Wei ( Chinese : 魏 ) was one of the major dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dynasty . Its capital was initially located at Xuchang , and was later moved to Luoyang .
110-554: The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei , Shu Han , and Eastern Wu dominated China from 220 to 280 AD following the end of the Han dynasty . This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty . Academically, the periodisation begins with the establishment of Cao Wei in 220 and ends with the conquest of Wu by Jin in 280. The period immediately preceding
220-595: A coup, but was killed by Cheng Ji, a military officer who was serving under Jia Chong , a subordinate to the Simas. After Cao Mao's death, Cao Huan was enthroned as the fifth ruler of Wei. However, Cao Huan was also a mere figurehead under Sima Zhao's control, much like his predecessor. In 263, Wei armies led by Zhong Hui and Deng Ai conquered Shu . Afterwards, Zhong Hui and former Shu general Jiang Wei grouped and plotted together in order to oust Sima Zhao from power, however, various Wei officials turned against them when it
330-556: A diversion while Zhuge himself led the main force to Mount Qi. The vanguard Ma Su suffered a tactical defeat at Jieting and the Shu army was forced to withdraw. In the next six years Zhuge Liang attempted several more offensives, but supply problems limited the capacity for success. In 234, he led his last great northern offensive, reaching the Battle of Wuzhang Plains south of the Wei River . Due to
440-461: A few years before submitting to Jin to appease the court but soon reneged on his words. Instead, he imitated his rule after the Later Zhao dynasty in the north by imposing harsher laws, taxes and corvee labor on his citizens and building lavish palaces. Li Shou died in 343 and was succeeded by his son Li Shi . His reign was plagued by a succession crisis, a popular revolt by one of his generals and
550-564: A halt to hostilities with Tao Qian for the time being. Tao Qian died in the same year, leaving his province to Liu Bei. A year later, in 195, Cao Cao managed to drive Lü Bu out of Yan Province. Lü Bu fled to Xu Province and was received by Liu Bei, and an uneasy alliance began between the two. Afterwards, Lü Bu betrayed Liu Bei and seized Xu Province, forming an alliance with Yuan Shu's remnant forces. Liu Bei, together with his followers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei , fled to Cao Cao, who accepted him. Soon, preparations were made for an attack on Lü Bu, and
660-528: A hydraulic-powered, mechanical puppet theatre designed for Emperor Ming of Wei , square-pallet chain pumps for irrigation of gardens in Luoyang , and the ingenious design of the south-pointing chariot , a non-magnetic directional compass operated by differential gears. The authoritative historical record of the era is Chen Shou 's Records of the Three Kingdoms ( c. 290 AD ), in tandem with
770-580: A large army and camped along the northern bank of the Yellow River. In the summer of 200, after months of preparations, the armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed at the Battle of Guandu (near present-day Kaifeng). Cao Cao's army was heavily outnumbered by Yuan Shao. Due to a raid in Yuan's supply train, Yuan's army fell into disorder as they fled back north. Cao Cao took advantage of Yuan Shao's death in 202, which resulted in division among his sons, and advanced to
880-488: A multitude of factors of the times, in 280, the Jin did make an attempt to account for all individuals where they could. Technology advanced significantly during this period. Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang invented the wooden ox , suggested to be an early form of the wheelbarrow , and improved on the repeating crossbow . Wei mechanical engineer Ma Jun is considered by many to be the equal of his predecessor Zhang Heng . He invented
990-508: A new state but was suddenly killed in an ambush. Nonetheless, his brother, Li Liu succeeded him, followed by Li Te’s son, Li Xiong . In 304, Li Xiong ousted Luo Shang from Chengdu, where he declared himself the King of Chengdu. His declaration is seen by most historians as the beginning of the Cheng-Han dynasty, although there is also the view that the state began with Li Te’s proclamation. Regardless,
1100-812: A number of natural disasters during this period, and local rebellions sprung up throughout the country. In the third month of 184, Zhang Jiao , leader of the Way of Supreme Peace, a Taoist movement, along with his two brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, led the movement's followers in a rebellion against the government that was called the Yellow Turban Rebellion . Their movement quickly attracted followers and soon numbered several hundred thousand and received support from many parts of China. They had 36 bases throughout China, with large bases having 10,000 or more followers and minor bases having 6,000 to 7,000, similar to Han armies. Their motto was: "The Grey Sky has perished,
1210-418: A plan to set fire to Cao Cao's immobilised fleet through the feigned surrender of Sun Quan's general Huang Gai . Cao Cao was defeated decisively and forced to retreat in disarray back to the north. The allied victory at Red Cliffs ensured the survival of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, and provided the basis for the states of Shu and Wu. In 209, Zhou Yu captured Jiangling, establishing the south's complete dominance over
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#17328379870501320-469: A puppet ruler while Sima Yi wielded state power firmly in his hands. Wang Ling , a Wei general, tried to rebel against Sima Yi, but was swiftly dealt with , and took his own life. Sima Yi died on 7 September 251, passing on his authority to his eldest son, Sima Shi , who continued ruling as regent. Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang in 254, on grounds of planning to stage a rebellion, and replaced him with Cao Mao . In response, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin staged
1430-598: A rebellion, but were crushed by Sima Shi in an event that nevertheless took a heavy toll on Sima Shi's health, having undergone eye surgery prior to the insurrection, causing him to die on 23 March 255, but not before handing his power and regency over to his younger brother, Sima Zhao . In 258, Sima Zhao quelled Zhuge Dan's rebellion , marking an end to what are known as the Three Rebellions in Shouchun . In 260, Cao Mao attempted to seize back state power from Sima Zhao in
1540-447: A recent refugee from the north, and Zhou Yu was placed in command of Sun Quan's navy, along with a veteran general who served the Sun family, Cheng Pu . Liu Biao's second son, Liu Qi , joined the alliance with his troops, and the combined armies of 50,000 met Cao Cao's fleet and 200,000-man force at Red Cliffs that winter. After an initial skirmish, an attack was set in motion beginning with
1650-865: A refuge for people fleeing from the disorder in northern China, with some of them becoming officials in their administration. Notably, in 314, a group of rebelling refugees in Hanzhong surrendered the region to Cheng. Li Xiong and his family were also followers of the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice , and Taoism was popular in Sichuan and Hanzhong. He appointed the Taoist hermit, Fan Changsheng as his Prime Minister, with his son, Fan Ben , later succeeding him. For most of his reign, Li Xiong maintained peace and stability within his state, but issues arose following his death in 334. Intending to pass
1760-506: A regent for the 17-year-old Liu Shan, and held control of the Shu government. Shu and Wu resumed their diplomatic relations by re-establishing peace and alliance in the winter of 223. On 23 June 229, Sun Quan proclaimed himself as the Emperor of Wu. Shu controlled the upper Han valley and the territory west of the Yangtze Gorges. The Qinling Mountains divided Shu and Wei. Wei held control over
1870-454: A retaliation against a Goguryeo raid in 242, destroyed the Goguryeo capital of Hwando , sent its king fleeing, and broke the tributary relationships between Goguryeo and the other tribes of Korea that formed much of Goguryeo's economy. Although the king evaded capture and eventually settled in a new capital, Goguryeo was reduced to such insignificance that for half a century there was no mention of
1980-510: A strategic city which lay on the road to the Wei capital, Luoyang . The Shu invasions were repelled by the Wei armies led by the generals Cao Zhen , Sima Yi , Zhang He and others; Shu did not make any significant gains in the expeditions. On its southern and eastern borders, Wei engaged Wu in a series of armed conflicts throughout the 220s and 230s, including the battles of Dongkou (222–223), Jiangling (223) and Shiting (228). However, most of
2090-520: A three-month long siege, involving some assistance from the Goguryeo Kingdom, Sima Yi managed to capture the capital city of Xiangping , resulting in the conquest of the commandery by late September of the same year. Around that time, as the Korean kingdom Goguryeo consolidated its power, it proceeded to conquer the territories on the Korean peninsula which were under Chinese rule. Goguryeo initiated
2200-408: Is also less commonly known as Later Shu (後蜀; Hòu Shǔ ). The Li clan were originally Cong people from Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; in present-day Nanchong , Sichuan) in present-day Sichuan. When the Han chancellor, Cao Cao conquered Hanzhong in 215, Li Hu (李虎) led his family to surrender and migrated to Lüeyang Commandery , where they mingled with the local Di tribes. Their people became known as
2310-531: The Goguryeo–Wei Wars in 242, trying to cut off Chinese access to its territories in Korea by attempting to take a Chinese fort. However, Wei responded by invading and defeated Goguryeo. Hwando was destroyed in a reprisal raid by Wei forces in 244. The invasions sent its king fleeing, and broke the tributary relationships between Goguryeo and the other tribes of Korea that formed much of Goguryeo's economy. Although
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#17328379870502420-615: The Hangzhou Bay , and some outposts at the Fujian coast), while expanding westward in a series of campaigns. By 200, he had conquered Yuzhang commandery (at present-day Lake Poyang in Jiangxi ) and Lujiang north of the Yangtze. In 200, Sun Ce was ambushed and assassinated by the former retainers of a defeated rival from Wu. At 18, Sun Quan succeeded him and quickly established his authority. By 203, he
2530-657: The Jin dynasty (it was Sima Yi himself who associated with the orthodox Confucianists, who despised these new intellectual groups, and therefore were more willing to offer their support to the Sima clan). According to the Book of Wei by Wang Chen , the Cao family descended from the Yellow Emperor through his grandson Zhuanxu . They were of the same lineage as Emperor Shun . Another account says that
2640-689: The Jin dynasty on 8 February 266. Cao Huan himself was spared, though, and continued to live until 302, before dying. The system of government in Wei inherited many aspects from that of the Eastern Han dynasty . During his reign, Cao Pi established two separate government bodies – the Central Inspectorate (中書監) and the Mobile Imperial Secretariat (行尚書臺) – to reduce the authority of the Imperial Secretariat (尚書臺) and consolidate
2750-506: The Ming dynasty by Luo Guanzhong . There is no set time period for the era. The majority view uses the years 220–280 as endpoints, beginning with the abdication of the last Han emperor and ending with the reunification of China by the first Jin emperor. Strictly speaking, the Three Kingdoms, or independent states, only existed from the proclamation of the Eastern Wu ruler to be emperor in 229 until
2860-647: The Shanyue . A collection of successes against the rebellious tribesmen culminated in the victory of 224. In that year, Zhuge Ke ended a three-year siege of Danyang with the surrender of 100,000 Shanyue. Of these, 40,000 were drafted as auxiliaries into the Wu army. Meanwhile, Shu was also experiencing troubles with the indigenous tribes of their south. The southwestern Nanman peoples rose in revolt against Shu authority, captured and looted cities in Yi Province. Zhuge Liang, recognising
2970-528: The Vietnamese opposed Shi Hui 's rebellion against Eastern Wu and attacked him for it. However, when the Wu general Lü Dai betrayed Shi Hui and executed the entire Shi family, the Vietnamese became greatly upset. In 248, the people of Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen commanderies rebelled. Eastern Wu sent Lu Yin to deal with the rebels. He managed to pacify the rebels with a combination of threats and persuasion. However
3080-463: The later annotations published in 429 by Pei Songzhi . While comparatively short, the Three Kingdoms period has been romanticised in the culture of the Sinosphere . It has been retold and dramatised in folklore, opera, and novels, as well as film, television, and video games. The most well-known fictional adaptation of the history is Romance of the Three Kingdoms , a historical novel written during
3190-727: The Ba-Di, with “ Ba ” referring to their ancestral homeland. In 296, the Di chieftain, Qi Wannian , led a tribal rebellion against the Western Jin dynasty . The rebellion devastated the Guanzhong region, creating an influx of Han and non-Han refugees fleeing south into Hanzhong and Sichuan. Among the refugees, the Li clan grew to prominence after the Inspector of Yi , Zhao Xin rebelled in 299. They joined him and served as key generals, but later overthrew him and took
3300-464: The Cao family descended from Emperor Shun. This account was attacked by Jiang Ji , who claimed that those with the family name " Tian " descended from Shun, but not those surnamed " Cao ". He also claimed that "Gui" (媯) was Emperor Shun's family name. - - - - - = The dashed line denotes an adoption Cheng-Han Cheng-Han ( simplified Chinese : 成汉 ; traditional Chinese : 成漢 ; pinyin : Chéng Hàn ; 303 or 304 – 347)
3410-583: The Cheng was the first of the Sixteen Kingdoms to be founded, followed closely by the Xiongnu -led Han-Zhao dynasty in the north. Li Xiong elevated himself to Emperor of Cheng in 306. Luo Shang, now commanding from Ba Commandery (巴郡; present-day Chongqing ), continued to threaten Cheng, but after his death in 310, the Jin forces became disarray, allowing Cheng to dispatch them and consolidate their rule. Cheng became
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3520-552: The Eastern Han dynasty had steadily declined owing to a variety of political and economic problems after the death of Emperor He in 105 AD. A series of Han emperors ascended the throne while still youths, and "de facto" imperial power often rested with the emperors' older relatives. As these relatives occasionally were loath to give up their influence, emperors would, upon reaching maturity, be forced to rely on political alliances with senior officials and eunuchs to achieve control of
3630-532: The Governor of Jing Province. Sun Quan held control over the lower Yangtze. In 194, Cao Cao went to war with Tao Qian of Xu Province, because Tao's subordinate Zhang Kai had murdered Cao Cao's father Cao Song . Tao Qian received the support of Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan, but even then it seemed as if Cao Cao's superior forces would overrun Xu Province entirely. Cao Cao received word that Lü Bu had seized Yan Province in his absence, and accordingly he retreated, putting
3740-452: The Han River towards the city of Fan (near Xianyang), but was unable to capture it. In the autumn of 219, Lü Meng launched a surprise attack by sailing up the Yangtze towards Jiangling, resulting in its capture. Guan Yu was unable to hold his position as most of his army surrendered. He was captured and executed on Sun Quan's order. Cao Cao regained the Han valley, while Sun Quan captured all
3850-559: The Han River. Cao Cao occupied the naval base at Jiangling on the Yangtze River. He would now begin proceeding eastwards towards Sun Quan with his armies and new fleet, while sending messengers to demand Sun Quan's surrender. In 208, Cao Cao marched south with his army hoping to quickly unify the empire. Liu Cong surrendered Jing Province, and Cao Cao was able to capture a sizeable fleet at Jiangling. Sun Quan continued to resist; his advisor Lu Su secured an alliance with Liu Bei , himself
3960-482: The Han imperial court, and several other areas followed suit. In the same year, Emperor Ling died, and another struggle began between the court eunuchs for control of the imperial family. Court eunuch Jian Shuo planned to kill Regent Marshal He Jin , a relative of the imperial family, and to replace the crown prince Liu Bian with his younger brother Liu Xie , the Prince of Chenliu (present-day Kaifeng ), though his plan
4070-534: The Liu family or court officials. This move made provinces ( zhou ) official administrative units, and although they had power to combat rebellions, the later intra-governmental chaos allowed these local governors to easily rule independently of the central government. Liu Yan was also promoted as governor of Yi Province (roughly covering the Sichuan Basin ). Soon after this move, Liu Yan severed all of his region's ties to
4180-452: The Three Kingdoms, from 184 to 220, was marked by chaotic infighting among warlords across China as Han authority collapsed. The period from 220 to 263 was marked by a comparatively stable arrangement between Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. This stability broke down with the conquest of Shu by Wei in 263, followed by the usurpation of Cao Wei by Jin in 266 and ultimately the conquest of Wu by Jin in 280. The Three Kingdoms period including
4290-451: The Wei and Huai valley, where agricultural garrisons were established at Shouchun and Hefei to defend Huai. Military sorties by Wu against Hefei and Shouchun would consistently end in failure, thereby confirming Wei's hold over Huai. Wu controlled all of the Yangtze valley. The territory between the Huai and Yangtze was a desolate area, where a largely-static frontier between Wei and Wu had formed at
4400-563: The Wei valley, ending in the Battle of Huayin, capturing the territory around Chang'an. In 211, Liu Bei accepted an invitation from Liu Zhang to come to Yi Province for aiding the latter against a threat from the north, namely Zhang Lu of Hanzhong. Liu Bei met people within Liu Zhang's court who wished that he would replace Liu Zhang as the ruler of Yi Province. A year after his arrival, Liu Bei came into conflict with Liu Zhang and turned against him. In
4510-453: The Yangtze River. Meanwhile, Liu Bei and his principal adviser Zhuge Liang captured the Xiang River basin commanderies, establishing control over the southern territories of Jing province. Sun Quan was forced to cede the territory around Jiangling to Liu Bei, because he could not establish a proper authority over it after Zhou Yu's death in 210. In 211, Cao Cao defeated a warlord coalition in
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4620-424: The Yangtze below the Yangtze Gorges. Finally, in the sixth month of 222, Lu Xun launched a series of fire attacks against the flank of Liu Bei's extended position which caused disorder in the Shu army and Liu Bei's retreat to Baidi (near present-day Fengjie ) Afterwards in 222, Sun Quan renounced his suzerainty to Wei and declared the independence of Wu. In 223, Liu Bei perished at Baidi. Zhuge Liang now acted as
4730-415: The Yangtze delta, the first Buddhist influences reached the south from Luoyang. The Eastern Wu era was a formative period in Vietnamese history . A Jiaozhou (modern Vietnam and Guangzhou ) prefect, Shi Xie , ruled Vietnam as an autonomous warlord for forty years and was posthumously deified by later Vietnamese emperors. Shi Xie pledged loyalty to Eastern Wu. Originally satisfied with Eastern Wu's rule,
4840-600: The Yellow River. Han Fu had formerly been the Governor of Ji Province, but he came under the control of Yuan Shao and was replaced by him. Between the Yellow and Huai rivers, a conflict had erupted between Yuan Shu, Cao Cao , Tao Qian (Governor of Xu Province ) and Lü Bu. Cao Cao forced the Yellow Turbans to surrender in 192, drove Yuan Shu to the south of the Huai River in 193, inflicted devastation upon Tao Qian in 194, received
4950-594: The Yellow Sky will soon rise; in this year of jiazi , let there be prosperity in the world!" ( 蒼天已死，黃天當立。歲在甲子，天下大吉。 ) Emperor Ling dispatched generals Huangfu Song , Lu Zhi , and Zhu Jun to lead the Han armies against the rebels, and decreed that local governments had to supply soldiers to assist in their efforts. It is at this point that the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins its narrative. The Yellow Turbans were ultimately defeated and its surviving followers dispersed throughout China, but due to
5060-416: The aid of other local militaries controlled by Zhang Miao and Chen Gong , who joined his cause to create his first sizeable army. He continued the effort and absorbed approximately 300,000 Yellow Turban rebels into his army as well as a number of clan-based military groups from the eastern part of Qing Province. Since 192, he developed military agricultural colonies ( tuntian ) to support his army. Although
5170-465: The authentic emperor, Cao Cao would have the formal legal authority to control the other warlords and force them to comply in order to restore the Han dynasty. Cao Cao, whose zone of control was the precursor to the state of Cao Wei, had raised an army in 189. In several strategic movements and battles, he controlled Yan Province and defeated several factions of the Yellow Turban rebels. This earned him
5280-651: The battles resulted in stalemate and neither side managed to significantly expand its territory. After Guanqiu Jian failed to subjugate the Gongsun clan of the Liaodong Commandery , it was Sima Yi who, in June 238, as the Grand Commandant (太尉), launched an invasion with 40,000 troops at the behest of Emperor Cao Rui against Liaodong, which at this point had been firmly rooted under Gongsun control for 4 decades. After
5390-512: The capital Luoyang . When Yuan Shao's troops reached Luoyang, they stormed the palace complex, killing the Ten Attendants and 2,000 of the eunuchs' supporters. Though this move effectively ended the century-long feud between the eunuchs and the imperial family, this event prompted the invitation of Dong Zhuo to the outskirts of Luoyang from the northwest boundary of China. On the evening of 24 September 189, General Dong Zhuo observed that Luoyang
5500-789: The capital to Chang'an in 190, or Cao Cao placing the emperor under his control in Xuchang in 196. As the Jin unification was itself short-lived, lasting at least until the independence of the Cheng-Han and Han-Zhao states in 304, the entire period between the fall of Han and the Sui unification (220–589) is sometimes periodised together as "the period of disunity", "Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties " (or even "Northern and Southern dynasties" alone, though that more commonly means 420–589 between Jin and Sui), or "the Six Dynasties period". The power of
5610-456: The collapse of the Han is one of the bloodiest in Chinese history. A nationwide census taken in 280, following the reunification of the Three Kingdoms under the Jin shows a total of 2,459,840 households and 16,163,863 individuals which was only a fraction of the 10,677,960 households, and 56,486,856 individuals reported during the Han era. While the census may not have been particularly accurate due to
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#17328379870505720-462: The combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei invaded Xu Province. Lü Bu's men deserted him, Yuan Shu's forces never arrived as reinforcements, and he was bound by his own subordinates and executed on Cao Cao's order. Yuan Shu, after being driven south in 193, established himself at his new capital Shouchun (present-day Anhui). He attempted to regain lost territory north of the Huai River. In 197, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor of his own dynasty. The move
5830-454: The construction of the Zhedong and Jiangnan canals. Trade with Shu flourished, with a huge influx of Shu cotton and the development of celadon and metal industries. Sea journeys were made to Liaodong and the island of Yizhou (modern Ryukyus or Taiwan ). In the south, Wu merchants reached Linyi (southern Vietnam ) and Funan Kingdom . As the economy prospered, so too did the arts and culture. In
5940-731: The control of the central government. He reduced the role of a Governor to that of an Inspector (刺史), and permitted the Inspectors to administer only civil affairs in their respective provinces, while military affairs were handled by military personnel based in regional offices or in the capital. Cao Wei society was feudalized and vassalized. When China was divided in the Period of Disunion, south and north were economically and socially dominated by an aristocratic hereditary class enshrined in law, who were exempt from conscript labor, special kinds of taxes, had legal immunities and other privileges. This situation
6050-418: The court eunuchs persuaded the emperor to execute many of the protesting scholars. Some local rulers seized the opportunity to exert despotic control over their lands and citizens, since many feared to speak out in the oppressive political climate. Emperors Huan and Ling's reigns were recorded as particularly dark periods of Han dynasty rule. In addition to political oppression and mismanagement, China experienced
6160-400: The death of Zhuge Liang in 234, the Shu army was forced once again to withdraw, but were pursued by Wei. The Shu forces began to withdraw; Sima Yi deduced Zhuge Liang's demise and ordered an attack. Shu struck back almost immediately, causing Sima Yi to second guess and allow Shu to withdraw successfully. Sun Quan turned to the aborigines of the southeast, whom the Chinese collectively called
6270-494: The downfall of Shu Han in 263. Interpretations of the period outside performative political acts push the beginning back into the later years of the Han, with the decline of the Han royal house. Several other starting points for the period are given by Chinese historians: the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184; the year after the beginning of the rebellion, 185; Dong Zhuo deposing Emperor Shao of Han and enthroning Emperor Xian of Han in 189, Dong Zhuo sacking Luoyang and moving
6380-569: The fall of imperial control, the Southern Xiongnu puppet state had also collapsed, causing their tribes to disperse, while the Xianbei people of the steppe began to migrate into the Chinese interior. Goguryeo was invaded by warlord Gongsun Kang in 204, resulting in the Daifang Commandery . In 209, Kang invaded Goguryeo again, took the capital of Goguryeo and forced them to submit. Goguryeo
6490-586: The forces of Liu Biao in a campaign against Sun Jian (Yuan Shu's subordinate general) and killed him. In 194, Sun Ce (aged 18) came into the military service under Yuan Shu. He was given the command of some troops who formerly had been commanded by his late father Sun Jian. In the south, he defeated the warlords of Yang Province , including Liu Yao , Wang Lang , and Yan Baihu . In 198, Sun Ce (aged 23) declared his independence from Yuan Shu who recently had declared himself emperor. He held control over Danyang, Wu, and Kuaiji commanderies (from present-day Nanjing to
6600-607: The former was Zhong Yao , an official of Wei, of the latter; Cao Cao's son, Cao Zhi . Since the beginning of the Cao Wei dynasty, finding their roots in Cao Cao 's administrative influences, intellectual constraints were relaxed, leading to the formation of new groups of intellectuals, such as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove . These intellectual freedoms were overturned by the time of
6710-453: The government. Political posturing and infighting between imperial relatives and eunuch officials were a constant problem in the Chinese government at the time. During the reigns of Emperor Huan ( r. 146–168 ) and Emperor Ling ( r. 168–189 ), leading officials' dissatisfaction with the eunuchs' usurpation of power reached a peak, and many began to openly protest against them. The first and second protests met with failure, and
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#17328379870506820-673: The governor of Jing Province. His territory was located around his capital Xiangyang and the territory to the south around the Han and Yangtze River. Beyond his eastern border was the territory of Sun Quan. In 200, during the time of the campaign around Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Liu Bei's forces had been defeated by a detachment of Cao Cao's army, forcing Liu Bei to flee and seek refuge with Liu Biao in Jing Province . In this exile, Liu Bei maintained his followers who had accompanied him and made new connections within Liu Biao's entourage. It
6930-421: The importance of stability in the south, ordered the advance of the Shu armies in three columns against the Nanman. He fought a number of engagements against the chieftain Meng Huo , at the end of which Meng Huo submitted. A tribesman was allowed to reside at the Shu capital Chengdu as an official and the Nanman formed their own battalions within the Shu army. In the times of Zhuge Liang 's northern offensives,
7040-440: The journey, as the north was reportedly still unstable. Li Te negotiated with Luo Shang to extend their stay, but the latter soon grew frustrated by the delay and tried to force a move. In 301, Luo Shang’s forces attacked the refugees and began Li Te's rebellion. Li Te had much success against the Jin forces and reached the outskirts of Chengdu in 303. Shortly after, he declared a new reign era, which hinted his intention of founding
7150-448: The king evaded capture and eventually settled in a new capital, Goguryeo was reduced to such insignificance that for half a century there was no mention of the state in Chinese historical texts. In 249, during the reign of Cao Rui's successor, Cao Fang , the regent Sima Yi seized state power from his co-regent, Cao Shuang, in a coup. This event marked the collapse of imperial authority in Wei, as Cao Fang's role had been reduced to that of
7260-408: The line of the river defences erected by Wu, which included the Ruxu fortress. Sun Quan's long reign is regarded as a time of plenty for his southern state. Migrations from the north and the settlement of the Shanyue increased manpower for agriculture, especially along the lower reaches of the Yangtze and in Kuaiji Commandery along the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay . River transport blossomed, with
7370-422: The lower Han valley. In 223, Liu Shan rose to the throne of Shu following his father's defeat and death. From 224 to 225, during his southward campaigns, Zhuge Liang conquered the southern territories up to Lake Dian in Yunnan. In 227, Zhuge Liang transferred his main Shu armies to Hanzhong , and opened up the battle for the northwest with Wei. The next year, he ordered Zhao Yun to attack from Ji Gorge as
7480-443: The magnate families even after war ended. They did not contribute any labor service or taxes to the central government while their magnate lord received 50% or more of their grain harvest. They effectively were bondservants to their lords. The kaishu style of Chinese calligraphy was developed at some time between the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Cao Wei dynasty, as well as the Jian'an poetry style. The first known master of
7590-434: The middle Yangtze. Cao Cao and Sun Quan had gained no success in breaking each other's positions. Liu Fu, an administrator under Cao Cao, had established agricultural garrisons at Hefei and Shouchun to defend Cao's territory near the Huai river. Sun Quan resented the fact that Liu Bei, a weaker ally, had gained so much territory west of him and demanded a larger share of the Xiang River basin. In 215, Lü Meng (Sun Quan's officer)
7700-498: The newly established Jin dynasty . Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty , northern China came under the control of Cao Cao , the chancellor to the last Han ruler, Emperor Xian . In 213, Emperor Xian granted Cao Cao the title of " Duke of Wei" (魏公) and gave him ten cities as his dukedom. The area was named "Wei". At that time, the southern part of China was divided into two areas controlled by two other warlords, Liu Bei and Sun Quan . In 216, Emperor Xian promoted Cao Cao to
7810-419: The north. In 204, after the Battle of Ye , Cao Cao captured the city of Ye . By the end of 207, after a victorious campaign beyond the frontier against the Wuhuan culminating in the Battle of White Wolf Mountain , Cao Cao achieved complete dominance of the North China Plain . He now controlled China's heartland, including Yuan Shao's former territory, and half of the Chinese population. In 193, Huang Zu led
7920-491: The plot and had Dong Cheng and his conspirators executed, with only Liu Bei surviving and fleeing to join Yuan Shao in the north. After settling the nearby provinces, including a rebellion led by former Yellow Turbans, and internal affairs with the court, Cao Cao turned his attention north to Yuan Shao, who himself had eliminated his northern rival Gongsun Zan that same year. Yuan Shao, himself of higher nobility than Cao Cao, amassed
8030-428: The power of the Han, a large coalition against Dong Zhuo began to rise, with leaders such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Cao Cao. Many provincial officials were compelled to join or risk elimination. In 191, Sun Jian (Yuan Shu's subordinate) led an army against Dong Zhuo and drove him from Luoyang to Chang'an. In the following year, Dong Zhuo's former bodyguard Lü Bu assassinated Dong Zhuo. It is said that Dong Zhuo's body
8140-454: The power of the central government. During this time, the minister Chen Qun developed the nine-rank system for civil service nomination, which was adopted by later dynasties until it was superseded by the imperial examination system in the Sui dynasty . Cao Pi felt that the Han dynasty collapsed because the Governors (州牧) of the various provinces wielded too much power and fell outside
8250-445: The province and began appointing scholars and officials from Liu Biao's court to the local government. Meanwhile, Liu Qi had joined Liu Bei to establish a line of defence at the Yangtze River against the surrender to Cao Cao, but they suffered defeat at the hands of Cao Cao. In the aftermath, they retreated and sought support from Sun Quan. Guan Yu (Liu Bei's subordinate lieutenant) had managed to retrieve most of Jing Province's fleet from
8360-424: The provincial capital, Chengdu in 300. Li Te submitted to Jin in light of the Jin army’s arrival led by the new provincial inspector, Luo Shang , but from this point on, he acted as a representative for the influential refugee families in the region. Tension grew between Li Te and Luo Shang due to an order from the imperial court demanding the refugees to return to their homes. The refugees were reluctant to make
8470-533: The puppet Emperor Xian. He became the Chancellor in 208, the Duke of Wei in 214, and the King of Wei in 217. He also compelled Sun Quan to accept suzerainty to Wei, but it had no real effect in practice. After Liu Bei had captured Yi Province from Liu Zhang in 214, Sun Quan—who had been engaged with Cao Cao in the southeast at the region between the Huai and Yangtze rivers during the intervening years—turned his attention to
8580-456: The rebels regrouped under the leadership of Lady Triệu in Jiuzhen and renewed the rebellion with a march on Jiaozhi. After several months of warfare she was defeated and committed suicide. In 226, Cao Pi died at the age of 40, and was succeeded by his eldest son Cao Rui (aged 22) Minister Chen Qun, General Cao Zhen, General Cao Xiu, and General Sima Yi were appointed as regents, even though Cao Rui
8690-501: The ruling Cao family dramatically weakened following the deposition and execution of Cao Shuang , a regent for the dynasty's third emperor Cao Fang . Beginning in 249, another regent in Sima Yi gradually consolidated state authority for himself and his relatives, with the last Wei emperors largely being puppets of the Sima family. In 266, Sima Yi's grandson Sima Yan forced Emperor Yuan to abdicate, proclaiming himself to be Emperor Wu of
8800-423: The state in Chinese historical texts. In 238, Cao Rui perished at age 35. He was succeeded by his adopted son Cao Fang (aged 7), who was a close member of the imperial family. Cao Rui had appointed Cao Shuang and Sima Yi to be Cao Fang's regents, even though he had contemplated to establish a regency council dominated by imperial family members. Cao Shuang held the principal control over the court. Meanwhile, Sima Yi
8910-448: The state of Wu had always been on the defensive against invasions from the north. The area around Hefei was the scene of many bitter battles and under constant pressure from Wei after the Battle of Red Cliffs. Warfare had grown so intense that many of the residents chose to migrate and resettle south of the Yangtze. After Zhuge Liang's death, attacks on the southern Huai River region intensified but nonetheless, Wei could not break through
9020-421: The status of a vassal king – "King of Wei (魏王)". Cao Cao died on 15 March 220 and his vassal king title was inherited by his son Cao Pi . Later that year, on 11 December, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate in his favour and took over the throne, establishing the state of Wei. However, Liu Bei immediately contested Cao Pi's claim to the Han throne and declared himself "Emperor of Han " a year later. Sun Quan
9130-505: The summer of 214, Liu Bei received the surrender of Liu Zhang, capturing Yi Province, and established his regime at Chengdu. In 215, Cao Cao captured Hanzhong after attacking and receiving the surrender of Zhang Lu. He had launched the attack from Chang'an through the Qinling Mountain passes to Hanzhong. The conquest threatened Liu Bei's territory located directly to the south. Cao Cao progressively acquired additional titles and power under
9240-522: The surrender of Liu Bei (then a commander under Tao Qian) in 196, and captured and executed Lü Bu in 198. Cao was now in complete control of the southern part of the North China Plain. In the northeast, Gongsun Du held control of the Liaodong Peninsula and its environs, where he had established a state. He was succeeded by his son Gongsun Kang in 204. In the north across the frontier, since
9350-489: The system imposed a heavy tax on hired civilian farmers (40% to 60% of agricultural production), the farmers were more than pleased to be able to work with relative stability and professional military protection in a time of chaos. This was later said to be his second important policy for success. In 200, Dong Cheng , an imperial relative, received a secret edict from Emperor Xian to assassinate Cao Cao. He collaborated with Liu Bei on this effort, but Cao Cao soon found out about
9460-456: The territory east of the Yangtze Gorges. At the beginning of 220, Cao Cao died and was succeeded by his son Cao Pi. On 11 December, Emperor Xian abdicated and Cao Pi ascended the imperial throne by proclaiming his heavenly mandate as the Emperor of Wei. On 15 May 221, Liu Bei responded by proclaiming himself as the Emperor of Han. His state would become generally known as Shu Han. Sun Quan continued to recognise his de jure suzerainty to Wei and
9570-525: The territory. Liu Bei had now secured his territory against the north and declared himself the King of Hanzhong. In the east, Sun Quan attempted to capture Hefei from Cao Cao, but he did not succeed. While Lu Su had been chief commander for Sun Quan in Jing Province, their policy was to maintain the alliance with Liu Bei while Cao Cao was still a threat. This changed when Sun Quan appointed Lü Meng when Lu Su died in 217. In 219, Guan Yu sailed from Jiangling up
9680-547: The throne to the line of his late elder brother, Li Dang , Li Xiong chose his nephew Li Ban to succeed him, a decision that angered his own sons. Meanwhile, the Cheng court was also divided on the direction of the state; as Cheng had many Han Chinese officials serving under them, and with the Eastern Jin dynasty firmly established in the east, some ministers believed that Cheng should be a vassal of Jin while others wanted to maintain its independence. In 334, shortly after ascending
9790-440: The throne, Li Ban was killed and usurped by Li Xiong’s son, Li Qi . In 338, Li Qi’s father's cousin, Li Shou forced him to abdicate and took the throne for himself. Li Shou renamed the state from Cheng to Han, named so after his peerage and wanting to distance himself from Li Xiong's line. For this reason, historiographers collectively refer to Li Xiong and Li Shou’s states as Cheng-Han. Li Shou initially promised to only rule for
9900-563: The time of instability instead of seriously wishing to restore the Han dynasty's authority. The Han empire was divided between a number of regional warlords. As a result of the complete collapse of the central government and eastern alliance, the North China Plain fell into warfare and anarchy with many contenders vying for success or survival. Emperor Xian fell into the hands of various warlords in Chang'an. Dong Zhuo, confident in his success,
10010-571: The turbulent situation throughout the empire, many were able to survive as bandits in mountainous areas, thus continuing their ability to contribute to the turmoil of the era. With the widespread increase in bandits across the Chinese nation, the Han army had no way to repel each and every raiding party. In 188, Emperor Ling accepted a memorial from Liu Yan suggesting he grant direct administrative power over feudal provinces and direct command of regional military to local governors, as well as promoting them in rank and filling such positions with members of
10120-523: The warlords of Chang'an. Establishing the imperial court at Xuchang in Henan, Cao Cao—who now held the de facto control—rigorously followed the formalities of the court and justified his actions as a loyal minister of the Han. By then, most of the smaller contenders for power had either been absorbed by larger ones or destroyed. This was an extremely important move for Cao Cao following the suggestion from his primary adviser, Xun Yu , commenting that by supporting
10230-551: Was a dynastic state of China listed as one of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese historiography. Ruled by the Li clan of the Ba-Di people, its territory was based in what is modern-day Sichuan Province , China. The name Cheng-Han collectively refers to the state of Cheng (成; Chéng ) or Dacheng (大成; Dàchéng ), founded by Li Xiong in 304 (or by Li Te in 303) and the state of Han (漢; Hàn ) founded by Li Shou in 338. The state
10340-462: Was a strategic blunder, as it drew the ire of many warlords across the land, including Yuan Shu's own subordinates who almost all abandoned him. Abandoned by almost all his allies and followers, he perished in 199. In August 195, Emperor Xian fled the tyranny of Li Jue at Chang'an and made a year long hazardous journey east in search of supporters. In 196, Emperor Xian came under the protection and control of Cao Cao after he had succeeded in fleeing from
10450-415: Was able to manage the government in practice. Eventually the former three died, leaving only Sima Yi as the senior minister and military commander. In 226, Sima Yi successfully defended Xiangyang against an offensive from Wu; this battle was the first time he had command in the field. In 227, Sima Yi was appointed to a post at Chang'an where he managed the military affairs along the Han River. In 238, Sima Yi
10560-683: Was created by Cao Wei with rigid social stratification backed by law between shu (庶) (commoner) households and shi (士) (noble) households in the Nine ranks system which was created by Cao Wei and enabled hereditary officeholding by the aristocratic magnate families. Magnates took in farming families and war refugees into their fortress villages as ke (客) (private clients) and as buqu (military retainers) who made up their private militias. These magnates were rich landowners and local warlords and their economic and social power only grew at this time. The military retainers stayed own as private agricultural laborers bonded to
10670-571: Was dispatched to command a military campaign against Gongsun Yuan of the self-proclaimed the Yan Kingdom in Liaodong, resulting in Sima Yi's capture of his capital Xiangping and massacre of his government. Between 244 and 245, General Guanqiu Jian was dispatched to invade Goguryeo and severely devastated that state. The northeastern frontier of Wei was now secured from any possible threats. The invasions,
10780-403: Was during this time that Liu Bei also met Zhuge Liang. In the autumn of 208, Liu Biao died and was succeeded by his youngest son Liu Cong over the eldest son Liu Qi through political manoeuvring. Liu Bei had become the head of the opposition to a surrender when Cao Cao's army marched southward to Jing. After the advice of his supporters, Liu Cong surrendered to Cao Cao. Cao Cao took control of
10890-412: Was enfeoffed as the King of Wu. At the end of 221, Shu invaded Wu in response for Guan Yu's killing and the loss of Jing Province by Wu. In the spring of 222, Liu Bei arrived at the scene to personally take command of the invasion. Sun Quan dispatched Lu Xun to command over the defence of Wu against the invasion by Shu. Against the advice of his subordinates, Lu Xun waited until Liu Bei was committed along
11000-449: Was expanding westward. In 208, Sun Quan defeated Huang Zu (Liu Biao's subordinate commander) around present-day Wuhan. He now held control over the territories south of the Yangtze (below Wuhan, Poyang region, and Hangzhou Bay). His navy established local superiority over the Yangtze. Nevertheless, he would soon come under the threat of Cao Cao's larger armies. During Dong Zhuo's reign over the Han government, Liu Biao had been appointed as
11110-506: Was forced to move its capital further east. In Liang Province (present-day Gansu), rebellion had erupted in 184 . In the west, Liu Yan had been Governor of Yi Province since his appointment in 188. He was succeeded by his son Liu Zhang in 194. Directly north of Liu Zhang's territory, Zhang Lu, leader of the Five Pecks of Rice , led the theocratic government at Hanzhong commandery on the upper Han River. Liu Biao held control over his province as
11220-494: Was found out that Jiang Wei had urged Zhong Hui to get rid of these officials before the planned coup. Sima Zhao himself received and finally accepted the nine bestowals and the title Duke of Jin in 263, and was further bestowed with the title King of Jin by Cao Huan in 264, but he died on 6 September 265, leaving the final step of usurpation up to his eldest son, Sima Yan . On 4 February 266, Sima Zhao's son, Sima Yan, forced Cao Huan to abdicate in his favor, replacing Wei with
11330-427: Was nominally a vassal king under Wei, but he declared independence in 222 and eventually proclaimed himself "Emperor of Wu " in 229. To distinguish the state from other historical Chinese states of the same name, historians have added a relevant character to the state's original name: the state that called itself "Wei" (魏) is also known as "Cao Wei" (曹魏) Cao Pi ruled for six years until his death on 29 June 226 and
11440-434: Was received the honorific title of Grand Tutor, but had virtually no influence at the court. Cao Wei The name Wei first became associated with Cao Cao when he was named the Duke of Wei by the Eastern Han government in 213, and became the name of the state when Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor in 220. Historians often add the prefix "Cao" to distinguish it from other Chinese states known as Wei . The authority of
11550-612: Was sent to capture Jing province's southern commanderies, but Guan Yu (Liu Bei's general) launched a counterattack. Later that year, Liu Bei and Sun Quan reached a settlement that the Xiang River would serve as the border between their territories. In the south, Sun Quan had sent He Qin, Lu Xun, and others to expand and conquer territory in what are now southern Zhejiang and Fujian . In 219, Liu Bei seized Hanzhong by defeating and killing General Xiahou Yuan, who served Cao Cao. Cao Cao sent reinforcements in an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim
11660-496: Was set ablaze—as a result of a power struggle between the eunuchs and civil service—and commanded his army forward to strike down the disorder. As the emperor had lost any remaining military or political power, Dong Zhuo seized the de facto control of the government located at Luoyang. On 28 September, Dong Zhuo deposed Liu Bian from the imperial Han throne in favour of Liu Xie. In the following weeks, rebellions broke out throughout all of China. In East China, in an attempt to restore
11770-546: Was slain by his follower Lü Bu , who plotted with minister Wang Yun . Lü Bu, in turn, was attacked by Dong Zhuo's former officers : Li Jue , Guo Si , Zhang Ji and Fan Chou . Wang Yun and his whole family were executed. Lü Bu fled to Zhang Yang , a northern warlord, and remained with him for a time before briefly joining Yuan Shao, but it was clear that Lü Bu was far too independent to serve another. Yuan Shao operated from Ye city in Ji Province , extending his power north of
11880-430: Was succeeded by his son, Cao Rui , who ruled until his death on 22 January 239. Throughout the reigns of Cao Pi and Cao Rui, Wei had been fighting numerous wars with its two rival states – Shu and Wu. Between 228 and 234, Zhuge Liang , the Shu chancellor and regent, led a series of five military campaigns to attack Wei's western borders (within present-day Gansu and Shaanxi ), with the aim of conquering Chang'an ,
11990-408: Was thrown into the street with a lit wick in his navel, which supposedly burned with the same brilliance of the sun for a period of four days. In 192, there was some talk among the coalition of appointing Liu Yu , an imperial relative, as emperor, and gradually its members began to fall out. Most of the warlords in the coalition, with a few exceptions, sought the increase of personal military power in
12100-624: Was unsuccessful. Liu Bian took the Han throne as Emperor Shao, and He Jin plotted with warlord Yuan Shao to assassinate the Ten Attendants , a clique of twelve eunuchs led by Zhang Rang who controlled much of the imperial court. He Jin also ordered Dong Zhuo , the frontier general in Liang Province, and Ding Yuan , Inspector of Bing Province, to bring troops to the capital to reinforce his position of authority. The eunuchs learned of He Jin's plot, and had him assassinated before Dong Zhuo reached
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