Gan Zhuo (died 23 June 322[1]), courtesy name Jisi, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). The great-grandson of the famed general, Gan Ning, he was involved in the suppression of Shi Bing's rebellion, but later allied himself with Chen Min in his takeover of the Jiangnan region in 305. After the Jiangnan gentry rose up against Chen Min in 307, he defected back to Jin and played a role in defeating the rebellion. Gan Zhuo later became an important retainer of the Prince of Langya and future emperor Yuan of Jin, Sima Rui, participating in campaigns against Zhou Fu, Hua Yi and Du Tao to consolidate his position in the Jiangnan. In 322, Gan Zhuo raised an army against the Jin commander, Wang Dun as he attacked Emperor Yuan at Jiankang, but his indecisiveness and old age stopped him from preventing the imperial forces' defeat, and he was soon assassinated by his subordinate.
Gan Zhuo | |
|---|---|
| 甘卓 | |
| Inspector of Liangzhou (梁州刺史) | |
| In office 320–322 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Yuan of Jin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Xuancheng, Anhui |
| Died | 23 June 322 Xiangyang, Hubei |
| Relations | Gan Ning (great-grandfather) |
| Children | Lady Gan Gan Bo Three unnamed sons |
| Parent |
|
| Courtesy name | Jisi (季思) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Yuhu (于湖侯) |
| Posthumous name | Jing (敬) |
Early life and career
editGan Zhuo was a native of Danyang Commandery (丹陽郡; in present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), although his ancestral home was in Linjiang County, Ba Commandery (巴郡; present-day Chongqing). He was the great-grandson of Gan Ning, a general during the end of the Han dynasty who served the founder of Eastern Wu, Sun Quan, and also the son of Gan Chang (甘昌), who was the grand tutor to the crown prince under Wu. After Wu fell to the Western Jin dynasty in May 280, Gan Zhuo decided to live in seclusion back at his home. He was later summoned to serve as chief clerk and officer of merit in Danyang, after which he was nominated as a xiaolian. He was then nominated as a xiucai in Yang province, and soon became a Regular Attendant for the Prince of Wu.[2]
In 303, the Man official, Zhang Chang began a wide-scale rebellion in southern China, and his general, Shi Bing was able to capture Yang province. The local gentry, led by Zhou Qi and Wang Ju (王矩), planned to overthrow Shi Bing and soon began openly raising their armies. Gan Zhuo was one of the many who joined the pro-Jin forces, and after Shi Bing was defeated in 304, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Duting. Later on, the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue summoned Gan Zhuo to have him serve as an Army Advisor and appointed him as the Prefect of Lihu (離狐; southeast of present-day Dongming, Shandong). However, in 305, seeing the chaos in northern China, he abandoned his post and fled back to the Jiangnan.[3]
Chen Min's Rebellion
editAlong the way, Gan Zhuo met the chancellor of Guangling, Chen Min at Liyang. With the imperial court distracted by civil war, Chen Min had intention of declaring independence in the Jiangnan, and Gan Zhuo agreed with his plans. He appointed Chen Min the Inspector of Yang province, pretending to be an envoy from the crown prince, Sima Chi, and married his daughter to Chen Min's son to seal their alliance.[4] Chen Min then declared himself the Duke of Chu before invading the Jiangnan with his army, easily capturing the region.
Chen Min ruled the Jiangnan from 305 to 307, during which he failed to win the support of the gentry clans. Gu Rong, Zhou Qi and others conspired to depose him and return to Jin, so they contacted the Jin general, Liu Zhun (劉準) to send an army south of the Yangzi River. Chen Min sent his brother, Chen Chang (陳昶) to intercept the Jin forces, but after he was killed by a traitor, Qian Guang (錢廣), he sent Gan Zhuo to defend the Zhuque Bridge (朱雀橋; south of present-day Nanjing). Gu Rong, who Chen Min was unaware was working against him, went out to meet Gan Zhuo with Zhou Qi to persuade him into defecting. Gan Zhuo had always respected Gu Rong, and because Chen Chang was dead, he decided to join the conspirators. He pretended to be ill unless his daughter could be delivered to him, and once he received her, he lowered the bridge, gathered the boats on the southern bank and led the Jin forces to defeat Chen Min.[5]
Service under Sima Rui
editAfter Chen Min's defeat in 307, the Prince of Langya, Sima Rui was assigned to guard the Jiangnan. Gan Zhuo was recommended to him by Gu Rong, so he was appointed as Vanguard Commander, General Who Spreads Might and Interior Minster of Liyang. In 311, Gan Zhuo and others defeated the Chief Controller of Yang province, Zhou Fu at Shouchun after he rebelled.[6] Later that year, he joined in the campaign against the Inspector of Jiang province, Hua Yi, defeating and beheading him.[7] Gan Zhuo also participated in the war against the rebel, Du Tao in the Central Yangzi region between 311 and 315. For his merits in putting down these rebellions, he was first appointed the administrator of Yuzhang and enfeoffed as Marquis of Nanxiang. He was then promoted to Inspector of Xiang province (湘州, modern central Hunan) and elevated to Marquis of Yuhu.[8]
In 320, three years after Sima Rui, posthumously known as Emperor Yuan of Jin, founded the Eastern Jin dynasty at Jiankang, Gan Zhuo was promoted to General Who Stabilizes the South and Inspector of Liang province. He was also appointed as chief controller of the Mianbei and assigned to Xiangyang to replace Zhou Fang, who had recently died. His rule was described as simple and compassionate, taking great care in controlling the local tribes. He abolished both taxes on trade and dual pricing in the markets, and also donated all taxes collected from fish ponds in his territory to the poor, thus earning him high praise from the locals.[9]
Wang Dun's Rebellion
editOpposing Wang Dun
editIn 322, the general, Wang Dun launched a rebellion and led his forces to attack Jiankang, ostensibly to remove the corrupt officials, Diao Xie and Liu Huai, who Emperor Yuan favoured. Wang Dun sent messengers to Gan Zhuo asking him to join, which Gan Zhuo initially agreed. However, in the course of the rebellion, Gan Zhuo did not appear, and instead sent his official, Sun Shuang (孫雙) to order Wang Dun to stop. Wang Dun was taken by surprise, so he sent Sun Shuang back with an offer to make Gan Zhuo a duke. Gan Zhuo hesitated but still refused to join. Worried that Gan Zhuo was not coming, Wang Dun sent his advisor, Yue Daorong (樂道融) to persuade him.[10]
However, Daorong was secretly against Wang Dun's rebellion, so when he met Gan Zhuo, he advised him to oppose Wang Dun instead. Gan Zhuo was convinced, so he ordered Liu Chun (柳純), Xiahou Cheng (夏侯承), Tan Gai (譚該) and others to send out proclamations denouncing Wang Dun's crimes and calling for a campaign against him. He also contacted Sima Cheng and the Inspector of Guang province (廣州, modern Guangdong), Tao Kan, to attack Wang Dun at his base in Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei). Many people in Wuchang were terrified by Gan Zhuo's declaration and fled, while the imperial court commended him and rejoiced.[11]
Standstill at Zhukou
editYet, despite openly expressing his intentions, Gan Zhuo remained indecisive and suspicious, which records attribute to his old age. Halfway through his march to Wuchang, he decided to stop at Zhukou (豬口; southeast of present-day Jingshan, Hubei) and planned to rescue Sima Cheng, who was besieged by Wang Dun's general, Wei Yi (魏乂) at Changsha. Cheng told Gan Zhuo to leave him and take Wuchang first, as it would naturally lift the siege of Changsha, but Gan Zhuo did not move. Meanwhile, Wang Dun sent Gan Zhuo's nephew, Gan Ang (甘卬) to persuade him into making peace. Gan Zhuo remained at Zhukou for many days, allowing Wang Dun to break into Jiankang and take over the government.[12]
Wang Dun had the officials, Zhou Yi and Dai Yuan killed, and he sent messengers with the Zouyu Banners (騶虞幡) to Gan Zhuo's army to get them to surrender. When Gan Zhuo heard that Zhou Yi and Dai Yuan were killed, he told Gan Ang that he was worried that if he attacked Wuchang, Wang Dun would harm Emperor Yuan and the imperial family, so he decided to return to Xiangyang. His Commandant, Qin Kang (秦康) and Yue Daorong urged him to persist, advising him to take Pengze to cut off communications between Wang Dun's forces in Wuchang and Jiankang so that their troops will disperse. However, Gan Zhuo refused to listen.[13]
Death
editGan Zhuo's temperament drastically deteriorated when he returned to Xiangyang, becoming easily irritated and making abnormal body movements. His chief clerk, He Wuji (何無忌), advised him to be more vigilant against Wang Dun, but he angrily refused. He ordered his soldiers to disarm and began a large-scale land cultivation, leaving no soldiers for his defense. His Officer of Merit, Rong Jian (榮建) tried to dissuade him but was also ignored. After learning that Gan Zhuo had failed to take any precautions, Wang Dun sent a secret order to the Prefect of Xiangyang, Zhou Lü (周慮) to kill him. Zhou Lü falsely informed Gan Zhuo that there had been many fish in the lakes and advised him to send his soldiers to go fish, which Gan Zhuo agreed. Once he was defenseless, Zhou Lü ordered his men to kill Gan Zhuo in his bedroom and sent his head to Wang Dun. His four sons, including Gan Bo (甘蕃), were also killed.[14]
After Wang Dun's rebellion was put down in 324, Gan Zhuo was posthumously appointed General of Agile Cavalry and given the posthumous name of "Jing" (敬).[15]
References
edit- ^ yi'hai day of the 5th month of the 1st year of the Yong'chang era, per vol.92 of Zizhi Tongjian.
- ^ (甘卓字季思，丹楊人，秦丞相茂之後也。曾祖寧，爲吳將。祖述，仕吳爲尚書。父昌，太子太傅。吳平，卓退居自守。郡命主簿、功曹，察孝廉，州舉秀才，爲吳王常侍。) Jin Shu, vol.70. It is likely that this Prince of Wu was Sima Yan, father of Emperor Min of Jin; his princedom was bestowed in December 289, just before Emperor Wu's death in May 290.
- ^ (討石冰，以功賜爵都亭侯。東海王越引爲參軍，出補離狐令。卓見天下大亂，棄官東歸，前至歷陽，與陳敏相遇。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (會吳王常侍甘卓自洛至，教卓假稱皇太弟命，拜敏為揚州刺史... 敏為息娶卓女，遂相為表裏。) Jin Shu, vol.100
- ^ (廣勒兵朱雀橋南；敏遣甘卓討廣，堅甲精兵悉委之。顧榮慮敏之疑，故往就敏。敏曰：「卿當四出鎭衞，豈得就我邪！」榮乃出，與周玘共說甘卓曰：「若江東之事可濟，當共成之。然卿觀茲事勢，當有濟理不？敏旣常才，政令反覆，計無所定，其子弟各已驕矜，其敗必矣。而吾等安然坐受其官祿，事敗之日，使江西諸軍函首送洛，題曰『逆賊顧榮、甘卓之首』，此萬世之辱也！」卓遂詐稱疾，迎女，斷橋，收船南岸，與玘、榮及前松滋侯相丹楊紀瞻共攻敏。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.86
- ^ (裴碩求救於琅邪王睿，睿使揚威將軍甘卓等攻周馥於壽春。馥衆潰，奔項，豫州都督、新蔡王確執之，馥憂憤而卒。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.87
- ^ (尋與甘卓等討江州刺史華軼，斬之。) Jin Shu, vol.98
- ^ (其後討周馥，征杜弢，屢經苦戰，多所擒獲。以前後功，進爵南鄉侯，拜豫章太守。尋遷湘州刺史，將軍如故。復進爵于湖侯。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (卓尋遷安南將軍、梁州刺史、假節、督沔北諸軍，鎮襄陽。卓外柔內剛，爲政簡惠，善於綏撫，估稅悉除，市無二價。州境所有魚池，先恒責稅，卓不收其利，皆給貧民，西土稱爲惠政。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (王敦稱兵，遣使告卓。卓乃僞許，而心不同之。及敦升舟，而卓不赴，使參軍孫雙詣武昌諫止敦。敦聞雙言，大驚曰：「甘侯前與吾語云何，而更有異！正當慮吾危朝廷邪？吾今下唯除姦凶耳。卿還言之，事濟當以甘侯作公。」雙還報卓，卓不能決。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (敦恐卓於後爲變，又遣參軍丹楊樂道融往邀之，必欲與之俱東。道融雖事敦，而忿其悖逆，乃說卓曰：「主上親臨萬機，自用譙王爲湘州，非專任劉隗也。而王氏擅權日久，卒見分政，便謂失職，背恩肆逆，舉兵向闕。國家遇君至厚，今與之同，豈不違負大義，生爲逆臣，死爲愚鬼，永爲宗黨之恥，不亦惜乎！爲君之計，莫若僞許應命，而馳襲武昌，大將軍士衆聞之，必不戰自潰，大勳可就矣。」卓雅不欲從敦，聞道融之言，遂決曰：「吾本意也。」乃與巴東監軍柳純、南平太守夏侯承、宜都太守譚該等露檄數敦逆狀，帥所統致討；遣參軍司馬讚、孫雙奉表詣臺；羅英至廣州，約陶侃同進。戴淵在江西，先得卓書，表上之，臺內皆稱萬歲。陶侃得卓信，卽遣參軍高寶帥兵北下。武昌城中傳卓軍至，人皆奔散。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.91
- ^ (卓雖懷義正，而性不果毅，且年老多疑，計慮猶豫，軍次豬口，累旬不前。敦大懼，遣卓兄子行參軍卬求和，謝卓曰：「君此自是臣節，不相責也。吾家計急，不得不爾。想便旋軍襄陽，當更結好。」時王師敗績，敦求臺騶虞幡駐卓。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (卓聞周顗、戴淵死，流涕謂卬曰：「吾之所憂，正爲今日。且使聖上元吉，太子無恙，吾臨敦上流，亦未敢遽危社稷。適吾徑據武昌，敦勢逼，必劫天子以絕四海之望，不如還襄陽，更思後圖。」卽命旋軍。都尉秦康與樂道融說卓曰：「今分兵斷彭澤，使敦上下不得相赴，其衆自然離散，可一戰擒也。將軍起義兵而中止，竊爲將軍不取。且將軍之下，士卒各求其利，欲西還，亦恐不可得也。」卓不從。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.91
- ^ (卓性先寬和，忽便強塞，徑還襄陽，意氣騷擾，舉動失常，自照鏡不見其頭，視庭樹而頭在樹上，心甚惡之。其家金櫃鳴，聲似槌鏡，清而悲。巫云：「金櫃將離，是以悲鳴。」主簿何無忌及家人皆勸令自警。卓轉更很愎，聞諫輒怒。方散兵使大佃，而不爲備。功曹榮建固諫，不納。襄陽太守周慮等密承敦意，知卓無備，詐言湖中多魚，勸卓遣左右皆捕魚，乃襲害卓于寢，傳首于敦。四子散騎郎蕃等皆被害。太寧中，追贈驃騎將軍，諡曰敬。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- ^ (太寧中，追贈驃騎將軍，諡曰敬。) Jin Shu, vol.70
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.