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Du Tao (died 16 September 315?According to Emperor Min's biography in Book of Jin, Du Tao was killed on the guihai day of the 8th month of the 3rd year of the Jianxing era of his reign. This corresponds to 16 Sep 315 on the Julian calendar. However, this account is contradicted by the account found in Du Tao's own biography in the same work, which claimed that he successfully escaped and disappeared.), courtesy name Jingwen, was a Chinese rebel leader during the Jin dynasty (266–420). In 311, he was proclaimed the leader of an uprising by Ba and Shu refugees in Jing and Xiang (湘州; in modern Hunan) provinces, who had been oppressed by the local populace. After Du Tao ousted the provincial inspectors, the Prince of Langya, Sima Rui in the east sent his generals Wang Dun, Tao Kan and Zhou Fang to campaign against him. His rebellion lasted for roughly four years, before he presumably died while fleeing in 315.
In Yi, Luo Shang had an unsteady relationship with a powerful refugee leader named Li Te. Luo Shang was ordered by the court to send the refugees back to Qin and Yong provinces, while Li Te, at the behest of the refugees, wanted to lengthen their stay until it was completely safe for them to return. Luo Shang tolerated them at first, but was later determined to carry out his duty. Li Te's envoy, Yan Shi (閻式), managed to persuade Du Tao into helping the refugees by talking his superior into extending their stay. In fact, Du Tao was inclined to give the refugees a year-long extension instead of Yan Shi's initial proposal of extending to winter. However, Luo Shang refused to listen to Du Tao, so in protest, Du Tao returned his Abundant Talent slate and went back home.(羅尚遣從事督遣流民，限七月上道。時流民布在梁、益，爲人傭力，聞州郡逼遣，人人愁怨，不知所爲；且水潦方盛，年穀未登，無以爲行資。特復遣閻式詣尚，求停至冬；辛冉及犍爲太守李苾以爲不可。尚舉別駕杜弢秀才，式爲弢說逼移利害，弢亦欲寬流民一年；尚用冉、苾之謀，不從；弢乃致秀才板，出還家。冉性貪暴，欲殺流民首領，取其資貨，乃與苾白尚，言：「流民前因趙廞之亂，多所剽掠，宜因移設關以奪取之。」尚移書梓潼太守張演，於諸要施關，搜索寶貨。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 84
As war between Cheng and Jin raged on, more refugees from Sichuan began fleeing west to the central Yangzi provinces of Jing and Xiang. These refugees were not welcomed by the Jing populace and often discrimated by the local governors.(後為醴陵令。時巴蜀流人汝班、蹇碩等數萬家，布在荊湘間，而為舊百姓之所侵苦，並懷怨恨。) Book of Jin, Volume 100 In 311, a Shu native named Li Xiang (李驤, not to be confused with the Cheng Han general of the same name, Li Xiang) began a rebellion in Lexiang (樂鄉; northeast of present-day Songzi, Hubei), so Ying Zhan and Du Tao attacked and routed him. Li Xiang surrendered himself to the Inspector of Jing, Wang Cheng, who pretended to accept, but soon killed him and had 8,000 of his followers drowned in the Yangzi.(巴、蜀流民布在荊、湘間，數爲土民所侵苦，蜀人李驤聚衆據樂鄕反，南平太守應詹與醴陵令杜弢共擊破之。王澄使成都內史王機討驤，驤請降，澄僞許而襲殺之，以其妻子爲賞，沈八千餘人於江；流民益怨忿。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 87
Wang Cheng's actions only aggravated the refugees' resentment even more. Not long after, another native of Shu named Du Chou (杜疇) rebelled. The recent uprisings by Shu refugees began to arouse suspicion among officials, so the Inspector of Xiang, Xun Tiao (荀眺), planned to carry out a mass execution on the refugees. However, his plans leaked out to the public, which caused the refugees to revolt en masse in Jing and Xiang. Because Du Tao was from Shu and a popular figure, the rebels proclaimed him as their leader.(蜀人杜疇、蹇撫等復擾湘州，參軍馮素與汝班不協，言于刺史荀眺曰：「流人皆欲反。」眺以為然，欲盡誅流人。班等懼死，聚眾以應疇。時弢在湘中，賊眾共推弢為主，弢自稱梁益二州牧、平難將軍、湘州刺史。) Book of Jin, Volume 100
In 312, Wang Cheng, faced with mounting defeats and falling popularity, accepted an offer by the Prince of Langya, Sima Rui in Yang province to give up his office as Inspector of Jing to serve as an official in Jiankang. Sima Rui replaced him with his own official, Zhou Yi, but just as Zhou Yi arrived at his base, a refugee from Jianping (建平, in present-day Jingzhou), Fu Mi (傅密) as well as others rose up in support of Du Tao. Du Tao sent his subordinate Wang Zhen (王眞) to help the rebels by attacking Xiantao, enveloping Zhou Yi from two sides. Sima Rui's general, Wang Dun, immediately sent Tao Kan, Zhou Fang and Gan Zhuo to rescue Zhou Yi.(蜀賊杜弢作亂，荊州刺史周顗退走，敦遣武昌太守陶侃、豫章太守周訪等討韜，而敦進住豫章，為諸軍繼援。) Book of Jin, Volume 98
In 313, Tao Kan saved Zhou Yi at Xun River by forcing Du Tao to retreat to Lingkou after Tao sent Zhu Ci to reinforce Zhou. He later predicted that Du Tao would go to Wuchang next, so Tao Kan took many shortcuts to get to the commandery as quick as possible. Du Tao had indeed been planning to go to Wuchang, but as Tao Kan had arrived first, he was defeated by a counterattack which caused him to retreat back to Changsha. Later that year, Du Tao faced Tao Kan and Zhou Fang again, but was once more defeated.
Along the way, Du Tao was also appointed as Chief of military affairs in Badong commandery (巴東郡; around present-day Chongqing). However, although Du Tao's surrender was acknowledged by Sima Rui, the Jin generals were eager to claim credit for putting down the rebellion, so they continued relentlessly harassing Du Tao's forces. Du was angered by this and felt that his deal had not been honoured. Therefore, when Wang Yun arrived, Du Tao had him killed and resumed his rebellion.(王敦遣陶侃、甘卓等討杜弢，前後數十戰，弢將士多死，乃請降於丞相睿，睿不許。弢遺南平太守應詹書，自陳昔與詹「共討樂鄕，本同休戚。後在湘中，懼死求生，遂相結聚。儻以舊交之情，爲明枉直，使得輸誠盟府，廁列義徒，或北清中原，或西取李雄，以贖前愆，雖死之日，猶生之年也！」詹爲啓呈其書，且言「弢，益州秀才，素有清望，爲鄕人所逼。今悔惡歸善，宜命使撫納，以息江、湘之民！」睿乃使前南海太守王運受弢降，赦其反逆之罪，以弢爲巴東監軍。弢旣受命，諸將猶攻之不已。弢不勝憤怒，遂殺運復反，遣其將杜弘、張彥殺臨川內史謝摛，遂陷豫章。三月，周訪擊彥，斬之，弘奔臨賀。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 89
Later that year, Du Tao was locked with Tao Kan in a stalemate. In his final battle, Du sent his general Wang Gong (王貢) to lead against Tao Kan. However, Tao managed to convince Wang to defect to his side, which created confusion in Du Tao's army and caused them to scatter. Du Tao also retreated, but what became of him after this was unknown. Three different accounts stated that he either was killed,The account claiming his death was found in Emperor Min's biography in Book of Jin. (建兴三年八月癸亥，戰于襄垣，王師敗績。荊州刺史陶侃攻杜弢，弢敗走，道死，湘州平。) Jin Shu, vol.05 successfully escaped and disappearedThe account claiming his disappearance was found in his own biography in Book of Jin. (於是侃等諸軍齊進，真遂降侃，眾黨散潰。弢乃逃遁，不知所在。) Jin Shu, vol.100 or drowned himself in a river.(城潰，弢投水死) The Annals of Han and Jin (Han Jin Chunqiu) Regardless, the rebellion ended in 315 after Tao Kan recovered Changsha. Du Tao's followers were granted amnesty by Sima Rui after they surrendered.
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