Background

It is not known when Cui Dan was born. He was from the "Lesser Branch" of the prominent Cui clan of Qinghe (清河, in modern Xingtai, Hebei), and his ancestors originally claimed ancestry from the ruling house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi. Cui Dan's traceable ancestry included officials of Han dynasty (including Cui Yan), Liu Song, Northern Wei, and the Tang dynasties. His grandfather Cui Ji (崔佶) served as a staff member for a crown prince, while his father Cui Chui (崔陲) served as a deputy chief imperial censor.

Cui Dan had at least seven brothers — older brothers Cui Bin (崔邠), Cui Feng (崔鄷), Cui Yan (崔郾), Cui Xun (崔郇), Cui Han (崔邯), and Cui Shan (崔鄯), and younger brother Cui Fu (崔鄜). Among the brothers, Cui Bin was the most well-known and one whose acts were most well-recorded in the official histories Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang. Six of the brothers would eventually reach high level positions within the Tang government.

Career before chancellorship

Cui Dan's biographies in the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang had different descriptions of his career path, both agreed that he passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. The Old Book of Tang mentioned that he served in an unspecified office before serving as an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi (监察御史) and then as Kaogong Langzhong (考功郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu). According to the Old Book of Tang, then, in 829, during the reign of Emperor Wenzong, while remaining as Kaogong Langzhong, he was also made an imperial scholar (翰林学士, Hanlin Xueshi), and thereafter was made Zhongshu Sheren (中书舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中书省, Zhongshu Sheng). As of 832, he was no longer imperial scholar. The New Book of Tang, while discussing the same period of his career, mentioned that after he passed the imperial examinations, he served as the sheriff of Weinan County (渭南, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and after some promotions became Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu). He subsequently served as the deputy military governor under the former chancellor Du Yuanying, the military governor (Jiedushi) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). After that, Cui was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang), and an imperial scholar at Jixian Hall (集贤殿) — an event that the Old Book of Tang also described and placed in 834, while further mentioning at that time, he was also made acting minister of rites (礼部尚书, Libu Shangshi).

The two biographies' description of Cui's career thereafter did not significantly diverge. According to the Old Book of Tang, he thereafter served as deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang), and also was put in charge of selecting officials for the eastern capital Luoyang. When Emperor Wenzong once summoned the officials in selecting of commissioning officials to discuss with them the criteria for selecting officials. During that conversation, he asked Cui what Cui would do with candidates who were not capable; Cui responded that he would send them to the border regions, a response that Emperor Wenzong did not agree with, pointing out that that meant that the people living on the borders would be mistreated. Nevertheless, he subsequently made Cui the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang). In 837, Cui was sent out of Chang'an to serve as the governor (观察使, Guanchashi) of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), as well as the prefect of its capital Xuan Prefecture (宣州). In 839, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing).

Chancellorship

In fall 839, Cui Dan, while still serving as the minister of worship, was made a chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中书门下平章事). He thereafter was also made Zhongshu Shilang (中书侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the honorary title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (银青光禄大夫). After Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong, although Cui's colleagues Yang Sifu and Li Jue were removed from their posts, and Li Deyu became the leading chancellor, Cui remained chancellor. (It was said that this was because Li Deyu and the Cui brothers had long had friendly relations.) In 841, when Emperor Wuzong came to believe in allegations that Yang and Li Jue had supported other candidates to succeed Emperor Wenzong rather than him and wanted to put Yang and Li Jue to death, Li Deyu, at the advice of Du Cong, interceded, along with Cui and their other chancellor colleagues Chen Yixing and Cui Gong, and Emperor Wuzong spared Yang and Li Jue's lives, although exiling them far away from the capital.

Career after chancellorship

Late in 841, Cui Dan was sent out of Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Xichuan Circuit. Early in the subsequent reign of Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Cui was made the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), carrying the title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi as an honorary title. He died while still serving at Huainan, but the date of death is not known.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 155.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 163.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 246.

家庭背景

崔郸出自清河崔氏定著六房之一的清河小房，曾祖崔综，醴泉县令，赠吏部侍郎；祖父崔佶曾任太子中允，赠左仆射；父亲崔陲任检校吏部郎中兼御史中丞，赠太师。母夫人姑臧李氏，赠秦国太夫人。

崔郸至少有七个兄弟：哥哥崔邠、崔酆、崔郾、崔郇、崔邯、崔鄯，弟弟崔鄜。在众兄弟中，崔邠最为知名，事迹在《旧唐书》《新唐书》中有大量记载；除崔邯、崔鄜外，崔氏六兄弟都在唐朝政府中身居高位。

拜相前

贞元十九年（803年），崔郸中进士。调补秘书省正字，再调以书判入高等，授渭南县尉。浙西观察使李翛辟崔郸为观察推官，授监察里行，旋征入朝。拜正监察御史，转左补阙，迁起居舍人，改司勋员外郎、刑部郎中。元和十五年（820年）六月，他曾因宗庙事务被罚一季俸料，削两阶。前宰相杜元颖为西川节度使，请崔郸为自己效力，崔郸被诏授检校司勋郎中兼御史中丞，仍赐金紫。后徵为兵部郎中，转考功郎中。唐文宗好文，崔郸因能作文且见识广，被充翰林学士，加知制诰，拜中书舍人，依前充学士，且文宗认为他有宰相器。崔郸不想久居要职，屡次上疏请辞，大和六年（832年），罢翰林学士。文宗出其守本官，不久改工部侍郎，充集贤殿学士、判院事。七年（833年）九月，以中书舍人为监内官考使。八年（834年）十二月，拜礼部侍郎。

九年（835年），改兵部侍郎。甘露之变后，大臣多躲在家，崔郸却不顾子弟劝谏，坚持上朝，时公卿上朝的只有三四人。开成元年（836年）春，知吏部选事。四月，文宗召崔郸和尚书右丞知铨事郑肃商议选官标准时，向崔郸询问他是如何处理不合格的候选人的。崔郸说他会把这些人送到边疆任职，文宗不赞同，认为这是苦了边疆的百姓。但他仍然在当年任命崔郸为吏部侍郎。二年（837年）十一月，崔郸离开长安，任宣歙观察使、宣州刺史，兼御史大夫。当月，奏溧阳县百姓陈埏五代同爨，请免赋税，获准。三年（838年）十二月，奏请旌表陈埏门闾，获准。当时茶法还由地方掌管，地方茶业的生产还是由州县严格控制，从事茶叶生产的茶户必须在地方官府规定的茶园制作茶叶，茶法实行专卖制度，官府不再收购茶户的茶叶，而是向茶户发放公帖，茶户取得公帖后才可以出售茶叶。一些百姓由于没有公帖而私下出售少量茶叶遭到官府的严惩，而参与缉拿百姓的官吏则得到奖赏。地方长官以下都从税收方面的盈馀中得利，长官甚至将二千万钱茶税收入私囊。崔郸到任后不受贿，四年（839年）二月，放松禁令，编户心安。他建议徵收茶户两税时还徵缴茶税，未获准。同年，他又被召回长安，任太常卿。很多人拥辕遮路望著他，哭喊说：父母走了！我们不知道依靠谁了。

拜相

当年七月二十五日，崔郸以太中大夫、守太常卿、上柱国、赐紫金鱼袋守本官，授同中书门下平章事，为实质宰相。随后他又任中书侍郎，授银青光禄大夫荣衔，监修国史，五年（840年）二月复兼礼部尚书，依前平章中书修史。同年，文宗驾崩，弟唐武宗继位，宰相杨嗣复、李珏被罢撤，李德裕被任命为首席宰相，而崔郸的宰相地位不变，仍以本官同平章事。会昌元年（841年），武宗认定杨嗣复、李珏不希望自己继位，想处决他们。李德裕在杜悰建议下，和崔郸及其他宰相陈夷行、崔珙一同介入，武宗饶过了杨嗣复、李珏的性命，改为流放到距京城很远的地方。

拜相后

李德裕忌惮崔郸正直且受宠，崔郸因而乞求去职，十一月，罢相离京，任剑南西川节度使、检校吏部尚书、平章事。人们都可惜他去职，而权臣则更横行。崔郸治蜀，政令明具，宽而有制，仁而必断。当时西川的税法只征缗钱，百姓甚至废业以供赋。崔郸请求改变，允许徵用货物，蜀人受益，作歌谣歌颂。吐蕃、南诏也敬畏不敢窥境。又废止前任李固言广置的淫祠，诛杀流放巫者。武宗的叔父唐宣宗继位后，因他累次上表请求面圣，征为检校尚书右仆射，不久又以他检校司空，充淮南节度使，均仍同中书门下平章事。淮南大治。卒于淮南任上。根据墓志铭，崔郸官终淮南节度副大使知节度事、管内营田观察处置等使、金紫光禄大夫、检校司空、兼扬州大都督府长史、御史大夫、上柱国、清河郡开国公，食邑二千户。赠司徒。

宣宗曾叹崔郸家门孝友，可为士族之法。

评价

• 砺波护认为崔郸是李党。

妻儿

夫人

• 范阳卢氏，宣城县尉卢逷第二女，卒于元和十五年（820年）

子女

• 崔璞，嗣子，左拾遗，妻子陇西李氏，宰相李揆曾孙女，李元宾之女

• 崔氏，嫁范阳卢滔，早亡

• 崔璬，曾任京兆府武功县尉

注释