Tan Daoji facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tan Daoji 檀道济 |
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| Born | between 368 and 394 | ||||
| Died | 436 | ||||
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Tan Daoji (simplified Chinese: 檀道济; traditional Chinese: 檀道濟; pinyin: Tán Dàojì) was a very important general in ancient China. He lived during the Liu Song dynasty. People respected him a lot for his military skills. He was one of the most famous generals during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. But the emperor, Emperor Wen, and his brother, Liu Yikang, were afraid of how powerful Tan Daoji was. Sadly, he was arrested and executed because of false accusations.
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Early Life and Jin Dynasty Service
It's not clear exactly when Tan Daoji was born. We do know he lost his parents when he was young. Even as an orphan, he was known for being respectful to his older brothers and sisters. Two of his older brothers, Tan Shao and Tan Zhi, also became generals later on.
Joining Liu Yu's Army
In 403, a powerful warlord named Huan Xuan took over the Jin throne. But in 404, a leader named Liu Yu started a rebellion against Huan Xuan. Tan Daoji joined Liu Yu's army and became his helper. Tan Daoji even killed Huan Xuan's nephew, Huan Zhen, in battle. For this brave act, he received the title of Marquess of Wuxing.
Military Achievements
Tan Daoji continued to fight in many important battles. He helped Liu Yu's brother, Liu Daogui, fight against invading armies. He also battled other warlords. Because of his successes, he was given the title of Baron of Tang. This might sound like a step down, but Liu Yu was changing how noble titles worked. Tan Daoji actually received more land and wealth.
In 416, Liu Yu launched a big attack against the Later Qin kingdom. Tan Daoji was a key commander in this attack. He helped capture important cities like Xuchang and Luoyang. After the Later Qin capital, Chang'an, fell in 417, Tan Daoji was put in charge of protecting Liu Yu's son, Liu Yifu. Liu Yifu was the future emperor.
Serving Emperor Wu
In 420, Liu Yu became the new emperor, Emperor Wu. He started the Liu Song dynasty. Emperor Wu made Tan Daoji the Duke of Yongxiu. When Emperor Wu became very sick in 422, he trusted Tan Daoji and a few other important officials to look after his son, Liu Yifu. Emperor Wu died soon after. Liu Yifu then became Emperor Shao.
During Emperor Shao's Reign
Unlike some other officials, Tan Daoji did not stay in the capital city of Jiankang. He became the governor of Southern Yan Province. In 422, a rival kingdom called Northern Wei attacked Liu Song. They wanted to take over the provinces south of the Yellow River. Tan Daoji led an army to protect these areas. He successfully saved Qing Province but couldn't save all of them.
Changing Emperors
In 424, some powerful officials were unhappy with Emperor Shao. They believed he wasn't a good emperor. These officials, Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, and Xie Hui, decided to remove him from power. They were worried about Tan Daoji's strong army. So, they called Tan Daoji to the capital and told him about their plan.
They sent soldiers to arrest Emperor Shao. The emperor was still in bed when the soldiers arrived. He tried to fight back but was captured. The officials then announced that Emperor Shao was no longer emperor. They offered the throne to his younger brother, Liu Yilong. After some thought, Liu Yilong accepted and became Emperor Wen.
During Emperor Wen's Reign
Emperor Wen wanted to reward the officials who made him emperor. He offered Tan Daoji an even higher title, the Duke of Wuling. But Tan Daoji refused the new title. He went back to his post in Guangling.
Fighting for the Emperor
Emperor Wen was angry because Xu, Fu, and Xie had killed Emperor Shao and another of his brothers. In 426, Emperor Wen had Xu and Fu arrested and executed. He then declared Xie Hui a rebel. Emperor Wen believed that Tan Daoji was not involved in the plot to kill his brothers. So, he asked Tan Daoji to lead the army against Xie Hui.
Xie Hui was a good planner, but he wasn't used to leading large armies. Tan Daoji defeated him in battle. Xie Hui was captured and executed. Because of this victory, Emperor Wen gave Tan Daoji even more important titles. He also made him the governor of Jiang Province.
The Famous Sand Trick
In 430, Emperor Wen launched a big campaign against Northern Wei. He wanted to get back the provinces south of the Yellow River. Tan Daoji was not the main commander at first. The initial commander, Dao Yanzhi, had to retreat. This left a city called Huatai under siege by Northern Wei forces.
Emperor Wen then put Tan Daoji in charge in 431. He asked Tan Daoji to try and save Huatai. Tan Daoji won several battles as he moved towards Huatai. But then, Northern Wei forces cut off his supply route. He couldn't reach Huatai, and the city soon fell.
As Tan Daoji's army retreated, Northern Wei forces realized his soldiers were running out of food. They followed closely, ready to attack. Tan Daoji then used a clever trick that became famous in Chinese history. At night, he had his soldiers pretend that sand was grain. They would loudly call out measurements of the "grain." Then, they covered the sand with a thin layer of real grain.
In the morning, the Northern Wei soldiers saw the piles of "grain." They mistakenly thought Tan Daoji's army had plenty of food. So, they decided not to chase him anymore. Tan Daoji was able to lead his soldiers away without losing many men. Emperor Wen gave him more titles and sent him back to Jiang Province.
A Sad End
Because Tan Daoji was so skilled, and because his sons and helpers were also very capable, Emperor Wen and his brother Liu Yikang became suspicious of him. Emperor Wen had been sick for several years. Liu Yikang thought he would become the regent (someone who rules for the emperor if the emperor is too young or sick) if Emperor Wen died. He was especially worried that he wouldn't be able to control Tan Daoji.
In late 435, Emperor Wen became very ill. Liu Yikang called Tan Daoji to the capital. Even though Tan Daoji's wife had a bad feeling, he went anyway. He stayed for about a month. As Emperor Wen started to get better, he thought about sending Tan Daoji back to his province. But then, Emperor Wen suddenly got sicker.
At that moment, Tan Daoji was already at the dock, ready to leave. Liu Yikang called him back to the capital and had him arrested. Emperor Wen then issued an order falsely accusing Tan Daoji of planning to rebel. Tan Daoji and his sons were executed. However, his grandsons were spared. Two of Tan Daoji's trusted generals were also killed.
When Tan Daoji was arrested, he angrily threw his scarf on the ground. He said sadly, "You have destroyed your Great Wall." This meant that the emperor had removed a strong protector of the country. When officials from Northern Wei heard about Tan Daoji's death, they celebrated. Later, in 450, when Northern Wei attacked Liu Song and caused a lot of damage, Emperor Wen regretted his decision. He said that if Tan Daoji were still alive, he would have stopped the Northern Wei attacks.
Tan Daoji was said to have had 36 military strategies. People even joked about his "retreat" strategy after the fall of Huatai, but it was a smart move that saved his army.
