Zao Zhi
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Yingchuan Commandery
Zao Zhi | |
|---|---|
| 棗祗 | |
| Commandant of Agricultural Colonies (屯田都尉) | |
| In office 196 – ? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Inspector of the Guards of the Feathered Forest (羽林監) | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Magistrate of Dong'a (東阿令) | |
| In office c.192–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Administrator of Chenliu (陳留太守) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Yingchuan Commandery |
| Died | Unknown |
| Relations | Zao Ju (c.230 - 280s;[1] grandson and son of Zao Shuwei)[2] Zao Tian (great-grandson and son of Zao Ju) Zao Song (great-grandson and younger brother of Zao Tian)[3] |
| Children | Zao Chuzhong Zao Shuwei |
| Occupation | Politician |
Zao Zhi (fl.190s) was an early follower and official of the Chinese warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He would stay loyal when Cao Cao's base revolted against him and come up with the plan to adopt the tuntian farming system that would be an important part of Cao Cao's rise and the future Wei dynasty.[4][5]
Zao Zhi was from Yingchuan Commandery, (around present-day Xuchang, Henan), his family once named Ji (棘), but an ancestor had been forced into exile and surname was changed to Zao.[6] During the Han dynasty, he served as Administrator of Chenliu (陳留太守).[7]
On 25 September 189, the general Dong Zhuo seized control of the capital Luoyang and deposed Emperor Shao. In 190 various leading gentry would raise forces and join a coalition against Dong Zhuo, one such man was Cao Cao[8] and Zao Zhi would raise men to join with Cao Cao.[9] When Yuan Shao, head of the coalition and old friend of Cao Cao, sought to recruit Zao Zhi as he had successfully done with early Cao supporters the Zhou family,[10] Zao Zhi refused.[11]
Defence of Yan
In 194, Cao Cao was Governor of Yan province but he was away with a brutal campaign in Xu province and its leader Tao Qian over the assassination of his father Cao Song.[12][13] Several people in Yan province were unsettled by Cao Cao's recent actions and one old friend Zhang Miao, Administrator of Chenliu, feared Cao Cao might be persuaded by Yuan Shao to kill him.[14] Allying with the fierce warlord Lü Bu on the advice of Chen Gong,[15] Zhang Miao led a revolt, with most of the province falling.[16][17][18]
At the time, Zao Zhi was Magistrate of Dong'e (東阿令)[19] (near present-day Dong'e in Shandong)[20] and he was able to hold the city, one of only three commanderies in the province (alongside Fan and Juancheng) that remained loyal to Cao Cao.[21][22] Zao Zhi was noted to have led the officials and garrisoned the walls effectively, allowing the arriving Cheng Yu to take over command and oversee the defence.[21][23][24] Cao Cao would return and battle Lü Bu and when locusts brought fame, Cao Cao would turn to Zao Zhi's work in Dong'a to keep him supplied[25] while Lü Bu was greatly weakened by the famine.[26] Cao Cao would drive out Lü Bu by the summer of 195 and destroyed the Zhang family stronghold early in 196.[12]