Tao Kan

Tao Kan (Chinese: 陶侃; pinyin: Táo Kǎn) (259–334), courtesy name Shixing (士行), formally Duke Huan of Changsha (長沙桓公), was a renowned Jin Dynasty (265-420) general and governor. He was the great-grandfather of the Jin Dynasty poet Tao Yuanming.

Early career

Tao Kan was born under the rule of Eastern Wu, and his father was an Eastern Wu general. Early in his career, he was a low-level county official, but subsequently on recommendation of the commandery governor Zhang Kui (張夔), he was sent to the Jin prime minister Zhang Hua for commission; however, Zhang Hua, who did not favor people from former Eastern Wu lands, did not give him a commission, and he ended up serving on staff of the general Sun Xiu (孫秀, not to be confused with the Eastern Wu emperor), a member of the Eastern Wu imperial household.

Later, Tao served on the staff of the famed Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei and Hunan) governor Liu Hong (劉弘). Liu once personally told him, "When I was serving on General Yang Hu's staff, he told me that I would one day have his position. Now, I tell you that you will one day have my position." Tao later played a large role in Liu's suppression of the rebel Chen Min (陳敏). He later served successively as several commanderies' governor, and later served under the general Wang Dun, participating in Wang's campaign against various agrarian rebels, including the powerful Du Tao (杜弢). For his accomplishments, Wang commissioned Tao as the governor of Jing Province, fulfilling Liu's prior words.