Zu Ti

Zu Ti
祖逖
Inspector of Yu Province (豫州刺史)
In office
313 (313)–321 (321)
MonarchEmperor Min of Jin/Emperor Yuan of Jin
General Who Exerts Might (奮威將軍)
In office
313–321
MonarchEmperor Min of Jin/Emperor Yuan of Jin
Personal details
Born266
Qiuxian county, Hebei
Diedc.October 321 (aged 55)
Zhengzhou, Henan
RelationsZu Yue (brother)
Zu Gai (brother)
Zu Na (half-brother)
Zu Dashou (alleged descendant)
ChildrenZu Huan
Zu Mi
Zu Pei
Zu Shei
Zu Ji
Zu Xian
Parent
  • Zu Wu (father)
OccupationMilitary general
Courtesy nameShizhi (士稚)

Zu Ti (266 – c.October 321[1]), courtesy name Shizhi, was a Chinese military general of the Jin dynasty. Between 313 and 321, he commanded an expeditionary force to reclaim territory in northern China that were lost during the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians. Although Zu Ti received little support from the Jin court in Jiankang, he was able to push all the way to the south of the Yellow River, battling local warlords, the Han-Zhao dynasty and then the Later Zhao dynasty. Zu Ti fought Later Zhao to a truce before having his authority diminished by the Jin imperial court due to concerns of a civil war back home. He soon died in disappointment, and his gains were quickly overturned by the Zhao following his death. Zu Ti's northern expedition was the first in a series by the Jin launched against the Sixteen Kingdoms, and while it failed in the end, he has been lauded as a hero for his determination to reclaim lost northern territory.

  1. ^ Both Emperor Yuan's biography in Book of Jin and vol.91 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zu Ti died on the ren'yin day of the 9th month of the 4th year of the Da'xing era. But, there was no ren'yin day in that month; the month corresponds to 8 Oct to 5 Nov 321 in the Julian calendar.