Scholars › Historian

Du You

Tang Chancellor, Institutional Historian, and Author of the Tongdian

Also known as Du Junqing · Junqing · Tongdian Zuozhe · Duke of Qi

Tang Dynasty chancellor and historian who compiled the 200-volume Tongdian, founding the genre of institutional general history in Chinese scholarship.

Life and times

  1. 735BornTang
  2. 812Died

Family tree

  1. Direct kin
    Du You
    Grandson
    Du Mu

Records

The Tongdian, 200 scrolls

801

The Old Tang History says Du You enlarged an earlier work, adding the Kaiyuan rites and music, and finished it in 200 scrolls under the name Tongdian. In 801, the seventeenth year of Zhenyuan, he sent an envoy from Huainan to present it at the palace.

References (1)

Named Minister over the Masses and chief councilor

From 806

The Old Tang History says that when Emperor Dezong died, Du You acted as chief steward of the court in mourning, and he did so again when Emperor Shunzong died. In 806 he was formally appointed Minister over the Masses and Joint Manager of Affairs, and was made Duke of Qi. Later he asked to retire, but the edict refused; he was only to attend the Secretariat every three to five days to share in state business.

References (1)