ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature

Du Ji 杜畿

Jan 21, 2016 © Ulrich Theobald

Du Ji 杜畿 (133-224 CE), courtesy name Bohou 伯侯, was an official of the early Wei period 曹魏 (220-265).

He hailed from the metropolitan region around Chang'an 長安 (today Xi'an 西安, Shaanxi) and was a head of the labour section (gongcao 功曹) in the local commandery, then magistrate (ling 令) of Zhengxian 鄭縣. Recommended as a filial and uncorrupt person (xiaolian 孝廉) he was appointed *vice governor (fucheng 府丞) of the commandery of Hanzhong 漢中, yet the turmoil of the time caused him to quit official service, and he migrated to the province of Jingzhou 荊州 (today's Hubei).

During the Jian'an reign 建安 (196-219) he returned to the north and was by Xun Yu 荀彧 recommended to the warlord Cao Cao 曹操, who made him *Vice Minister of Works (sikong sizhi 司空司直), later commander pacifying the Qiang 羌 barbarians (hu Qiang xiaowei 護羌校尉), then governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Xiping 西平 in west China. Having pacified northern China, Cao Cao appointed Du Ji governor of Hedong 河東. In this position he participated in the suppression of Gao Gan's 高幹 rebellion and of the last troops of the warlord Yuan Shao 袁紹.

As a governor Du Ji cared for the reconstruction of the economy and founded some schools for the education of the local elite. Grain from Hedong was used to supply Cao Cao's campaign against Ma Chao 馬超, Han Sui 韓遂 and the Daoist leader Zhang Lu 張魯.

When Cao's son Cao Pi 曹丕 (Emperor Wen of Wei 魏文帝, r. 220-226) succeeded as king of Wei, Du Ji was appointed imperial secretary (shangshu 尚書) and granted the title of Marquis within the Passes (guanneihou 關內侯), and when the king adopted the title of emperor, Du was granted the title of Neighbourhood Marquis of Fengle 豐樂亭侯 and appointed metropolitan commander (sili xiaowei 司隸校尉).

During Emperor Wen's campaign against the empire of Wu 吳 (222-280) in the southeast, Du Ji remained as imperial administrator in the capital, endowed with the title of Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu puye 尚書僕射). He died during a trial run with a multi-story warship that overturned in a heavy breeze. Du was posthumously awarded the honorific title of Chamberlain for the Imperial Stud (taipu 太僕). His posthumous title was Marquis Dai 豐樂亭戴侯.

Sources:
Huang Huixian 黃惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 115.
Ji Qianyun 冀遷運, Zhu Zhenghao 朱正浩, Wang Rui 王端, eds. (1996). Shaanxi gudai mingren cidian 陝西古代名人辭典 (Xi'an: Shaanxi renmin chubanshe), 56.
Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, eds. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 537.
Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, eds. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 828.
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (1992). Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 175.