家世和接手武昌軍

杜洪生年不詳，是武昌軍部鄂州人，年輕時當過演戲的伶官。唐僖宗乾符（874年 - 879年）末年，唐朝的很多地區被農民軍占領，鄂州刺史崔紹組織民兵，稱為土團軍，以抵抗農民軍進攻。這支民兵民風強悍，成為一支善戰的軍隊。杜洪也加入其中，並因功被授為牙將。

中和四年（884年），崔紹卒。當時被朝廷任為杭州刺史的路審中因被占據杭州的軍閥董昌所阻而暫居武昌的黃州。得知崔紹已死，他徵召三千士兵進入並控制了鄂州。杜洪也驅逐了岳州刺史，控制岳州，自稱刺史。

光啟二年，周通農民軍攻打鄂州，路審中棄城而逃。杜洪趁機進入鄂州，自稱武昌軍節度留後，並得到僖宗認可。

管治武昌

杜洪接受朝廷任命後成為宣武軍節度使朱全忠的盟友，切斷了不與朱全忠結盟的東南諸鎮向京城長安納貢的道路。

乾寧元年（894年），黃州刺史吳討轉投朱全忠的主要敵手之一淮南節度使楊行密。杜洪攻打吳討，吳討畏懼，儘管楊行密派小舅子朱延壽來援，還是徹底向楊行密投降了。占據永興縣的駱殷棄地而走，杜洪得之，倚為心腹，乘間取永興守之。楊行密命都將先鋒指揮使瞿章權知黃州，抵禦杜洪。

三年（896年），因忌憚楊行密的擴張，杜洪和時任鎮海節度使的錢鏐及鎮南節度使鐘傳都向朱全忠求助。朱全忠命養子汝州刺史朱友恭率一萬步兵騎兵南下，但朱友恭卻不敢走遠。

四年（897年），楊行密被唐昭宗詔授江南諸道行營都統，奉命討伐杜洪，杜洪求助于朱全忠。朱全忠派聶金奇襲淮南的泗州，派朱友恭攻打黃州。瞿章棄城率軍民南下武昌寨。楊行密派舒州刺史馬珣以五千精兵援助瞿章，被朱友恭和杜洪大破。朱友恭攻占武昌寨，擒斬瞿章，擒三千餘人、馬五百匹，又攻占黃州。但朱全忠隨後發起的對淮南的大規模進攻被楊行密和部將遙領武寧軍節度使朱瑾擊退，使他再也沒有實力再次大舉進攻淮南。朱全忠怕諸鎮趁機攻打自己，說服杜洪、鐘傳、平盧節度使王師範、錢鏐推薦自己為元帥及兼領鄆州，獲准。奉國軍節度使崔洪因畏懼朱全忠，逃奔楊行密，杜洪攔截不及。光化二年（899年），楊行密在黃、鄂間紮營，杜洪在酒、井裡下鴆毒，棄城而去，楊行密知道後不進城。朱全忠派使者督荊南節度使成汭、武安軍節度使馬殷、武貞軍節度使雷滿連兵來救杜洪，楊行密撤軍。

天複三年（903年），朱全忠圍攻劫持昭宗的鳳翔節度使李茂貞，昭宗遣使者東出，途經武昌，杜洪都殺了他們。當時楊行密攻光州，昭宗詔杜洪出兵，與忠義軍節度使趙匡凝、馬殷襲安州。楊行密奉詔命部將李神福為鄂岳招討使，劉存為副，再伐杜洪。李神福首先攻占永興，圍攻鄂州，杜洪屢戰屢敗，又向朱全忠求援。朱全忠派部將韓勍領兵一萬人前往灄口，又遣使試圖說服成汭、馬殷、武貞軍節度使雷彥威來救杜洪。成汭害怕朱全忠，也想擴張自己的領地，率艦隊來救杜洪，但他剛離開軍部荊州，馬殷和雷彥威就合兵攻陷了荊州，劫掠人財。成汭因此軍心渙散，遭遇李神福後遭到大敗。成汭投水自殺，韓勍也撤軍，杜洪陷入孤立無援的境地，眼看要被擒。但因楊行密屬下的寧國節度使田頵和潤州團練使安仁義反叛，李神福才撤軍以迎戰田頵，杜洪複振。

敗亡

楊行密平定了田頵叛亂後，天祐元年（904年）三月又派李神福攻打武昌。此時，朱全忠已控制昭宗，迫使其遷都洛陽。他遣使去楊行密處為杜洪說情，楊行密說：「只要天子重返長安，我不但答應你，還會和你重新修好。」七月，杜洪以武昌軍節度、鄂岳蘄黃等州觀察處置兼三司水陸發運淮南西面行營招討等使、開府儀同三司、檢校太師、兼中書令、西平王、食邑三千戶加食邑一千戶，實封二百戶。其妻亦由晉國夫人進封秦國夫人。八月，李神福患病（不久病故），楊行密命劉存取代他，與史儼、李承嗣、朱瑾等繼續圍攻武昌。十一月，杜洪遣使求援于朱全忠，朱全忠率師五萬從潁州渡淮，至霍丘大掠，意圖為杜洪緩解，楊行密分兵相拒，朱全忠戰不利，派別將吳章以三千兵解圍，也被擊破。朱全忠因與河東軍交戰，不能救杜洪。杜洪求救于馬殷，馬殷不答。杜洪又求救于朱全忠，二年（905年）二月，朱全忠派遣曹延祚領兵合吳章兵一萬三千到鄂州助杜洪守城。杜洪從駱殷獻計，以精兵合宣武軍從小道襲永興，行三十里，被劉存派方詔、苗璘抵擋，苗璘親自戰敗宣武軍，擒三百人，斬殺于鄂州城下。守軍喪氣，劉存派辯士說降，杜洪仍然仗著朱全忠正強盛，無投降意。劉存火焚鄂州城樓，宣武軍逃出城，淮南軍很快攻陷鄂州，杜洪父子等與曹延祚俱被擒，包括數千宣武軍在內的其餘守軍都被斬。杜洪、曹延祚被解送淮南軍部揚州。楊行密問杜洪為何不降，杜洪說：「不忍背棄朱公。」于是杜洪父子和曹延祚都被斬于揚州市。馬殷派秦彥暉、許德勛以水師救杜洪，未及。

三年（906年），因朱全忠奏，唐哀帝追贈成汭、杜洪官爵，各于本州立祠廟。朱全忠篡唐稱帝建立後梁後，于開平元年（907年）十二月追封杜洪為太傅，詔錄其子孫宗屬。

Background and seizure of Wuchang Circuit

It is not known when Du Hong was born, but it is known that he was from Wuchang's capital E Prefecture (鄂州) and that, in his youth, he was an actor. Late in the Qianfu era (874-879) of Emperor Xizong, when much of the realm was overrun by agrarian rebels, E's prefect Cui Shao (崔紹) organized the people into local militias to defend against attacks, so the prefectural militia became a strong fighting force. It was during this time that Du became an officer in the prefectural militia.

In 884, Cui died. The imperial official Lu Shenzhong (路審中), whom the imperial government had commissioned the prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang), had been refused entry by the warlord Dong Chang, who occupied the region; he therefore took up residence at Wuchang's Huang Prefecture (黃州, in modern Wuhan). Upon hearing news of Cui's death, he conscripted 3,000 soldiers and entered E Prefecture, taking it over. Thereafter, Du expelled the prefect of Yue Prefecture (岳州, in modern Yueyang, Hunan) and took it over himself, claiming the title of prefect.

In 886, the agrarian rebel Zhou Tong (周通) attacked E Prefecture. Lu abandoned E and fled. Du took the chance to enter E and claimed the title of acting military governor of Wuchang, a title that Emperor Xizong thereafter confirmed.

Rule of Wuchang Circuit

It was said that while Du Hong received the commission from the imperial government, he became an ally of the warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and cut off the tribute routes between the southeastern circuits not allied with Zhu and the imperial capital Chang'an.

In 894, Wu Tao the prefect of Huang Prefecture submitted to a chief rival of Zhu's, Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). In response, Du attacked Wu, and Wu, while Yang sent his brother-in-law Zhu Yanshou to aid Wu, was still fearful of Du's attack, and therefore surrendered his post completely to Yang. Yang sent his officer Qu Zhang (瞿章) to take over Huang Prefecture and defend against Du.

Fearing Yang's expansion, in 896, Du, along with Qian Liu (then the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered at Hang Prefecture)) and Zhong Chuan the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchong, Jiangxi), all sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong. Zhu Quanzhong sent his adoptive son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭) south to try to determine what he could do, but Zhu Yougong appeared to not venture far.

In 897, under order by Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, Yang attacked Du, and Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong. Zhu Quanzhong sent Nie Jin (聶金) to raid Huainan's Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) and sent Zhu Yougong to attack Huang Prefecture. Qu abandoned Huang and took his army and people south to Wuchang Base (武昌寨, in modern Ezhou, Hubei). Zhu Yougong subsequently captured Wuchang Base, took Qu captive, and captured Huang Prefecture. The Huainan forces that Yang sent to aid Qu were all repelled. A subsequent major attack by Zhu Quanzhong on Huainan was decisively repelled by Yang and his general Zhu Jin, however, and it was said that thereafter Zhu no longer had the strength to consider a major attack on Huainan.

In 903, Yang sent his officer Li Shenfu, with Liu Cun as Li's deputy, to again attack Du. Li first attack E Prefecture's Yongxing County (永興, in modern Huanggang, Hubei) and captured it. He then put E Prefecture under siege, and Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong. Zhu sent his officer Han Qing with 10,000 men to Shekou (灄口, in modern Wuhan), and also sent messengers to Cheng Rui the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), Ma Yin the military governor of Wu'an Circuit (武安, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan), and Lei Yanwei the military governor of Wuzhen Circuit (武貞, headquartered in modern Changde, Hunan), trying to persuade them to save Du. Cheng, who feared Zhu's strength and also wanted to expand his own territory, launched a fleet to try to save Du, but after he left his capital Jing Prefecture (荊州), Ma and Lei jointly attacked Jing Prefecture, capturing it and pillaging its wealth and population. Hearing the news, the morale of Cheng's soldiers failed, and Li subsequently engaged him and decisively defeated him. Cheng committed suicide by drowning, and Han withdrew, leaving Du with no aid. Du was only subsequently saved when Li was also forced to withdraw when Yang's subordinates Tian Jun the military governor of Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui) and An Renyi (安仁義) the military prefect of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) rebelled against Yang, requiring Li to engage Tian instead.

Defeat and death

In 904, with Yang Xingmi's having crushed Tian Jun's rebellion, he again sent Li Shenfu to attack Wuchang. Zhu Quanzhong, who had then seized control of Emperor Zhaozong and forcibly moved the capital and the emperor from Chang'an to Luoyang, sent messengers to Yang, seeking to intercede on Du Hong's behalf, and Yang responded, "I will do so and rebuild my relationship with you if the Son of Heaven were restored to Chang'an." Later in 904, when Li fell ill (and later died), Yang sent Liu Cun to replace Li and continued the siege. In spring 905, Zhu sent Cao Yanzuo (曹延祚) to help Du defend the city, but Liu soon captured the city and took Du and Cao captive, delivering them to Yang Xingmi at Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州). When Yang questioned Du why he did not surrender, Du responded, "I could not betray Lord Zhu." Yang then executed him and Cao. After Zhu usurped the Tang throne and established Later Liang as its emperor, he posthumously honored Du.

Notes and references

• New Book of Tang, vol. 190.

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 17.

• Zizhi Tongjian, 255, 256, 259, 260, 261, 263, 264, 265.