Du was the fifth son of King Wen of Zhou and his wife Taisi (太姒).
His elder brothers were Kao (Boyi Kao), Fa (King Wu of Zhou), Xian (Guan Shu), and Dan (the Duke of Zhou).
Du's realm centered on present-day Shangcai, Henan.
He and his brothers Guan Shu Xian and Huo Shu Chu (霍叔處) were known as the Three Guards, but when King Wu died and the Duke of Zhou assumed the regency for the young King Cheng, they rebelled along with Wu Geng.
The Duke of Zhou was able to suppress the rebellion and Du was exiled, although Cheng eventually recreated the realm of Cai as a grant to Du's son Zhong Hu.