Du Hongjian facts for kids

Du Hongjian (709 – December 13, 769) was an important Chinese politician and a Buddhist monk. He served as a top advisor, called a chancellor, during the Tang dynasty under Emperor Daizong. He was known for his strong belief in Buddhism. He even supported a famous Buddhist teacher named Wuzhu.

Early Life and Career

Du Hongjian was born in the year 709. His family came from Pu Prefecture, which is in modern-day Shandong, China. His family had a long history of serving as officials in different dynasties. His father, Du Pengju, was a prefect (a type of local official) and was also known for being a skilled doctor. Du Hongjian's cousin, Du Xian, also became a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.

Du Hongjian was known for being very intelligent and for loving to study. After he passed the special imperial examination, which was a tough test to become a government official, he started his career. He first worked as a military advisor for one of Emperor Xuanzong's sons. Later, he became a secretary for a military governor in a region called Shuofang.

Helping a New Emperor Rise

In 755, a major rebellion, known as the An Lushan Rebellion, began. The rebel forces were getting close to the Tang capital city, Chang'an. This forced Emperor Xuanzong to flee. However, his son, Li Heng, decided not to follow his father. Instead, Li Heng went to Lingwu, which was the capital of Shuofang Circuit.

At this time, Du Hongjian was acting as the military governor in Lingwu. He met with other important officials. They all agreed to welcome Li Heng. Du Hongjian and another official went to escort Li Heng to Lingwu. Once Li Heng arrived, Du Hongjian and another official named Pei Mian strongly suggested that Li Heng should become the new emperor. They believed this was necessary because the empire was in great danger. Li Heng agreed and was declared Emperor Suzong. Emperor Xuanzong later approved this decision. As a reward, Emperor Suzong gave Du Hongjian important positions in the government.

Serving Emperor Suzong

In 757, Emperor Suzong made Du Hongjian the military governor of Hexi Circuit. Later that year, after Tang forces recaptured the capital cities, Du Hongjian became the military governor of Jingnan Circuit.

In 759, some army officers rebelled in Xiang Prefecture and attacked Jingnan's capital. Du Hongjian had to leave the city and flee. This caused panic in the surrounding areas. However, the rebellion was eventually stopped by another official. After about a year, Du Hongjian was called back to the central government. He served in several important roles, including deputy minister of civil service affairs.

Roles Under Emperor Daizong

In 762, both Emperor Xuanzong (who had retired) and Emperor Suzong died quickly one after another. Emperor Suzong's son, Emperor Daizong, then became the new emperor. Du Hongjian was put in charge of the burials for the two emperors. After the burials, he received high honors and was given the title Duke of Wei.

In 764, Emperor Daizong made Du Hongjian the deputy minister of defense again. He also gave him a special title that made him a chancellor, meaning he was one of the most powerful advisors to the emperor. Soon after, he became the deputy head of the legislative bureau. In 765, when Emperor Daizong signed a peace treaty with the Tufan (Tibetan) Empire, Du Hongjian and another chancellor signed the treaty with the Tufan representative.

In 766, a region called Xichuan Circuit faced a civil war after its military governor was killed. Emperor Daizong sent Du Hongjian to Xichuan to try and bring peace to the area. However, Du Hongjian learned that one of the rebel leaders, Cui Gan, was very strong. Du Hongjian decided to try a different approach. He sent messages to Cui Gan, who acted very respectfully and even offered gifts.

When Du Hongjian arrived in Chengdu, the capital of Xichuan, Cui Gan treated him with great respect. However, Cui Gan did not let Du Hongjian have any real control over the region. Because of this, Du Hongjian repeatedly suggested to Emperor Daizong that Cui Gan should be made the military governor. He also suggested giving other rebel leaders important positions to keep them happy. Emperor Daizong reluctantly agreed.

In 767, Du Hongjian asked to return to Chang'an. Emperor Daizong agreed and made Cui Gan the military governor. Du Hongjian then went back to his role as chancellor. People at the time criticized Du Hongjian for this decision, thinking he was encouraging rebellion.

When he returned to Chang'an, Du Hongjian, who was a very religious Buddhist, held a large vegetarian feast for over 1,000 Buddhist monks to give thanks to the Buddha. It was said that because Du Hongjian and his fellow chancellors were all devout Buddhists, Emperor Daizong and other officials were also influenced to become strong Buddhists.

Later Life and Legacy

In 769, Emperor Daizong wanted Du Hongjian to take charge of Luoyang, another important city. Du Hongjian declined, saying he was ill. He then resigned from his other government jobs, including his role as chancellor, later that year. He died on December 13, 769.

Before he died, Du Hongjian formally became a Buddhist monk. He asked to be cremated, which means his body was burned, and his ashes placed in a tower. This was according to Buddhist customs, rather than being buried in the ground as was common in China at the time. This decision was criticized by many people at the time. However, he was still given honors after his death.

A historian named Liu Xu, who helped write the Old Book of Tang, commented on Du Hongjian. He said that Du Hongjian helped save the state but wasn't good at defending cities. He also disagreed with the criticism about how Du Hongjian handled Cui Gan. Liu Xu believed that Du Hongjian's strategy of dealing with Cui Gan peacefully was smart, and it helped keep Cui Gan loyal to the empire. However, Liu Xu also noted that Du Hongjian's strong focus on Buddhism to gain good fortune and his efforts to build his own power were not ideal for a gentleman.