Guo Si , also known as Guo Duo , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He assisted Dong in his many campaigns, and was placed under Dong's son-in-law after Dong relocate the imperial capital to Chang'an...
, Zhang Ji
Zhang Ji
Zhang Ji , style name Derong , was a a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. During the Battle of Tong Pass, Zhang helped defend Chang'an together with Xiahou Yuan. According to the records of history, Zhang Ji later became the protector of Yong Province...
and Fan Chou
Fan Chou
Fan Chou was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.After Dong Zhuo died by his adoptive son Lü Bu by an assassination plot by Wang Yun. He along with Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji defeated Lü Bu then defeated Wang Yun, which they taken...
, escaped on the belief that their allegiance to him would be considered as treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Wang Yun, who had taken control of the government, heard their appeal for pardon and said, "Of all those who should be forgiven, they are the exceptions." The four then planned to relinquish their positions and go into hiding. However, an advisor named Jia Xu
Jia Xu
Jia Xu , style name Wenhe , was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He previously served Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Zhang Xiu before finally joining Cao Cao...
suggested they should take this opportunity to launch a strike at Chang'an since the Liang faction was actually unscathed. The four then roused several-thousand hardcore followers to attack Chang'an. Wang sent Xu Rong and Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen, style name Wencai , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was described as a man of influence in Liang Province ....
(former members of the Liang faction) to fight the Liang force en route, but Xu was killed in the first encounter and Hu led his troops to join the rebels and the size of the rebel force was inflated to 100,000 when they surrounded the capital. Lu Bu attempted to break the siege, but was defeated outside the city gate, thus Chang'an fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's followers and Emperor Xian was taken hostage. State power fell into the hands of the Liang faction once again.
Family
- Younger brother: Dong Min (died 192) - After Dong Zhuo backed Emperor XianEmperor Xian of HanEmperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, Dong Min was appointed to the rank of Left General. After Lü BuLü BuLü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
killed Dong Zhuo, Dong Min was labeled an accomplice and executed, and his head was put on public display. - Nephew: Dong Huang (died 192) - born in Lintao CountyLintao CountyLintao County is administratively under the control of Dingxi, Gansu province. In ancient times, Lintao was centered around present day Min County.-Geography:...
, GansuGansu' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
. - Foster Son: Lü BuLü BuLü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
Appointments and titles held
- Infantry and Cavalry Officer (兵馬掾)
- Inspector of Bing Province (并州刺史)
- Administrator of Hedong (河東太守)
- East General of the Household (東中郎將)
- General Who Defeats Barbarians (破虜將軍)
- Marquis of Li (斄鄉侯)
- General of the Vanguard (前將軍)
- Excellency of Works (司空)
- Grand Commandant (太尉)
- Marquis of Mei (郿侯)
- Chancellor of State (相國)
- Imperial Tutor (太師)
In fiction
Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, a 14th century historical novel by Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. Because the real-life Dong Zhuo was already much of a cruel and treacherous character, the novel probably could do little more to accentuate that treachery and cruelty. It did, however, on two occasions deviate from the history.
Dong Zhuo and the three sworn brothers
Dong Zhuo first appeared as early as late in Chapter 1. Being sent to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo was defeated by the rebel leader Zhang JiaoZhang Jiao
Zhang Jue was the leader of the Yellow Turban rebels during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was said to be a follower of Taoism and a sorcerer. His name is sometimes read as Zhang Jiao, since the Chinese character of Zhang's given name can be read as either "Jiao" or "Jue"...
and the battle was turning into a rout.
The three newly sworn brothers, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
and Zhang Fei, happened to be nearby. They then led their forces out to Dong Zhuo's rescue. Suddenly met with this new opposition, the rebels were swept off their feet and had to retreat.
After returning to camp, Dong Zhuo asked the three brothers what offices they currently held. And they replied that they held none. Dong Zhuo harrumphed and then ignored them. This angered Zhang Fei so much that he grabbed his sword and wanted to kill Dong Zhuo. He was however stopped by his two brothers, who suggested taking their service elsewhere. Thus was Dong Zhuo's life spared and the three brothers went their own way.
Dong Zhuo and Diaochan
Perhaps the most popular story about Dong Zhuo was the fictional love triangle involving Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu and DiaochanDiaochan
Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have been born in 161 or 169 or 176, depending on the source. However, unlike the other three beauties, there is no known evidence that suggests her existence, therefore she is likely to be a fictional character.Diaochan...
, which eventually led to the death of Dong Zhuo in the hands of his own adoptive son, Lü Bu.
After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to the more strategically sound Chang'an, Interior Minister Wang Yun started to contemplate a plot to assassinate the tyrant by using the petite Diaochan, a song girl who was brought up in his household but whom he had been treating like his own daughter, to plant the seed of dissension between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu.
Inviting Lü Bu over one night, Wang Yun asked Diaochan to serve wine to the guest. Lü Bu was immediately seized by the girl's beauty. Well aware of this, Wang Yun then promised to marry Diaochan to the mighty warrior.
A few days later, however, Wang Yun laid a feast for Dong Zhuo and repeated the feat. Like Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo could not lift his eyes off Diaochan, who also displayed her prowess in song and dance. Dong Zhuo then brought Diaochan home and made her his concubine.
When Lü Bu heard about this early the next morning, he headed for Dong Zhuo's bedroom and peeped in through the window. There he saw Diaochan sitting up grooming her hair while Dong Zhuo was still asleep. Aware of Lü Bu's presence, Diaochan put up a sorrowful expression and pretended to wipe tears off her eyes with a handkerchief.
A similar incident recurred about a month later, but this time Dong Zhuo woke up in time to see Lü Bu staring fixedly at Diaochan. Lü Bu was then thrown out and forbidden to come into the house.
Then one day, while Dong Zhuo was holding a conversation with Emperor Xian, Lü Bu stole to his foster father's residence and met with Diaochan in the Fengyi Pavilion (鳳儀亭). Weeping, Diaochan pled with Lü Bu to rescue her from Dong Zhuo. Placing his halberd aside, Lü Bu held Diaochan in his arms and comforted her with words.
Right then, Dong Zhuo returned to find the duo in the pavilion. The startled Lü Bu turned to flee. Dong Zhuo grabbed the halberd and gave chase. Being too slow, Dong Zhuo could not catch up with the agile Lü Bu. He then hurled the halberd at Lü Bu but the latter fended it off and got away.
After the incident, Lü Bu became increasingly displeased with Dong Zhuo. The displeasure was further inflamed by Wang Yun, who suggested subtly that Lü Bu kill Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu was eventually persuaded.
The conspirators sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo from his castle in Meiwu (郿塢) under the pretense that the emperor intended to abdicate the throne to the warlord. The overjoyed Dong Zhuo then came to the palace gate, where his troops were barred from entering. As Dong Zhuo's carriage neared the palace building, soldiers loyal to Wang Yun escorted Dong Zhuo to the trap they set. Then suddenly a general stabbed Dong Zhuo.
Injured only in the arms, Dong Zhuo then cried out for Lü Bu to save him. Lü Bu walked over and impaled Dong Zhuo's throat with his halberd, proclaiming, "I have an imperial decree to slay the rebel!"
Modern references
- Dong Zhuo is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriorsis a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors OrochiWarriors Orochi, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series.
- The character Toutaku Chuuei of the anime short series, Ikki TousenIkki Tousen, also known as Battle Vixens, is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Shiozaki, based on the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms...
, is based roughly on Dong Zhuo.
- In the collectible card game Magic the Gathering there is a card named Dong Zhou, the Tyrant, in the Portal: Three Kingdoms set.