杜茂 / Du Mao (Eastern Han)

Overview

杜茂 / Du Mao is currently synthesized as an Eastern Han frontier commander whose removal marks a command-accountability point in Jianwu 15 / 39 CE. Hanji 717 says he is dismissed after one of his subordinate commanders kills someone, after which Ma Cheng replaces him and Zhang Kan later uses his former troops at Gaoliu.

Current Profile

Du Mao’s page is intentionally narrow. The current source does not develop him as a full founding general biography; it records the accountability event and the reuse of his force structure. His importance is that Guangwu-era frontier correction reaches command rank rather than stopping at local disorder.

The reassignment branch also matters. Du Mao’s removal does not make his troops useless: Liu Xiu sends Zhang Kan with Du Mao’s troops, and Zhang Kan defeats Xiongnu at Gaoliu. Du Mao therefore connects punishment, personnel replacement, and continued operational use of frontier manpower.

Key Characteristics

• Eastern Han frontier commander removed because misconduct by a subordinate commander is attributed upward.
• Accountability case showing that command responsibility could reach senior military office.
• Personnel bridge between Ma Cheng’s replacement command and Zhang Kan’s later use of former troops.
• Source-bounded figure currently known through one 39 CE frontier notice.

Evidence

• Removal: Hanji 717 says Du Mao is removed after a subordinate commander kills someone.
• Replacement: Hanji 717 says Ma Cheng replaces Du Mao in the frontier role.
• Troop reuse: Hanji 717 says Zhang Kan is sent with Du Mao’s troops and defeats Xiongnu at Gaoliu.

Qualifications

The current source does not establish Du Mao’s full earlier service, rank history beyond the frontier notice, or the legal details of the subordinate’s killing. The page should not infer personal culpability beyond the source’s removal-and-replacement sequence.

What Changed

• Created Du Mao as a canonical Eastern Han entity from Hanji 717.
• Framed the page around command accountability and troop reassignment rather than a full biography.

Relationships

• 光武帝刘秀 - ruler whose frontier command correction removes Du Mao and reuses his troops.
• 马成 - replacement commander after Du Mao’s removal.
• 张堪 - official who later uses Du Mao’s former troops at Gaoliu.
• 匈奴 - frontier opponent in the Gaoliu branch after Du Mao’s troops are reassigned.
• 功赏罪罚秩序 - related concept because the episode treats military office as accountable to punishment as well as later success.