Early career

Wang Dun was the son of the Jin official Wang Ji (王基), and he married Emperor Wu of Jin's daughter Princess Xiangcheng. He served as an assistant to Emperor Hui's crown prince Sima Yu, and when Sima Yu was falsely accused of crime by Empress Jia Nanfeng and deposed, he risked his life to attend the crown prince's farewell, and received renown from that. He later served as the governor of Yang Province (揚州, modern Zhejiang and southern part of Jiangsu and Anhui). After Sima Rui, then the Prince of Langye, became in charge of the military operations in the area in 307, both Wang Dun and his cousin Wang Dao became key assistants to him, and it was said at the time that the domain was ruled equally by the Simas and the Wangs.

Later, as Jiang (江州, modern Jiangxi and eastern Hubei) and Jing (荊州, modern Hubei and Hunan) Provinces became overrun by agrarian rebels, the strongest of whom was Du Tao (杜弢), the leader of Yi Province (modern Sichuan and Chongqing) refugees who had fled from Cheng Han, Sima Rui put Wang Dun in charge of the western province operations, and Wang's effective coordination allowed the rebels to be eventually suppressed. After suppressing Du Tao, in particular, however, Wang Dun became arrogant and began to see the western provinces as his own domain. After Sima Rui declared himself emperor in 318 (after Emperor Min's execution by Han Zhao), Wang Dun nominally submitted to him, but continued to strengthen his own domain.

First campaign against the Jin imperial government

Seeing Wang Dun's ambition, Emperor Yuan began to fear him, and he began to group men around him who were against Wang Dun as well, such as Liu Huai (劉隗) and Diao Xie (刁協) -- men of mixed reputation who, in their efforts to suppress the Wangs' power offended many other people. He also reduced the roles that Wang Dun's relatives, including Wang Dao, had in his government, which angered Wang Dun further. Wang Dun was further encouraged by his assistants Qian Feng (錢鳳) and Shen Chong (沈充), both of whom persuaded him to plan a military confrontation with Emperor Yuan. In 320, however, when Emperor Yuan, against Wang's request, made Sima Cheng (司馬承) the Prince of Qiao the governor of Xiang Province (湘州, modern Hunan) instead of Shen, Wang Dun was not yet ready to fully break with Emperor Yuan, and therefore allowed Sima Cheng to take his post. In 321, Emperor Yuan further commissioned Dai Yuan (戴淵) and Liu with substantial forces, claiming that they were to defend against Later Zhao attacks, but instead was intending to have them defend against a potential Wang Dun attack.

In spring 322, Wang Dun started his campaign against Emperor Yuan, claiming that Emperor Yuan was being deluded by Liu and Diao, and that his only intent was to clean up the government. He tried to persuade Gan Zhuo (甘卓), the governor of Liang Province (梁州, then consisting of modern northwestern Hubei and southeastern Shaanxi) and Sima Cheng (司馬承) the governor of Xiang Province to join him, and while both resisted, neither was effective in their campaigns against his rear guards. Wang quickly arrived in Jiankang, defeating Emperor Yuan's forces and entering and pillaging Jiankang easily. Liu fled to Later Zhao, while Diao, Dai, and Zhou Yi (周顗) were killed. Emperor Yuan was forced to submit and grant Wang Dun additional powers in the west. Wang Dun, satisfied, allowed Emperor Yuan to remain on the throne (and although he toyed with the idea of removing Sima Shao the Crown Prince, fearful of Crown Prince Shao's decisiveness and diligence, he ended up not carrying out the idea), and personally withdrew back to his home base of Wuchang (武昌, in modern Ezhou, Hubei). His forces then defeated and killed Sima Cheng, while a subordinate of Gan's, acting on Wang's orders, assassinated Gan.

Second campaign against the Jin imperial government

After his defeat, Emperor Yuan grew despondent and ill. Around the new year of 323, he died. Crown Prince Shao succeeded to the throne as Emperor Ming. Emperor Ming largely acted as if he were respectful of Wang Dun, yielding many military and governance decisions to him. Wang Dun became even more arrogant than before, and his subordinates, headed by Qian and Shen, became exceeding corrupt and violent. In 324, apprehensive of the powerful native Zhou clan (from which Zhou Yi came), Wang Dun had many of its members killed.

Later in 324, Wang Dun grew increasingly ill. He commissioned his nephew Wang Ying (王應), whom he adopted as his own son because he was sonless, to be his deputy, and also commissioned Wen Jiao as the mayor of Jiankang, with intent to have Wen keep an eye on the emperor. He intended that after he died, Wang Ying would lead his army to Jiankang and usurp the throne. However, he did not know that Wen had actually been working with Emperor Ming's brother-in-law Yu Liang, and once Wen arrived in Jiankang, he revealed Wang Dun's illness and his plan, and Emperor Ming decided to take preemptive action, declaring Wang Dun a renegade and summoning the generals on the northern border to come to his aid. Wang, upon hearing this, sent his brother (Wang Ying's biological father) Wang Han (王含) and Qian eastward to again attack Jiankang, but unlike what happened in his first campaign, Wang's forces ran into severe resistance from the imperial troops, greatly enhanced by the battle-tested northern defense troops, and suffered many losses. Upon hearing the bad news, Wang Dun died. Wang Ying did not declare that he had died and tried to carry on the campaign, but was eventually defeated. Wang Ying and Wang Han were captured and killed, and Wang Dun's body was put into a kneeling position and then beheaded, but then returned to the Wang clan for burial.

生平

立身亂局

王敦娶晉武帝司馬炎之女襄城公主為妻，官拜駙馬都尉，後任太子舍人。元康九年（299年），皇后賈南風廢太子司馬遹，遷他於許昌，並不許東宮官屬送行，王敦則與太子洗馬江統、潘滔、太子舍人杜蕤、魯瑤等違命去送行，得到當時議論者的稱許。後王敦改任給事黃門侍郎。

永寧元年（301年），趙王司馬倫篡奪帝位，並派王敦到兗州慰勞擔任兗州刺史的叔父王彥。三個月後，齊王司馬冏興兵討伐司馬倫，諸王都響應，此時王彥收到齊王的檄命，邀請一同起兵；王彥畏懼司馬倫兵力強盛，不敢應命。王敦此時勸王彥響應，最終齊王擊敗司馬倫，王彥亦獲功勳。司馬倫失敗後，晉惠帝復位，王敦遷任散騎常侍、左衛將軍、大鴻臚、侍中。

永嘉元年（307年），司徒王衍推薦他做青州刺史，拜廣武將軍。不久又徵命王敦為中書監，王敦將襄城公主的侍婢都分發給將士，又向人分發金銀財寶給部眾後才回到洛陽。此時在滎陽遙控政權的太傅司馬越來朝，王敦認為他此行一定時有誅殺處罰，後司馬越果然收捕中書令繆播等十餘人，並處死。司馬越任命王敦為揚州刺史；潘滔認為讓王敦到外偏遠地會令他肆意妄為，成為無法制約的地方豪強。但司馬越不聽。

助建東晉

王敦到揚州後與堂弟王導一起輔助司馬睿在江南地區建立名望，為著中興晉朝；因司馬睿依靠王敦及王導才能建立力量，所以當時人有說：「王與馬，共天下。」之後被徵拜尚書，但王敦堅持留在揚州不上任。司馬睿於是任命王敦為安東軍諮祭酒。永嘉五年（311年），當時揚州刺史劉陶逝世，司馬睿於是任命王敦為揚州刺史，加廣武將軍。後更升任左將軍、都督征討諸軍事、假節。永嘉之亂後，晉懷帝被擄，司空荀藩推司馬睿為盟主；但當時的江州刺史華軼不肯順從司馬睿的指揮，司馬睿於是派王敦與歷陽內史甘卓和揚烈將軍周訪一起進攻華軼，並將他擊敗，華軼敗走被殺。

同時，不久以前杜弢在湘州作亂，後又攻破零陵，侵擾武昌、長沙、宜都、邵陵等郡，荊州刺史周顗因而退走。司馬睿於是又派王敦、陶侃等進攻，王敦讓陶侃等進討，而自在豫章作援。最終杜弢被擊破，王敦因功任鎮東大將軍、開府儀同三司，加都督江揚荊湘交廣六州諸軍事、江州刺史，封漢安侯。

王敦自此開始自選官員，兼統屬下州郡。後來杜弢部將杜弘南走廣州，請求收降並願意討伐在桂林的盜賊，之後又與交州刺史王機圖謀叛變，但遭陶侃討平。杜弘最終向零陵太守尹奉投降，尹奉將杜弘送給王敦，王敦於是收他為部將，甚為寵信。另南康人何欽當時據險聚眾數千人，王敦私下加任他四品將軍。王敦專擅的跡象漸見明顯。堂弟王棱知道王敦野心，曾不斷勸諫王敦，但卻遭到王敦暗殺。

叛亂根源

建武元年（317年），因晉愍帝被擄，司馬睿改封晉王，統攝萬機。王敦此時獲進位征南大將軍。次年司馬睿因晉愍帝被殺而即位，是為晉元帝，東晉建立，王敦改拜侍中，升任大將軍、江州牧。王敦以他討伐杜曾失利而請求自貶，免任侍中並不拜州牧。後司馬睿又加任王敦為荊州牧，王敦又辭讓州牧，僅聽任刺史。

之後元帝漸漸重用劉隗，同時疏遠一開始扶持他而名聲似乎比皇族更高的琅琊王氏士族，王敦因而上書為王導抱不平。而其實元帝重用劉隗、刁協等人就是為了減弱立下大功而又有極高名聲的琅邪王氏勢力，而面對在外地專權而手握強兵，更有意圖專擅朝政的王敦就更為畏懼和厭惡。太興三年（320年），元帝任命湘州刺史甘卓改任梁州刺史，王敦要求以從事中郎陳頒代替甘卓擔任原本湘州刺史的位置《晉書·譙王遜傳》稱王敦要求以沈充代任湘州刺史，但遭拒絕，元帝更派譙王司馬承移鎮湘州。王敦見此，上表陳說古今被皇帝猜疑的忠臣和小人如何離間忠臣和皇帝的關係，想要感動元帝。元帝見奏表後更為忌憚王敦，表面上增加他的屬官和尊貴待遇，但同時又任命劉隗和戴淵領兵到外，表面上是要抵抗北方胡族政權的入侵，實際上是要防備王敦。

王敦之亂

永昌元年（322年）正月，王敦從江州武昌起兵，以誅劉隗為名進攻建康。司馬睿聞訊大怒，命劉隗等人回建康準備防守，司馬睿更親自披甲出鎮城郊。王敦率軍一路前進到石頭城（建康西邊的軍事要塞），原本打算進攻劉隗鎮守的金城，但杜弢勸他攻石頭城，先攻破周札。王敦聽從並進攻石頭城，守將周札開城門投降，王敦又擊敗了戴淵、劉隗、王導、周顗、郭逸和虞潭的進攻，劉隗和刁協北走。

王敦入石頭城後，並不立刻到建康朝見司馬睿，反而擁兵石頭城，更縱兵四處劫掠。官眾因亂逃走，只餘安東將軍劉超領兵與兩名侍中一同侍奉司馬睿，司馬睿只得求和。王敦見王導時又怪責他當日在司馬睿繼位前不聽自己勸告，改立幼主使他能專擅朝政，致使內亂發生，幾乎令王氏覆滅；但王導仍秉正地與王敦議論，王敦無法爭辯。之後王敦自任丞相、江州牧，進封武昌郡公，又加羽葆鼓吹，讓太常荀崧拜授，王敦則假意辭讓。王敦又殺周顗、戴淵；更因太子司馬紹為人有勇略，意圖誣陷他不孝而廢掉他，但遭溫嶠大力反對而不能成事。王敦不久即回到武昌，遙控朝政。王敦得勢後，謀害易雄等忠良之士，又在朝中樹立黨羽，將相州牧都是王氏族人，而且又以沈充、錢鳳二人為謀主，縱容手下為非作歹，無法無天；有識之士都知道王敦很快會敗亡。王敦後又自領寧州和益州都督。同年，司馬睿因憂憤而死，由太子司馬紹繼位，是為晉明帝。

太寧元年（323年），王敦謀求篡位，諷諫朝廷徵召自己，司馬紹於是手詔徵召王敦。又拜受加黃鉞、班劍武賁二十人，奏事不名，入朝不趨，劍履上殿。王敦到姑孰時，司馬紹派侍中阮孚設牛酒犒勞王敦，但王敦卻稱病不見，只派主簿接受，不久王敦自任揚州牧。後王敦侄兒王允之聽到錢鳳與王敦討論奪權的計劃，王允之後即告訴父親王舒，而王舒及王導就告訴司馬紹，讓朝廷上下準備應付王敦。

太寧二年（324年），王敦患病，部將錢鳳和沈充暗中籌劃王敦死後的對策，最終決定在王敦死後作亂，顛覆東晉，並勸王敦剷除有名望的周札以及司馬睿心腹冉曾和公乘雄，王敦都一一照做。及至王敦病情轉壞，司馬紹一方面派侍中陳晷等人問候王敦病況，另一方面卻暗地裏打算討伐，並微服到蕪湖察看王敦軍的營壘，又派大臣查問王敦起居。

王敦任命溫嶠為丹陽尹，意圖監察朝廷動靜。但溫嶠卻向司馬紹告發王敦奪位的圖謀，司馬紹於是下令討伐，並偽稱王敦己死，激厲將士討伐王敦部眾。此時王敦病重，根本不能統率軍隊，於是以誅溫嶠等奸臣為名，以哥哥王含為元帥，命錢鳳、鄧嶽、周撫等率兵五萬，水陸並進攻向建康。後中軍司馬曹渾在越城擊敗王含，王敦聞訊大怒，欲親自領兵作戰，但因病重乏力而無法下床。另一方面，錢鳳等人率軍到建康，屢遭司馬紹親率的軍隊擊敗。此時王敦逝世，享年五十九歲。王敦死前仍然和養子王應及羊鑒說他死後要先置文武百官，然後再處理葬事。但王應之後秘不發喪，用席包裹屍身後在外塗臘，再埋在屋中，即與諸葛瑤等人縱情酒色。不久王含、沈充、錢鳳諸軍皆敗，王敦之亂遂平。之後王敦即被起出屍身，燒毀衣冠，並擺成長跪的姿勢戮屍，頭顱被斬下後與沈充等人的頭顱一同被掛在城南朱雀桁上，向平民展示。之後王敦的屍首無人敢收葬，最後在尚書令郗鑒的建議下才讓王敦家屬收葬。

王敦覆亡後，王敦各黨羽都被追捕，但琅琊王氏並未被牽連，如王導等人更獲加官晉爵。

性格特徵

• 史載王敦眉目疏朗，性格簡脫，有鑒裁，並通《春秋左氏傳》。王敦亦從不說錢財，同時喜好清談。

• 王敦亦愛音樂，曾當眾表演擊鼓，而且音節諧韻，神情自得，旁若無人，在坐觀看的人都稱他雄爽。

• 石崇以生活奢華見稱，廁所都常有十多名有美貌的婢女侍奉，並放置甲煎粉和沈香汁；而如廁後的人都會更換新衣。很多客人都因為要在眾侍婢前脫衣而感到害羞，但王敦則一直神情自若。

• 對比王導的寬厚，王敦顯得冷血無情。王愷有一次設置酒宴，王敦和王導都在座，當時有一名女藝伎吹笛吹錯了，王愷就立刻將她殺害，此舉令在座眾人都失色，唯獨王敦神態自若。又一次到王愷家作客，王愷命美人勸酒，並命令若客人不喝酒美人就要死，王導為了不讓美人枉死強忍醉意把酒喝光，傳到王敦那裏時王敦堅決不肯喝，令勸酒的美人恐懼色變，王敦便冷眼看著美人被拖出去殺頭。

• 王敦曾經十分荒淫，家中擁有美妾侍婢數十名。其他人因而勸諫他，王敦說：「這很簡單。」於是遣散家中數十名婢妾離開，當時的人都十分驚異。

• 王敦殺害周顗後，有次玩樗蒲，見到棋子被打回，聯想到周家的衰敗，因此流淚。

• 宋禕為當世美女，曾從綠珠處學笛，先歸王敦，後屬謝尚。謝尚問宋禕自己與王大將軍比如何？，宋瑋回答說王與謝尚相比，就如同是鄉下人與貴人一樣。時人認為宋這樣回答的原因是「鎮西妖冶故」。

評價

• 《晉書》史臣曰：琅邪之初鎮建鄴，龍德猶潛，雖當璧膺圖預定於冥兆，豐功厚利未被於黎氓。王敦歷官中朝，威名夙著，作牧淮海，望實逾隆，遂能託魚水之深期，定金蘭之密契，弼成王度，光佐中興，卜世延百二之期，論都創三分之業，此功固不細也。既而負勳高而圖非望，恃劫逼而肆驕陵。釁隙起自刁劉，禍難成於錢沈。於晉陽之甲，纏象魏之兵。蜂目既露，豺聲又發，擅竊國命，殺害忠良，逐卻篡盜乘輿，逼遷龜鼎。賴嗣君英略，晉祚靈長，諸侯釋位，股肱戮力，用能運茲廟算，殄彼兇徒，克固源圖，載清天步者矣。

• 《晉書》贊曰：播越江濆，政弱權分。元子恃力，處仲矜勳。跡既陵上，志亦無君。罪浮浞𧴒，心窺舜禹。樹威外略，稱兵內侮。惟身與嗣，竟權齊斧。

• 潘滔：處仲蜂目己露，但豺聲未振，若不噬人，亦當為人所噬。

• 王導：處仲若當世，心懷剛忍，非令終也。

• 周顗：賊臣王敦，傾覆社稷，殺枉忠臣。

外部鏈接

• 《資治通鑑》卷八十三 至卷九十三

• 《晉書·卷九十八·王敦 桓溫列傳 》

• 《晉書·元帝 明帝紀 》