Du Shi

Du Shi (<a href="/facts/Traditional_Chinese_characters/bBFLkuz7">Chinese</a>: 杜詩; <a href="/facts/Pinyin/pUwjfMXg">pinyin</a>: Dù Shī; <a href="/facts/Wade%E2%80%93Giles/CD1F1u4t">Wade–Giles</a>: Tu Shih, d. 38) was a Chinese hydrologist, inventor, mechanical engineer, metallurgist, and politician of the <a href="/facts/Eastern_Han_dynasty/hanfxS9D">Eastern Han dynasty</a>. Du Shi is credited with being the first to apply <a href="/facts/Hydraulic/KSIqLovc">hydraulic</a> power (i.e. a <a href="/facts/Waterwheel/7xwQDxrP">waterwheel</a>) to operate <a href="/facts/Bellows/pNg84XnM">bellows</a> (air-blowing device) in <a href="/facts/Metallurgy/1SANyxX4">metallurgy</a>. His invention was used to operate piston-bellows of the <a href="/facts/Blast_furnace/DJzUB2EG">blast furnace</a> and then <a href="/facts/Cupola_furnace/6HYH6ekk">cupola furnace</a> in order to forge <a href="/facts/Cast_iron/lASt55k2">cast iron</a>, which had been known in China since the 6th century BC. He worked as a <a href="/facts/Censorate/LFS8fKGT">censorial officer</a> and <a href="/facts/Government_of_the_Han_dynasty/C2YPwSF2">administrator</a> of several places during the reign of <a href="/facts/Emperor_Guangwu_of_Han/Ga6qVC4A">Emperor Guangwu of Han</a>. He also led a brief military campaign in which he eliminated a small bandit army under Yang Yi (d. 26).

Du Shi open-in-new

Du Shi