Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during the
Three KingdomsThe Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period, after the fall of the
Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
. The state was based on areas around
Sichuan' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, which was then known as
ShuThe State of Shu was an ancient state in what is now Sichuan, China. It was conquered by Qin in 316 BC. Shu was based on the Chengdu Plain, in the western Sichuan basin with some extension northeast to the upper Han River valley. To the east was the Ba tribal confederation. Further east down the...
. Some historians argue it was the last Han Dynasty because its founding emperor
Liu BeiLiu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
was directly related to the sovereign family of the original Han Dynasty, and bore their
surname劉 is a common Chinese family name. The transliteration Liu can represent several different surnames written in different Chinese characters:*劉 / 刘, pinyin: Liú...
. The other two states were
Cao WeiCao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
in central and northern China and
Eastern WuEastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
in southeastern China. The state is sometimes known as the
Kingdom of Shu, though this usage is ambiguous as it was the name of the older Shu state in the area (ca. 1046 BC – 316 BC).
History
Towards the end of the Han Dynasty,
Liu BeiLiu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, a warlord and distant relative of the Han imperial clan, rallied the support of many capable followers. Following the counsel of his advisor
Zhuge LiangZhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
and Zhuge's
Longzhong PlanThe Longzhong Plan is the name given to a strategic plan given by the third century Chinese tactician and administrator Zhuge Liang. It formed the basis for the grand plan of the warlord Liu Bei and later the Three Kingdoms state of Shu. In essence it envisaged the securing of a viable regional...
, Liu Bei conquered parts of Jing Province (covering present-day
Hubei' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and
Hunan' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) in 208 and 209. Between 212 and 215, Liu Bei
took overLiu Bei's takeover of Yi Province was a military campaign by the warlord Liu Bei in taking control of Yi Province from its Governor, Liu Zhang. The campaign took place between 212 and 215 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
Yi Province (covering the
Sichuan BasinThe Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
) from the warlord
Liu ZhangLiu Zhang was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He became governor of Yi Province , succeeding his father Liu Yan and ruled the region until 214, when he surrendered to Liu Bei...
, and wrestled control of
HanzhongHanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
from rival warlord
Cao CaoCao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
in 219.
From the territories he gained, Liu Bei established a position for himself in China during the final years of the Han Dynasty. However in 219, the alliance between Liu Bei and his ally,
Sun QuanSun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, was broken when Sun sent his general
Lü MengLü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
to
invade Jing ProvinceLü Meng's invasion of Jing Province was a battle fought between the warlords Sun Quan and Liu Bei in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Sun Quan's forces, led by Lü Meng, invaded Liu Bei's territory of Jing Province , which was defended by Guan Yu, and succeeded...
. Jing Province came under Sun Quan's control after the surprise attack, and Liu Bei's general
Guan YuGuan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
was captured and executed on Sun's order.
In 220, after the death of Cao Cao, his son
Cao PiCao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
forced the Han Dynasty's last ruler,
Emperor XianEmperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
to abdicate, taking over the Han throne and starting a new
Cao WeiCao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
dynasty. The following year, Liu Bei proclaimed himself
emperorThe Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
in
ChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, with his dynasty known as "Shu Han". Although Liu Bei is seen as the founder of Shu Han, he never claimed to be the founder of a new dynasty; rather, he claimed to be continuing the fallen Han Dynasty.
In 222, Liu Bei launched an attack on Sun Quan to retake Jing Province and avenge Guan Yu, culminating in the
Battle of XiaotingThe Battle of Xiaoting, also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the states of Eastern Wu and Shu Han in 222 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. However, due to grave tactical mistakes, Liu Bei suffered a dramatic defeat with the burning of his line of camps and the decimation of his already numerically inferior army. Liu Bei survived the battle and fled to Baidicheng, where he died a year later due to illness. His son,
Liu ShanLiu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
, succeeded him as emperor of Shu Han. The chancellor
Zhuge LiangZhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
and general Li Yan were appointed as regents to assist the young Liu Shan.
Zhuge Liang felt that it was more important for Shu to attack and topple the Wei government and restore legitimacy to the Han Dynasty, hence he made peace with Sun Quan and reaffirmed Shu's alliance with Sun. Sun Quan later declared himself emperor of
Eastern WuEastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
in 229, and his status was recognized by Shu. Between 228 and 234, Zhuge Liang launched a series of six invasions on Wei but failed each time due to lack of supplies or incompetency of his officers, eventually dying of sickness at the
Battle of Wuzhang PlainsThe Battle of Wuzhang Plains was a standoff between the contending states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 234 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. Zhuge Liang's protege,
Jiang WeiJiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
, continued his legacy by leading another
nine campaignsJiang Wei's Northern Expeditions refer to a series of nine military campaigns launched by Shu Han general Jiang Wei against the rival state of Cao Wei from 247 to 262 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Each expedition was aborted eventually due to inadequate food supplies or...
against Wei between 247 and 262, but failed to make any significant territorial gains.
In 263, armies led by Wei generals
Zhong HuiZhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
and
Deng AiDeng Ai was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. It was said that whenever he saw a hill or wide valley, he would immediately size up the best places to store grain and position troops. His talent was recognized by Sima Yi, who recommended him to take up...
attacked ShuThe conquest of Shu by Wei was a military campaign launched by the state of Cao Wei against its rival Shu Han in 263 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The campaign culminated in the fall of Shu and the tripartite equilibrium maintained in China for over 40 years since the end of...
and conquered its capital
ChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Liu Shan surrendered to Deng Ai outside Chengdu, marking the end of Shu. Jiang Wei attempted to incite conflict between Zhong Hui and Deng Ai, hoping to take advantage of the situation to revive Shu. However, his plan failed and he was killed by Wei troops along with Zhong Hui and Deng Ai. Liu Shan was brought to the Wei capital
LuoyangLuoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
and lived a comfortable and peaceful life as the "Duke of Anle" until the end of his days.
Shu was not merely a nation of war. During peace time, Shu began many irrigation and road-building projects designed to improve the economy. Many of these public works still exist and are widely used. For example, the Zipingpu Dam is still present near
ChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
,
Sichuan' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
. These works helped improve the economy of southwestern China and can be credited with beginning the history of economic activity in Sichuan. It also promoted trade with southern China, which was then ruled by Eastern Wu.
Flight to Persia
It was claimed that many refugees such as nobles and troops fled west to Sasanian Persia when Shu fell in 263. According to one account, a noble called Mamgo (see
MamikonianMamikonian, Mamikoneans, or Mamigonian was a noble family which dominated Armenian politics between the 4th and 8th century. They ruled the Armenian regions of Taron, Sasun, Bagrevand and others...
) in Persia, was a Shu Han prince who led his military forces in escaping the invasion of Wei to Persia. After Sima Yan, who was the Emperor of China, demanded that Persia hand over the Prince or face war, the Sassanian Persian Emperor
Shapur IShapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
appointed Mamgo as satrap of Armenia after exiling him there with his army, wanting to keep between Persia and China the solid and friendly diplomatic links they had, then claimed Mamgo's exile in Armenia constituted "certain death" in "the ends of the earth", which the Emperor of China accepted.
Edward GibbonEdward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
in his
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman EmpireThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a non-fiction history book written by English historian Edward Gibbon and published in six volumes. Volume I was published in 1776, and went through six printings. Volumes II and III were published in 1781; volumes IV, V, VI in 1788–89...
, suggested a different account, saying that Mamgo was a Scythian who was considered a Chinese subject since the Chinese Empire's rule stretched all the way to
SogdianaSogdiana or Sogdia was the ancient civilization of an Iranian people and a province of the Achaemenid Empire, eighteenth in the list on the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great . Sogdiana is "listed" as the second of the "good lands and countries" that Ahura Mazda created...
, according to him.
List of territories
Yi Province (益州)
| Commandery | Counties |
Shu
蜀 |
Chengdu
成都 |
Fan
繁 |
Jiangyuan
江原 |
Linqiong
臨邛 |
Pi
郫 |
Zitong
梓潼 |
Zitong
梓潼 |
Fu
涪 |
Hande
漢德 |
Hanshou
漢壽 |
Boshui
白水 |
Guanghan
廣漢 |
Luo
雒 |
Shifang
什邡 |
Mianzhu
綿竹 |
Xindu
新都 |
Yangquan
陽泉 |
Han
漢 |
Qi
郪 |
Deyang
德陽 |
Wucheng
五城 |
Guanghan
廣漢 |
Wenshan
汶山 |
Wenshan
汶山 |
Jiandi
湔氐 |
Du'an
都安 |
Miansi
綿虒 |
Pingkang
平康 |
Canling
蠶陵 |
Guangrou
廣柔 |
Boma
白馬 |
Ba
巴 |
Jiangzhou
江州 |
Dianjiang
墊江 |
Linjiang
臨江 |
Zhi
枳 |
Baxi
巴西 |
Langzhong
閬中 |
Xichong (state)
西充國 |
Nanchong (state)
南充國 |
Hanchang
漢昌 |
Xuanhan
宣漢 |
Anhan
安漢 |
Dangqu
宕渠 |
Badong
巴東 |
Yong'an (Yufu)
永安 (魚復) |
Quren
朐忍 |
Yangqu
羊渠 |
Beijing
北井 |
Handan
漢單 |
Wu
巫 |
Fuling
涪陵 |
Hanfu
漢復 |
Fuling
涪陵 |
Hanping
漢平 |
Hanjia
漢葭 |
Wanning
萬寧 |
Jianwei
犍為 |
Wuyang
武陽 |
Nan'an
南安 |
Bodao
僰道 |
Zizhong
資中 |
Niubing
牛鞞 |
Jiangyang
江陽 |
Jiangyang
江陽 |
Fu
符 |
Han'an
漢安 |
Hanjia
漢嘉 |
Hanjia
漢嘉 |
Xi
徙 |
Yandao
嚴道 |
Maoniu
旄牛 |
Territories conquered by Shu from Wei
| Commandery | Counties |
Hanzhong
漢中 |
Nanzheng
南鄭 |
Baozhong
褒中 |
Mianyang
沔陽 |
Chenggu
成固 |
Nanxiang
南鄉 |
Wudu
武都 |
Xiabian
下辯 |
Hechi
河池 |
Ju
沮 |
Wudu
武都 |
Gudao
故道 |
Qiangdao
羌道 |
Yinping
陰平 |
Yinping
陰平 |
Pingguang
平廣 |
NanzhongNanzhong was an ancient region consisting of modern-day Yunnan, Guizhou, and southern Sichuan in southern China.The region was the homeland of the rebellious Nanman tribes, led by Meng Huo. In 225 AD, the famed statesman Zhuge Liang led three columns into Yunnan to pacify the tribes. His seven...
(南中)
| Commandery | Counties |
Zhuti
朱提 |
Zhuti
朱提 |
Nanguang
南廣 |
Hanyang
漢陽 |
Nanchang
南昌 |
Tanglang
堂狼 |
Yuesui
越巂 |
Huiwu
會無 |
Qiongdu
邛都 |
Beishui
卑水 |
Dingzha
定苲 |
Taideng
臺登 |
Anshang
安上 |
Xindao
新道 |
Qianjie
潛街 |
Sanfeng
三縫 |
Suqi
蘇祁 |
Chan
闡 |
Zangke
牂柯 |
Qielan
且蘭 |
Tanzhi
談指 |
Yelang
夜郎 |
Wulian
毋斂 |
Bi
鄨 |
Pingyi
平夷 |
Guangtan
廣談 |
Yunnan
雲南 |
Yunnan
雲南 |
Longdong
梇棟 |
Qingling
青蛉 |
Gufu
姑復 |
Xielong
邪龍 |
Yeyu
楪榆 |
Suijiu
遂久 |
Xinggu
興古 |
Juting
句町 |
Wanwen
宛溫 |
Louwo
漏臥 |
Bengu
賁古 |
Hanxing
漢興 |
Jincheng
進乘 |
Xifeng
西豐 |
Xisui
西隨 |
Duofeng
鐸封 |
Jianning
建寧 |
Wei
味 |
Cun (Mayi)
存 (馬邑) |
Mudan
母單 |
Tonglai
同瀨 |
Muma
牧麻 |
Guchang
穀昌 |
Lianran
連然 |
Qinzang
秦臧 |
Shuangbai
雙柏 |
Yuyuan
俞元 |
Xiuyun
修雲 |
Dianchi
滇池 |
Tonglao
同勞 |
Tongjing
同井 |
Shengxiu
勝休 |
Jianling
建伶 |
Yongchang
永昌 |
Buwei
不韋 |
Yongshou
永壽 |
Bisu
比蘇 |
Nanfu
南涪 |
Suitang
巂唐 |
Ailao
哀牢 |
Bonan
博南 |
List of sovereigns
Shu Han or Kingdom of Shu 221–263 AD
| Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
s |
Family (in bold) name Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
and first namesPersonal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"...
|
Year(s) of reigns |
Era name A Chinese era name is the regnal year, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperor's reign and naming certain Chinese rulers . Some emperors have several era names, one after another, where each beginning of a new era resets the numbering of the year back...
s and their range of years |
| Chinese convention: family and first names, and less commonly "Shu" + posthumous name + "di" |
| Emperor Zhaolie of Shu |
Liu Bei Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
|
221-223 |
Zhangwu 220-223 |
| Xiaohuai |
Liu Shan Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
|
223-263 |
Jianxing 223-237
Yanxi 238-257
Jingyao 258-263
Yanxing 263 |
See also
- Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
- Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
- Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms
- Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period
This is a timeline of the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
- Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...