Dugu Xin

Dugu Xin (Dugu Ruyuan)
Personal details
Born 503
Luoyang, Northern Wei
Died April 24, 557(557-04-24) (aged 53–54)
Chang'an, Northern Zhou
Cause of death Forced suicide
Spouse(s)
  • Lady Guo (郭氏)
  • Lady Cui (崔氏)
Children
  • Dugu Luo (獨孤羅)
  • Dugu Shan (獨孤善)
  • Dugu Mu (獨孤穆)
  • Dugu Zang (獨孤藏)
  • Dugu Shun (獨孤順)
  • Dugu Tuo (獨孤陀)
  • Dugu Zong (獨孤宗)
  • Dugu Zheng (獨孤整)
  • Empress Dugu
  • Duchess Dugu
  • Empress Dugu Qieluo
  • at least 4 other daughters
Mother Lady Feilian (費連氏)
Father Dugu Kuzhe (獨孤庫者)

Dugu Xin (503[1] – 24 April 557[2]), known as Dugu Ruyuan before 540[1], was a Xianbei military general and official during the chaotic Northern and Southern Dynasties period. In 534, Dugu Xin followed Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei to the west to join the warlord Yuwen Tai, and in the ensuing years led Western Wei forces against their archnemesis, the Eastern Wei. Despite an early debacle (after which he fled to and stayed for 3 years in the southern Liang dynasty before returning to the northwest), he captured the former Northern Wei capital Luoyang from Eastern Wei in 537. He rose to high ranks under Yuwen Tai, and his eldest daughter married Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Yu. When the Northern Zhou dynasty replaced Western Wei, Dugu Xin was created Duke of Wei (衛國公), but was soon forced by the powerful regent Yuwen Hu to commit suicide for challenging him.

Dugu Xin is best remembered today by his 3 daughters: it is because of their marriages that 2 sons-in-law, 1 grandson-in-law and 2 grandsons of his became emperors of 3 Chinese dynasties, all after his death. In fact, every Chinese emperor from 604 to 907 (with the exception of Wu Zetian and self-proclaimed rebels) was his descendant. During the Sui dynasty, Dugu Xin was honored as Duke Jing of Zhao (趙景公) by Emperor Wen of Sui (who married his seventh daughter Dugu Qieluo), and in 583 the empress built a temple dedicated to his memory in the capital Daxingcheng.[3] (Remains of the temple were discovered in 1997 on the campus of Xi'an Jiaotong University.[4])

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Bei Shi, ch. 61.
  2. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, ch. 167.
  3. ↑ Tang Liang Jing Cheng Fang Kao, ch. 3.
  4. ↑ "【校史故事365】81 交大校址上出土的唐代文物". Xi'an Jiaotong University (in Chinese).
  • Li Dashi; Li Yanshou (659). Bei Shi (北史) [History of the Northern Dynasties] (in Chinese).
  • Sima Guang (1086). Zizhi Tongjian (資治通鑑) [Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government] (in Chinese).
  • Xu Song (1848). Tang Liang Jing Cheng Fang Kao (唐兩京城坊考) [A Survey of the Two Tang Dynasty Capitals] (in Chinese).
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