Du Ya (杜亞) | 24 Histories

Overview

Du Ya was a Tang Military Governor and Canal Administrator.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Cigong	次公	Cigong

Life and dates

Death

died at seventy-four
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 225

Attested activity

AD 777 十二年三月
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
AD 786 貞元二年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 151
AD 766 明年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 144, passages 132, 136
AD 761 to AD 763 時史朝義盜據東都
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 5-6
AD 785 to AD 805 淮南節度使杜亞
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 52, passage 165
AD 756 肅宗在靈武
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 187

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AD 785 to AD 811 貞元年間
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passages 82, 102

Key source chapters

Career and standing

clerk-recorder 司錄
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 6
Remonstrance Officer 諫議大夫
AD 777 十二年三月 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
adjutant 判官
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 191
collation secretary 校書郎
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 188
Huaixi military governor 淮西節度使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 206
Jiangxi observation commissioner 江西觀察使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 197

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military governor of Huainan 淮南節度使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 165
Recorder 司錄
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 6
Junior Tutor to Heir Apparent 太子少傅
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 225

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Active in
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 144, passage 136
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 82
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 150, passage 151
At Jingzhao 京兆 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 187

Events and relationships

Canal transport to Dongwei Bridge
Logistical · Transporter · With Han Huang (韓滉)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 151
Converted regular levies into surplus tribute for favor
Administrative · Presenter
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 165
Feasted with
Social · Participant · With Du Hongjian (杜鴻漸)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 136
Staged lavish dragon boat races and drained the treasury
Luxury
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 210
Submitted memorial while Suzong was at Lingwu
Memorial
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 188
Transported grain to the Wei Bridge granaries and repaired canals near Yangzhou
Administrative · Official
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 53, passages 82, 102

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Tried Yuan Zai
AD 777 十二年三月 · Legal · Co investigator · With Yuan Zai (元載)
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
Relation Subordinate of · Person Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 6
Relation Subordinate of · Person Du Hongjian (杜鴻漸)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 136

Assessments and attributes

Assessment ambitious, extravagant, and negligent · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 209

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 6, 66; New Book of Tang 144, passage 136; New Book of Tang 172, passage 187

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 127Volume 123 Biographies 73: Liu Yan, Di Wuqi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, Li Xun · 2 passages

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入為京兆尹，頃之，加戶部侍郎、兼御史中丞，判度支，委府事於司錄張群、杜亞，綜大體，議論號為稱職。 Recalled to serve as metropolitan governor of Chang'an, he soon added the titles of vice minister of revenue and concurrent vice censor-in-chief, with charge of the revenue bureau. He left routine office work to Zhang Qun and Du Ya as recorders while he kept the broad direction in hand, and contemporaries judged his policy judgments sound.

敕御史大夫李涵、右散騎常侍蕭昕、兵部侍郎袁傪、禮部侍郎常袞、諫議大夫杜亞同推，載皆款伏。 The emperor ordered Chief Censor Li Han, Regular Attendant Xiao Xin, Vice Minister of War Yuan Kan, Vice Minister of Rites Chang Gun, and Remonstrance Officer Du Ya to join the inquiry; Zai confessed to all charges.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 52Volume 52 Treatises 48: Finance and Economics 2 · 1 passage

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劍南西川節度使韋皋有「日進」，江西觀察使李兼有「月進」，淮南節度使杜亞、宣歙觀察使劉贊、鎮海節度使王緯李錡皆徼射恩澤，以常賦入貢，名為「羨餘」。 Wei Gao in Jiannan sent "daily tribute," Li Jian in Jiangxi "monthly tribute"; Du Ya, Liu Zan, Wang Wei, and Li Qi converted regular taxes into "surplus" gifts for favor.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 53Volume 53 Treatises 43: Finance and Economics 3 · 2 passages

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增江淮之運，浙江東、西歲運米七十五萬石，復以兩稅易米百萬石，江西、湖南、鄂岳、福建、嶺南米亦百二十萬石，詔浙江東、西節度使韓滉，淮南節度使杜亞運至東、西渭橋倉。 Jiang-Huai shipments rose: eastern and western Zhejiang moved 750,000 shi yearly, another million shi bought with dual-tax revenue, and Jiangxi, Hunan, E'yue, Fujian, and Lingnan added 1.2 million shi. Han Huang and Du Ya were ordered to deliver to the eastern and western Wei Bridge granaries.

淮南節度使杜亞乃濬渠蜀岡，疏句城湖、愛敬陂，起隄貫城，以通大舟。 Huainan commissioner Du Ya dredged the Shugang channel, opened Jucheng Lake and Aijing Reservoir, and built dikes through the city so large vessels could pass.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 144Volume 144 Biographies 69: Lai, Tian, Hou, Cui, Yan · 1 passage

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會寧遣使至，獻繒錦數萬，辭卑約甚，鴻漸貪其利，遂入成都，政事一委寧，日與僚屬杜亞、楊炎縱酒高會。 When Ning sent envoys with lavish silks and abject words, Du Hongjian's greed drew him into Chengdu; he handed all affairs to Ning and spent his days feasting with Du Ya and Yang Yan.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu · 1 passage

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而浙江東、西歲入米七十五萬石，方歲饑，更以兩稅準米百萬，豪、壽、洪、潭二十萬，責韓滉杜亞漕送東渭橋。 Zhejiang East and West had previously delivered 750,000 shi of grain each year. In a year of famine the quota was raised to the two-tax equivalent of one million shi, with Hao, Shou, Hong, and Tan together supplying 200,000. Han Huang and Du Ya were ordered to transport the grain by canal to Dongwei Bridge.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 12 passages

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杜亞，字次公，自雲本京兆人。 Du Ya, styled Cigong, traced his family to Jingzhao.

鴻漸為山南、劍南副元帥，亞與楊炎並為判官。 When Hongjian became deputy supreme commander for Shannan and Jiannan, Ya and Yang Yan served jointly as his adjutants.

亞自以當衡柄，悒悒不悅。 Ya believed himself destined for the chancellorship and brooded in dissatisfaction.

李棲筠風望高，時謂當宰相，故亞厚結納。 Li Qiyun commanded high esteem and was widely tipped for the chancellery—Ya drew him into a warm alliance.

元載得罪，亞與劉晏等劾治。 When Yuan Zai was brought down, Ya stood with Liu Yan and others to impeach and try him.

亞意必任臺宰，倍道進。 Convinced he would be named chief minister, Ya hastened toward the capital at breakneck pace.

劉晏抵罪，貶睦州刺史。 When Liu Yan fell, Ya was demoted to prefect of Muzhou.

然承陳少遊後，裒率煩重，用度無藝，人冀有所矯革，而亞雅意丞弼，厭外官，往往不親事，日夜召賓客言噱流連。 Yet he inherited Chen Shaoyou's heavy levies and reckless spending; people hoped for reform, but Ya secretly coveted the chancellorship, disdained provincial office, neglected his duties, and spent day and night entertaining guests with banter and feasting.

方春，南民為競度戲，亞欲輕駛，乃髹船底，使篙人衣油彩衣，沒水不濡，觀沼華邃，費皆千萬。 In spring, when southerners held dragon-boat races, Ya wanted a swift spectacle: he lacquered the hulls and dressed the boatmen in oil-painted clothes that stayed dry underwater; the pageantry on the ponds was lavish, costing millions.

亞大慚。 Ya was deeply embarrassed.

亞計窘，更舉軍帑錢與甸人，至秋取菽粟償息輸軍中，貧不能償者發囷窖略盡，流亡過半。 Ya's scheme backfired: he lent military funds to local farmers at interest payable in grain each autumn; those who could not repay had their stores seized, and more than half the population fled.

帝審其妄，使禮部尚書董晉代之，賜亞還。 The emperor saw through his pretensions, sent Minister of Rites Dong Jin to replace him, and ordered Ya home.