Tao Kan - Later Career

Later Career

When Wang Dun rebelled against Emperor Yuan in 322, Emperor Yuan commissioned Tao to be the governor of Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi) with intent that Tao participate in attacking Wang's rear. However, Tao sent only a small force to assist Sima Cheng (司馬承) the governor of Xiang Province (湘州, modern Hunan), who was loyal to Emperor Yuan, and Tao's force was insufficient to prevent Sima Cheng from being defeated and killed by Wang. After Wang was successful in capturing the capital Jiankang and forcing Emperor Yuan to submit to his will, he kept Tao at Guang Province. Subsequently, after Wang died during his campaign to overthrow Emperor Ming in 324, Emperor Ming made Tao the governor of Jing Province and military commander of the western provinces. He was effective in that role—and the military improvements he made later helped to pave the way for Huan Wen's later campaign to conquer Cheng Han in 347.

However, Tao became resentful when Emperor Ming died in 325 and failed to list him among the officials who were promoted or honored—leading him to suspect that Emperor Ming's brother-in-law, the regent Yu Liang, had erased his name. As a result, Yu became apprehensive of Tao, and subsequently, when Su Jun rebelled in 327 and attacked Jiankang, he ordered Wen Jiao the governor of Jiang Province not to come to Jiankang's aid but instead defend against a possible Tao attack, and this contributed to Jiankang's fall to Su in 328.

After Jiankang fell, Yu fled to Wen's domain, and they considered how they could defeat Su. Wen's cousin Wen Chong (溫充) suggested that they offer the title of the supreme commander to Tao, and they did so. However, Tao was still resentful of Yu and therefore initially refused. Eventually, however, after his anger was over, he accepted, and he, Wen, and Yu combined their forces and headed east to Jiankang. In winter 328, during a battle with Su, Su was killed, and they subsequently defeated the remnants of Su's army in 329. For his contributions, Tao was created the Duke of Changsha. When he later suppressed the rebellion of Guo Mo (郭默) in 330, he was given the military command over eight provinces—an extreme authority not even matched by Wang Dun. As he grew ill in 334, he resigned and tried to retire to his dukedom of Changsha, but died on the way.