Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-11-12 22:02
中國姓氏故事 - 杜姓
人生自古誰無死,---Ren2 sheng zi4 gu3 shui2 wu2 si3,
留得丹心照汗青.---Liu2 de2 dan xin zhao4 han4 qing.
From time immemorial, what man was ever immune from death?
Let me but leave a loyal heart shining in the pages of history.
A Chinese proverb
..............................................................
Surname - Du (杜姓)
Du means: prevent; keep off.
The surname Du is about 2,700 years old.
The surname Du originated in an area referred to during the Jin Dynasty
(晉朝 265AD to 420AD) as the Jingzhao prefecture (京兆郡). The present day
location of Jingzhao prefecture is in the east of Xian city (西安市 108.9
degree East and 34.1 degree North on the world map) in Shaanxi province
(陜西省).
According to Chinese historical records, Fang Xun (防勳) was a kind, hard-working,
brave, industrious and wise man. In 2357BC, Fang Xun was elected as the
chief of the Federated Tribes in ancient China. He became known as Yao Di
(堯帝) or Sovereign Yao and his domain was known as Tang (唐) or Tao Tang
(陶唐). He was credited as being the person who first made the decision
that 365 days in one year and each year should have twelve months. He divided
a year into four seasons of three months per season being Spring, Summer,
Autumn and Winter. He devised the seasons to help facilitate farmers, by
assigning each of these seasons to specific farming activity, such as when
to toil their lands and when to harvest their crops. He was a humble and
simple sovereign who shared the highs and lows of life with his people.
In 2255BC, Yao Di abdicated in favour of Yao Zhonghua (姚重華) who was known
as Shun Di (舜帝). Shortly after the death of Yao Di, Shun Di appointed
Dan Zhu (丹朱), a grandson of Yao Di to rule a district called Tang (唐)
which was renamed as the State of Tang (唐國 located in present day Yicheng
county 翼城縣 in Shanxi province 山西省). Shun Di also bestowed upon Dan
Zhu the hereditary title of Hou (侯) or Marquis. Dan Zhu was known as Tang
Hou (唐侯) or the Marquis of Tang who eventually adopted TANG as his surname.
The offspring of Dan Zhu continued to rule the State of Tang during the
Xia Dynasty (夏朝2205BC to 1766BC) and Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC).
Zhou King Wu (周武王) established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC).
He died six years later in 1116BC and was succeeded by his son Zhou King
Cheng (周成王). who was only twelve years old. The State of Tang took this
opportunity to rebel against the Zhou Court. Ji Dan (姬旦), the Regent,
sent an expeditionary force and had the State of Tang re-conquered.
In 1106BC, Zhou King Cheng appointed his younger brother to rule the State
of Tang. All the members of the royal Tang family were relocated to a place
called Du Cheng (杜城 present day town of Duling 杜陵 鎮 in the east of
Xian 西安city of Shaanxi province). The former ruler of the State of Tang
was appointed as the administrator of Du Cheng. He was also given the inheritable
title of Bo (伯) or Marquis and he came to be known as Du Bo (杜伯).
During the reign of Zhou King Xuan ( 周宣王 827BC to 782BC), the 11th ruler
of the Zhou Dynasty, Du Bo, the incumbent ruler of Du, was a high-ranking
official in the Zhou Court. In 789BC, Zhou King Xuan led an expeditionary
force to the North with the intention of destroying the Qiang Rong (羌戎
) who were a nomadic tribe living in the North. Qiang Rong had pillaged
the villages and towns which were under the jurisdiction of the Zhou Empire.
The Zhou forces were defeated in a battle at Qianmu (千畝 in present day
south of Jiexiu county 介休縣 in Shanxi province).
The following year Zhou King Xuan planned to take revenge on the Jiang Rong.
He went to Jinyang (晉陽 present day Taiyuan 太原 city in Shanxi Province),
to find out if there were sufficient resources for him to mount another
campaign against the Jiang Rong.
On his journey back to the capital, Hao (鎬 in present day Xian city in
Shaanxi province 陜西省), Zhou King Xuan was ridiculed by a group of children
who were singing a song predicting the end of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou King
Xuan was very angry with the children. He ordered Du Bo to catch the culprit
who instigated these children to mock of him.
As this was only a minor incidence no one paid much attention about it.
However, three years later Zhou King Xuan dreamed of the ridiculous rhyme
sung by the group of children. The next morning he summoned for Du Bo and
asked him about the investigation of the group of kids. Du Bo replied that
the investigation had been of no consequence, and that he did not report
the case to him because he thought that no one was interested. Zhou King
Xuan was furious and charged him for insubordination and had him executed.
Du Bo had many sons and one called Xi Shu (隰叔) fled with his family to
the State of Jin (晉國 the present day county of Yicheng in Shanxi province
山西省); but the rest of his sons did not leave the capital.They grieved
over the unreasonable execution of their father. They adopted DU (杜) as
their surname in remembrance of him.
The couplet of surname Du
源自杜伯,---Yuan2 zi4 Du Bo,
望出京兆.---Wang4 chu Jingzhao
The progenitor of surname Du was Du Bo,
And it was originated from Jingzhao.
............................................
Prominent persons produced by the DU Clan
(1) A brief biography of Du Fu (杜甫 712AD to 770AD)
Du Fu, a renowned poet, was born in the county of Gong (鞏縣) in Henan province
(河南省) during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). His father was a
low ranking official. At the age of 14 or 15 he began to write poetry and
at 20 he left home and went touring. In 735AD he sat for the Palace Examination
and he failed. The following year he left home the second and went touring
the present day province of Hebei (河北省). After 5 years of roaming the
North he return home to Luoyang (洛陽) in 741AD. He met Li Bo (李白), another
poet, in about 744AD and they went touring together in the area south of
Changjiang (長江). In 746AD he bade farewell to Li Bai and went to the capital
Changan (長安 the present day city of Xian 西安 市in Shaanxi province 陜
西省).
Du Fu's intention of going to Chang An was to become an official. At that
time, the Tang Court was very corrupted and the administration was controlled
by Yang Guozhong (楊國忠), the first cousin older brother of Yang Guifei
(楊貴妃) who was the Emperor Xuan Zong Li Longji's (玄宗皇帝李隆基 713AD
to 755AD) favourite concubine. The Emperor had no time for the official
because Yang Guifei took up almost all his time and attention. Although
Du Fu applied for a position he was not accepted.
At that time, it was the fashion of the learned men to write poetry to the
officials, particularly the members of the Imperial Academy (翰林學士),
hoping that the officials could pay attention to their poetry and to recommend
them to Government jobs. Du Fu was of no exception. He began to write poems
and presented them to the high officials. He even presented his poems twice
to Emperor Xuan Zong, but without any respond from the Emperor.
In 752AD, Yang Guozhong became the Prime Minister. He was very corrupted
and had amassed a great fortune. He was not only the Prime Minister but
also held more than forty other portfolio. The Emperor's excesses and obsessions
with his beloved concubine, Yang Guifei, brought about the gross neglect
of affairs to the country.
Finally, in 755AD the Government offered Du Fu a job as a junior officer
in Hexi (河西 in the present day province of Gansu 甘肅省). Knowing that
this job was to wring every ounce of sweat and blood out of the people in
He Xi, Du Fu turned down the offer and asked for a better job. The Government
then gave him a junior position as an officer in the Weaponry Department.
Although the job was a very low position, 8th grade, he considered that
it was better than a junior officer to Hexi to oppress people.
Before Du Fu took up the position as a junior official there was turmoil
in the country. An Lushan (安祿山), the non-Han Chinese commander-in-chief
and Governor of Fanyang (范陽 present day Beijing 北京 city in Hebei province
河北省), rebelled against the Tang Government. With 170,000 troops under
his command An Lushan marched west to the Tang capital Changan. It seemed
that An Lushan and his troops were unstopped. They crossed the Yellow River,
overran Luoyang (洛陽 in Henan province 河南省) and turned west marching
towards the capital. Under such an environment it was very hard for Du Fu
as he was without a job and had a family to support. He lived like a beggar
asking friends for assistance. He was so poor that he had no money to buy
food for his family. Due to this factor his youngest son died of starvation.
The Tang Court was in panic. Emperor Xuan Zong ordered a mass evacuation.
In the fourth Month in 755AD An Lu Shan occupied the capital and razed it
to the ground. Du Fu and his family managed to escape to Fengxiang (鳳翔
) in Shaanxi province.
Emperor Xuan Zong and his Court together with thousands of residents from
the capital, fled southwest towards Chengdu (成都 in the present day of
Sichuan province 四川省). Arriving at a place called Maweipo (馬嵬坡 present
day Xingping county 興平縣 in Shaanxi province) about 100 kilometers from
the capital, the retreating army and the mass of people stopped and refused
to go any further. They demanded the death of the Emperor's concubine, Yang
Guifei, and her elder cousin brother Yang Guozhong, the Prime Minister.
Under such extreme circumstances Emperor Xuan Zong had no alternative but
to issue an order to have them executed. Yang Guozhong was put to death
by beheading and Yang Guifei was by hanging from a tree.
While the Tang Court took refuge in Chengdu the lovelorn Emperor was pining
away. Eventually Emperor Xuan Zong abdicated the throne and his third son,
Li Heng (李亨) was installed as Emperor Su Zong (肅宗). In 757AD An Lushan
was killed by his own son, An Qingxu (安慶緒). The rebellions started by
An Lushan was crushed and the Tang Court returned to the capital, Changan.
Having returned to the capital, Emperor Su Zong reorganized the Tang Administration.
At the end of 757AD Du Fu was appointed as 左拾遺 or an adviser to the
Emperor. Finally, Du Fu had a good job and he was very happy. However, being
a poet he sometime criticized the Government in his poems and Emperor Su
Zong could not tolerate his criticism. Eventually he was demoted and sent
to work in the Department of Defence in Huazhou (華州), near his hometown
Luoyang, in the present day Henan province. He continued to write poetry
profusely.
In the 7th Month of 759AD Du Fu resigned his Government job and went to
Chengdu to see his friend, Yan Wu (嚴武), who was the Governor of Chengdu
city. He worked as an adviser to his friend. When Yan Wu died Du Fu left
Chengdu and went touring. He toured Jiazhou (嘉州), Yuzhou (渝州), Zhongzhou
(忠州), Jiang Ling (江陵) and other places. In 770AD he arrived at Tanzhou
(潭州). From there he took a boat to Yueyang (岳陽). Unfortunately, Du Fu
died on the boat.
.........................................................
(2) Du Mu (杜牧 803AD to 852AD)
Du Mu, a poet, was born in the county of Wannian (萬年縣 in the present
day province of Jiangxi 江西省) during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD)
. He was a Imperial Graduate (進士) and an official. In comparison to another
poet Du Fu people called Du Mu "Xiao Du 小杜 or the Little Du." This is
one of his many poems:
長空澹澹孤鳥沒,---Chang2 kong3 dan4 dan4 gu niao3 mei2,
萬古銷沈向此中,---Wan4 gu3 xiao chen2 xiang4 ci3 zhong.
看取漢家何事業?--Kan qu3 Han jia he2 shi4 ye4?
五陵無樹起秋風!--Wu3 ling2 wu2 shu4 qi3 qiu feng.
A lonely bird flies up and disappears in the boundless lonely sky,
The history since time immemorial disappears in the universe..
Look at the glory of the Han Dynasty*, where is it now?
But the five tombs** in the wilderness without trees!.
*Han Dynasty=(漢朝 206BC to 220AD)
** Five tombs are situated near the city of Xian (西安)
in Shaanxi province (陝西省). They are;
(A) Tomb Changling (長陵) where Emperor Gao Zu Liu Bang (高祖皇帝劉邦 206BC
to 195BC) was buried.
(B) Tomb Anling (安陵) where Emperor Hui Di Liu Ying (惠皇帝 194BC to 188BC)
was buried.
(C) Tomb Yangling (陽陵) where Emperor Jing Di Liu Liu Qi (景皇帝劉啟 145BC
to 141BC) was buried.
(D) Tomb Maoling (茂陵) where Emperor Wu Di Liu Che (武皇帝劉徹 140BC to
87BC) was buried.
(E) Tomb Pingling (平陵) where Emperor Zhao Di Liu Fu Ling (昭皇帝劉弗陵
86BC to 74BC) was buried.
..............................................
(3) Du Yi (杜預 222AD to 284AD)
Du Yi, a general and a scholar, was born in Duling (杜陵 in the southeast
of present day city of Xian 西安市 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) during the
period of the Three Kingdoms (三國時代 220AD to 265AD). In the era of the
Jin Dynasty (晉朝 265AD to 420AD) he was a general and a Military Governor
in Jingzhou (荊州 present day provinces of Hunan (湖南省, Hubei 湖北省
and parts of the provinces of Guangdong 廣東省, Guangxi 廣西省 and Sichuan
四川省). In 280AD, he led the Jin Army to invade the Kingdom of Wu (吳國
229AD to 280AD in the present day region of southeast China). Sun Hao (孫
皓) the ruler of Wu surrendered without a fight.
Sun Hao was the son of Sun Quan (孫權), the founder of the Kingdom of Wu.
The Kingdom of Wu was absolved into the Jin Empire. Emperor Wu Di Sima Yan
(武帝皇帝司馬炎 265AD to290AD) bestowed upon Du Yi the title of Yangxian
Hou (陽縣侯 the Marquis of Yang county). People called him "杜武庫 Du Wu
Ku" or Du the military warehouse".
Du Yi was the author of the book titled "春秋左氏經傳集解 Chun Qiu Zuo Shi
Jing Chuan Ji Jie".
---------------------------------------
Note:
Surname DU (杜姓) is the 46th most common Chinese surname in the world.
Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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