Du Shoutian (, 1787–1852),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Zhinong (芝農), was a Chinese statesman of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Du Shoutian was the son of Du E (杜堮). He obtained the highest degree (''

jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referre ...

'') in the imperial examination and was selected a ''

shujishi Shujishi (; Manchu: ''geren giltusi'') which means "All good men of virtue" is a scholastic title during the Ming and Qing dynasty of China. It can be used to denote a group of people who hold this title as well as individuals who possess the ti ...

'' of the

Hanlin Academy The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution of higher learning founded in the 8th century Tang China by Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an. It has also been translated as "College of Literature" and "Academy of the Forest of Pen ...

in 1823. Since 1835, Du served as tutor of Prince Yizhu, whom later enthroned as the

Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. During his re ...

. (

Draft History of Qing The ''Draft History of Qing'' () is a draft of the official history of the Qing dynasty compiled and written by a team of over 100 historians led by Zhao Erxun who were hired by the Beiyang government of the Republic of China. The draft was publ ...

Volume 385) It is said that

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing e ...

was undecided which of his sons, Yizhu or Yixin, should be made the inheritor. Once, Daoguang took the princes to Nanyuan (南苑) for a hunting competition. Du told Yizhu beforehand not to kill any animals, and if the emperor ask why, he was to answer that spring was the season when all life was meant to thrive, so he had no heart to terminate them. Yizhu did so. Although Yixin caught the most fowls, Daoguang was very satisfied with Yizhu's answer and praised that Yizhu had the magnanimity of an emperor. In 1850, Daoguang Emperor was seriously ill and decided to have a conversation with Yizhu and Yixin. Du Shoutian believed that Yizhu would certainly be worser than Yixin in terms of knowledge of the current politics, so the only way was to cry without a word. Daoguang was deeply moved and finally decided to let Yizhu inherit the throne. After Xianfeng Emperor ascended the throne, Du was granted the honorary title of "Crown Prince's Grand Tutor" (太子太傅) and the Minister of Personnel. Later, he had served as Minister of Justice and Assistant Grand Secretary. When the

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a civil war in China between the Qing dynasty and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The conflict lasted 14 years, from its outbreak in 1850 until the fall of ...

broke out in

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

, Du recommended

Lin Zexu Lin Zexu (30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850), courtesy name Yuanfu, was a Chinese political philosopher and politician. He was a head of state (Viceroy), Governor General, scholar-official, and under the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynasty ...

and

Zhou Tianjue Zhou may refer to: Chinese history * Predynastic Zhou ( or ; –), the state in modern Shaanxi which established the Zhou dynasty * Zhou dynasty (; –256 BC), a dynasty of China controlling Shaanxi, the North China Plain, and its periphery ** Wes ...

(周天爵) to Emperor Xianfeng as suitable candidates to suppress the rebellion, Xianfeng adopted his advice. In 1852, he and Yiliang (怡良) were sent to northern

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

to inspect a flooded area and to report on relief measures. He fell ill on the way and later died in

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. Xianfeng was devastated and felt that Du's expectations of emperor all vanished with his passing. Du Shoutian given the

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...

Wenzheng (文正) and awarded posthumous appointment of

Grand Preceptor Grand Preceptor, also referred to as Grand Master, Section Cp2:192 C was the seniormost of the Three Ducal Ministers or Excellencies, the top three civil positions of the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. The other two were Grand Tutor and Grand P ...

(太師) by Xianfeng Emperor. In 1861, His eldest son, Du Han (杜翰), was appointed as one of the eight regents to aid the young successor Zaichun, who was later enthroned as the

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), also known by his temple name Emperor Muzong of Qing, personal name Zaichun, was the ninth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, w ...

. The eight regents were removed from power in a coup. As the son of Du Shoutian, Du Han was spared the death penalty, dismissed from the official post and exiled to Xinjiang.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Du, Shoutian 1787 births 1852 deaths Imperial tutors in Qing dynasty Grand secretaries of the Qing dynasty Assistant grand secretaries Politicians from Binzhou Qing dynasty government officials