Ta Dun
Encyclopedia
Tadun was a leader of the Wuhuan
tribe during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
.
, and rose to power after his uncle's death, because his uncle's son was too young to rule. After gaining authority over Wuhuan chieftains Nanlou, Supuyan and Wuyan, Tadun aligned himself with the warlord Yuan Shao
and had the Wuhuan help Yuan in the war against rival warlord Gongsun Zan
. For this deed, the Wuhuan chieftains, including Tadun, received imperial seals and ribbons from Yuan. When Qiuliju's son came of age, the many chieftains of the Wuhuan decided to appoint him as another powerful chief and have Tadun become leader of the Wuhuan domains in Liaoxi, while the rest of the tribal chiefs kept their semi-autonomous authority in Beiping and other regions.
Following Tadun's ascension to become leader, relations between Yuan Shao and the Wuhuan became very close. Yuan would have the daughters of several of his vassals become the wives of Wuhuan chieftains, and the Wuhuan essentially worked as horsemen mercenaries for Yuan. The Wuhuan horsemen were called the "greatest cavalry under heaven" later on, and under Yuan's guidance they were frequently sent to raid and pillage other territories in the Han Dynasty. They kidnapped many people and were at the height of their power when Yuan Shao was still alive. When Yuan died, the Wuhuan continued their alliance with his son Yuan Shang
.
Yuan Shang was defeated many times by rival warlord Cao Cao
. When Yuan Shang fled to the territories of Tadun, Tadun attempted to win back territory for Yuan but to no avail. Cao Cao was advised by his strategist Guo Jia
to wage war against the Wuhuan barbarians. Tadun and other chieftains such as Supuyan and Louban (son of Qiuliju) realized that Cao was going to attack them a little bit late, but the Wuhuan still managed to muster up thousands of cavalry to oppose Cao at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain
. There, in pitched battle, Cao's general Zhang Liao
led the vanguard army and defeated Tadun by exploiting a weak point in the Wuhuan formation. Tadun was slain in the battle along with many of his men.
Wuhuan
The Wuhuan were a proto-Mongolic nomadic people who inhabited northern China, in what is now the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, the municipality of Beijing and the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia....
tribe during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
Biography
Tadun was the nephew of QiulijuQiuliju
Qiuliju was a leader of the Wuhuan tribe during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the father of Louban.In 187, Qiuliju joined Zhang Chun in his rebellion along the northern frontiers of China. They raised all the Wuhuan tribes to raid northern China, but in 188 they were...
, and rose to power after his uncle's death, because his uncle's son was too young to rule. After gaining authority over Wuhuan chieftains Nanlou, Supuyan and Wuyan, Tadun aligned himself with the warlord Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
and had the Wuhuan help Yuan in the war against rival warlord Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
. For this deed, the Wuhuan chieftains, including Tadun, received imperial seals and ribbons from Yuan. When Qiuliju's son came of age, the many chieftains of the Wuhuan decided to appoint him as another powerful chief and have Tadun become leader of the Wuhuan domains in Liaoxi, while the rest of the tribal chiefs kept their semi-autonomous authority in Beiping and other regions.
Following Tadun's ascension to become leader, relations between Yuan Shao and the Wuhuan became very close. Yuan would have the daughters of several of his vassals become the wives of Wuhuan chieftains, and the Wuhuan essentially worked as horsemen mercenaries for Yuan. The Wuhuan horsemen were called the "greatest cavalry under heaven" later on, and under Yuan's guidance they were frequently sent to raid and pillage other territories in the Han Dynasty. They kidnapped many people and were at the height of their power when Yuan Shao was still alive. When Yuan died, the Wuhuan continued their alliance with his son Yuan Shang
Yuán Shàng
Yuan Shang , style name Xianfu , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the third son of the warlord Yuan Shao, and succeeded his father...
.
Yuan Shang was defeated many times by rival warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. When Yuan Shang fled to the territories of Tadun, Tadun attempted to win back territory for Yuan but to no avail. Cao Cao was advised by his strategist Guo Jia
Guo Jia
Guo Jia was a strategist and advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During his 11 years of service, Guo Jia's brilliance greatly aided Cao Cao in his victories over rival warlords Lü Bu and Yuan Shao, as well as chief of the Wuhuan tribe, Tadun...
to wage war against the Wuhuan barbarians. Tadun and other chieftains such as Supuyan and Louban (son of Qiuliju) realized that Cao was going to attack them a little bit late, but the Wuhuan still managed to muster up thousands of cavalry to oppose Cao at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain
Battle of White Wolf Mountain
The Battle of White Wolf Mountain was a battle fought in 207 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle took place in northern China, beyond the frontiers of the ruling Later Han Dynasty. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and the nomadic Wuhuan tribes,...
. There, in pitched battle, Cao's general Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
led the vanguard army and defeated Tadun by exploiting a weak point in the Wuhuan formation. Tadun was slain in the battle along with many of his men.
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms