Kong Zhou
Kong Zhou (died c. 190), courtesy name Gongxu, was an official and minor warlord who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty of China.[1]
Kong Zhou | |
---|---|
孔伷 | |
Inspector of Yu Province (豫州刺史) | |
In office ? – ? | |
Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
Succeeded by | Sun Jian |
Personal details | |
Born | Unknown Kaifeng, Henan |
Died | c. 190 Henan |
Occupation | Official, warlord |
Courtesy name | Gongxu (公緒) |
Life
Little is recorded about Kong Zhou in history. He was from Chenliu Commandery (陳留郡), which is around present-day Kaifeng, Henan. The official Zheng Tai (鄭泰) once mentioned that Kong Zhou excelled in qingtan (the philosophical repartee popular among the literati at the time) but lacked military leadership.[2] In the 160s, Fu Rong (符融) recommended Kong Zhou as a talent to Feng Dai (馮岱), the Administrator of Chenliu Commandery, who then appointed Kong Zhou as a Reporting Officer.[1]
Around 189, Dong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government, appointed Kong Zhou as the Inspector (刺史) of Yu Province. In 190, Kong Zhou turned against Dong Zhuo and joined a coalition of warlords from the east of Hangu Pass in a military campaign to eliminate Dong Zhuo and free the central government from his control. However, he died not long later within the same year. After his death, another warlord Yuan Shu nominated Sun Jian to be the new Inspector of Yu Province.[3]
References
- de Crespigny (2007), p. 395.
- (孔公緒清談高論,噓枯吹生。並無軍旅之才,埶銳之幹,臨鋒決敵,非公之儔。) Houhanshu vol. 70.
- de Crespigny (2010), p. 52.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004156050.
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2010). Imperial warlord: a biography of Cao Cao 155-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-18522-7.
- Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).