Dou Wu

Who was Dou Wu?

Dou Wu, courtesy name Youping, was a Han Dynasty politician who was known as a Confucian scholar and served as a low-level official during the reign of Emperor Huan until his daughter Dou Miao was elevated from imperial consort to empress, which caused him to be promoted, eventually to become one of the most important imperial officials when his daughter became empress dowager and regent for Emperor Ling. He, along with Chen Fan, attempted to curb eunuchs' powers and install Confucian scholars in imperial government, but after a plot by him and Chen to exterminate the most powerful eunuchs was discovered, he was defeated in battle and committed suicide.