17 Facts About Tan Daoji

Tan Daoji was a high-level general of the Chinese Liu Song dynasty.

Tan Daoji was one of the most respected generals during the Southern and Northern Dynasties era.

When warlord Huan Xuan seized the Jin throne from Emperor An of Jin in 403, Liu Yu rose against him in 404, and Tan Daoji joined Liu Yu's army and served as his assistant.

When Huan Xuan was killed late in 404 but his nephew Huan Zhen continued to resist Liu's army, Tan Daoji killed Huan Zhen in battle.

Tan Daoji continued to participate in various campaigns, including assisting Liu Yu's brother Liu Daogui against invading Later Qin and Western Shu forces commanded by Gou Lin and Huan Xuan's cousin Huan Qian in 410 and battling Xu Daofu, the brother-in-law of the warlord Lu Xun.

When Liu Yu launched a major attack against Later Qin in 416, Tan Daoji was his forward commander, and he made major contributions in contributing the important cities Xuchang and Luoyang.

Unlike Xu, Fu, and Xie Tan Daoji did not remain at the capital Jiankang or involve himself with the operations of the imperial government, but became the governor of Southern Yan Province.

When rival Northern Wei launched a major attack on Liu Song later in 422 in light of Emperor Wu's death, seeking to capture the Liu Song provinces just south of the Yellow River, Tan Daoji commanded an army to try to save those provinces.

Tan Daoji was able to save Qing Province, but could not save Si and Yan provinces.

Xie, while a talented strategist, was unaccustomed to commanding large armies, and Tan Daoji defeated him; he was captured and executed.

Tan Daoji was initially successful in his attempts to advance toward Huatai, winning several battles against Northern Wei forces.

Tan Daoji was able to withdraw his forces without major losses.

Tan Daoji remained about a month, and as Emperor Wen grew better, he considered ordering Tan to return to Jiang Province or to put him in charge of another army against Northern Wei, but then suddenly grew sicker.

At that time, Tan Daoji was already on the dock ready to depart for Jiang Province, and Liu Yikang summoned him back to Jiankang and arrested him.

Emperor Wen then issued an edict falsely accusing Tan Daoji of preparing treason and executed him with his sons, but spared his grandsons.

Emperor Wen killed two of Tan Daoji's trusted generals, Xue Tong and Gao Jinzhi, who were capable soldiers and compared by their admirers to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

In 450, when Northern Wei made a major incursion into Liu Song and destroyed six provinces, Emperor Wen lamented that if Tan Daoji were still alive, he would have prevented Northern Wei advances.