Three Kingdoms
The end of the Han Dynasty was followed by a long period of disunity and civil war. It began with the Three Kingdoms. These kingdoms grew out of the three chief economic areas of the Han Dynasty. The leaders of the kingdoms strove to reunite the empire and were therefore at constant warfare. These three kingdoms were the Wei, in northern China, the Shu to the west, and the Wu in the east. The Three Kingdoms existed from 220-265 A.D. Buddhism began to spread throughout China during this period. It was introduced in the first century A.D. but did not really begin to spread until after the Han Empire collapsed. Tea, although not as popular as it would be in later times, was discovered in the south during this period. Porcelain was also developed during this time.
The kingdom of Wei was ruled by Cao Cao. This was the strongest of the kingdoms, and he had power over the valley of Wei even during the time of the Han rule. Cao Cao attempted to unify all of China under his rule, but was defeated by Sun Quan and Liu Bei in the battle of the Red Cliff. This defeat was the beginning of the division into three kingdoms. The Wei and Shu kingdoms were both centralized, legalist kingdoms, while the Wu kingdom was ruled by a confederation of the most powerful families of the area. The Wei kingdom eventually captured the Shu kingdom in 263 A.D.
Cao Cao instituted many military changes that would have a great impact on the future of China. His army consisted of both Chinese and people that were considered barbarians, the Xiong-nu, the Xian-bei, Wu-huan and the Qiang. The members of his army who provided the best troops were the former nomadic herdsmen of the steppes. They were the most skilled mounted bowmen. The use of people from different groups resulted in an assimilation among the people which had not occurred in the past. In the future, these assimilated nomads would form independent kingdoms in North China. The Si-ma was a militant family that rose to power very quickly, and one of its members, Si-ma Yan founded the new Jin Dynasty in 265 A.D.
List of Emperors of the Three Kingdoms
Posthumous Names | Personal Names | Period of Reigns | Era Names and Range of years | ||
Wei or [Cao Wei (曹魏)] 220-265 | |||||
Wén Dì | 文帝 | Cáo Pī | 曹丕 | 220-226 | Huángchū黃初 220-226 |
Míng Dì | 明帝 | Cáo Ruì | 曹叡 | 226-239 | Tàihé太和 227-233 |
Qīnglóng青龍 233-237 | |||||
Jǐngchū景初 237-239 | |||||
Qí Wáng | 齊王 | Cáo Fāng | 曹芳 | 239–254 | Zhèngshǐ正始 240–249 |
Gāoguìxiāng Gōng | 高貴鄉公 | Cáo Máo | 曹髦 | 254–260 | Zhèngyuán正元 254–256 |
Gānlù甘露 256-260 | |||||
Yuán Dì | 元帝 | Cáo Huàn | 曹奐 | 260–265 | Jǐngyuán景元 260–264 |
Xiánxī咸熙 264–265 | |||||
Shu or Shu Han 221-263 | |||||
Zhāoliè Dì | 昭烈帝 | Liú Bèi | 劉備 | 221-223 | Zhāngwǔ章武 221-223 |
Hòuzhǔ | 後主 | Liú Shàn | 劉禪 | 223–263 | Jiànxīng建興 223–237 |
Yánxī延熙 238–257 | |||||
Jǐngyào景耀 258–263 | |||||
Yánxīng炎興 263 | |||||
Wu 222-280 | |||||
Dà Dì | 大帝 | Sūn Quán | 孫權 | 222–252 | Huángwǔ黃武 222–229 |
Huánglóng黃龍 229–231 | |||||
Jiāhé嘉禾 232–238 | |||||
Chìwū赤烏 238–251 | |||||
Tàiyuán太元 251–252 | |||||
Shénfèng神鳳 252 | |||||
Kuàijī Wáng | 會稽王 | Sūn Liàng | 孫亮 | 252–258 | Jiànxīng建興 252–253 |
Wǔfèng五鳳 254–256 | |||||
Tàipíng太平 256–258 | |||||
Jǐng Dì | 景帝 | Sūn Xiū | 孫休 | 258–264 | Yǒngān永安 258–264 |
Wūchéng Hóu | 烏程侯 | Sūn Hào | 孫皓 | 264–280 | Yuánxīng元興 264–265 |
Gānlù甘露 265–266 | |||||
Bǎodǐng寶鼎 266–269 | |||||
Jiànhéng建衡 269-271 | |||||
Fènghuáng鳳凰 272–274 | |||||
Tiāncè天冊 275–276 | |||||
Tiānxǐ天璽 276 | |||||
Tiānjì天紀 277–280 |