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Sun Quan

 
Sun Quan

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Sun Quan



 
 
Sun Quan (182 - 252), son of Sun Jian
Sun Jian

Sun Jian was a military general and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian of Han China in his power....
, courtesy name Zhòngmóu, formally Emperor Da of (Eastern) Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu , also known as Sun Wu , was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty in the Jiangnan region of China....
, during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors....
 period, in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. He ruled from 222 to 229 as Wu Wang
Chinese sovereign

Chinese sovereign is the ruler of a particular period in ancient China. Several titles and naming schemes have been used throughout history....
 (King/Prince of Wu) and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of the Wu Dynasty.

In his youth Sun Quan spent time in his home county of Fuchun, and after his father's death in the early 190s, at various cities on the Lower Yangtze River
Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang , is the longest river in China and Asia, and the List of rivers by length in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon River in South America....
.






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Timeline

182   Born

196   General Cao Cao controls the Huang He basin and North of the country. General Sun Quan seizes southernmost China. Prince Liu Bei controls the province of Sichuan.

207   Sun Quan battles Huang Zu at Xiakou.

208   Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs.

213   Died

215   Zhang Liao holds off Sun Quan's invasion force at the siege of Hefei.

222   Sun Quan defeats Liu Bei at the Battle of Yi Ling.

226   A merchant from the Roman Empire called "Qin Lun" by the Chinese, arrived in Jiaozhi (near modern Hanoi) and was taken to see Sun Quan, the Wu Emperor, who requested him to make a report on his native country and people. He was given an escort for the return trip including a present of ten male and ten female "blackish-coloured dwarfs." However, the officer in charge of the Chinese escort died on the way and Qin Lun had to continue his journey home alone. See: An annotated translation of the ''Weilue''.

229   Sun Quan formally declares himself Emperor of Wu.

252   Sun Liang succeeds Sun Quan as king of the Chinese Kingdom of Wu.







Encyclopedia


Sun Quan (182 - 252), son of Sun Jian
Sun Jian

Sun Jian was a military general and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian of Han China in his power....
, courtesy name Zhòngmóu, formally Emperor Da of (Eastern) Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu , also known as Sun Wu , was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty in the Jiangnan region of China....
, during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors....
 period, in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. He ruled from 222 to 229 as Wu Wang
Chinese sovereign

Chinese sovereign is the ruler of a particular period in ancient China. Several titles and naming schemes have been used throughout history....
 (King/Prince of Wu) and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of the Wu Dynasty.

In his youth Sun Quan spent time in his home county of Fuchun, and after his father's death in the early 190s, at various cities on the Lower Yangtze River
Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang , is the longest river in China and Asia, and the List of rivers by length in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon River in South America....
. His elder brother Sun Ce
Sun Ce

Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen....
 carved out a warlord state in the region, based on his own followers and a number of local clan allegiances. When Sun Ce was assassinated by the retainers of Xu Gong
Xu Gong

Xu Gong was the governor of a Wu territory in China.Xu Gong?s troops ambushed and injured Sun Ce while he was marching to attack Xu Chang in 200 C.E....
, whom Sun Ce had killed in battle several years prior, in 200, the eighteen-year-old Sun Quan inherited the lands southeast of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang , is the longest river in China and Asia, and the List of rivers by length in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon River in South America....
 from his brother. His administration proved to be relatively stable in those early years. Sun Jian and Sun Ce's most senior officers, such as Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era; the turbulent years leading to the end of Han Dynasty in China.Zhou Yu was the stratigist for Sun Ce and he was very well at his job....
, Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao

Zhang Zhao was a civil officer who served Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. His stylename was Zibu .He was born in what is now part of Jiangsu....
, Zhang Hong
Zhang Hong

Zhang Hong was a minister for Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China.Originally from Guangling, he and Zhang Zhao were known as the "Two Zhangs"....
, and Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu

Cheng Pu was a veteran warrior who served the Sun family for three generations in the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was skilled in wielding his serpent spear as a weapon....
 remained loyal; in fact it was mentioned in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms , written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based upon events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of China, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in 280....
 that Sun Ce had at his deathbed reminded Sun Quan that "in internal matters, consult Zhang Zhao, in external matters, consult Zhou Yu." Thus throughout the 200s Sun Quan under the tutelage of his able advisors continued to build up his strength along the Yangtze River. In early 207, his forces finally won complete victory over Huang Zu
Huang Zu

Huang Zu was a high-ranked naval officer and Prefect of Jiangxia under the governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao during the later Han Dynasty and during the Three Kingdoms era of China....
, a military leader under Liu Biao
Liu Biao

Li? Biao was the governor of the Jingzhou during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He was a member of the same extended family as the Han emperors....
, who dominated the Middle Yangtze.

In winter of that year, the northern warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao

C?o Cao was a warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of China of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China....
 led an army of some 200,000 to conquer south to complete the reunification of China. Two distinct factions emerged at his court on how to handle the situation. One, led by Zhang Zhao, urged surrender whilst the other, led by Zhou Yu and the young diplomat Lu Su
Lu Su

Lu Su , styled Zijing, was an advisor for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He took control of the military after the death of Zhou Yu....
, opposed capitulation. In the finality, Sun Quan decided to oppose Cao Cao in the Middle Yangtze with his superior riverine forces. Allied with the warlord Liu Bei
Liu Bei

Liu Bei , Chinese style name Xu?nd? , was a general, warlord, and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China....
 and employing the combined strategies of Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era; the turbulent years leading to the end of Han Dynasty in China.Zhou Yu was the stratigist for Sun Ce and he was very well at his job....
 and Huang Gai
Huang Gai

Huang Gai was a military general for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was renowned as a hardened combat veteran who loyally served three Sun Family lords throughout his lifetime: Sun Jian, his eldest son Sun Ce, and his second son Sun Quan....
, they defeated Cao Cao decisively at the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs

The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in China....
.

In 220, Cao Pi
Cao Pi

Cao Pi , formally Emperor Wen of Wei , courtesy name Zihuan , was born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery . He was the second son of the China politician and poet Cao Cao and was the first Emperor of China and the real founder of Cao Wei , one of the Three Kingdoms....
, son of Cao Cao, seized the throne and proclaimed himself to be the Emperor of China
Emperor of China

The Emperor of China refers to any monarch of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912....
, ending the nominal rule of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
. At first Sun Quan nominally served as a Cao Wei vassal with the Cao Wei-created title of Prince of Wu, but after Cao Pi demanded that he send his son Sun Deng
Sun Deng

Sun Deng was a crown prince of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period of China. Sun Deng was the eldest son of the famous emperor of Wu, Sun Quan....
 as a hostage to the Cao Wei capital Luoyang
Luoyang

Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of China, People's Republic of 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....
 and he refused, in 222, he declared himself independent by changing era name
Era name

#REDIRECT Regnal year...
. It was not until the year 229 that he formally declared himself to be emperor
Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right ....
.

Because of his skill in gathering important, honourable men to his cause, Sun Quan was able to delegate authority to capable figures. This primary strength served him well in gaining the support of the common people and surrounding himself with capable generals.

Sun Quan died in 252 at the age of 70. He enjoyed the longest reign among all the founders of the Three Kingdoms. He was succeeded as Emperor of Eastern Wu by his son Sun Liang
Sun Liang

Sun Liang was an emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the founding emperor Sun Quan's youngest son and heir. He is also known as the Prince of Kuaiji or Marquess of Houguan , which were his successive titles after his removal in 258 by the regent Sun Lin following his failed attempt to remove Sun Lin...
.

Early life

Sun Quan was born in 182, while his father Sun Jian
Sun Jian

Sun Jian was a military general and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian of Han China in his power....
 was still an Eastern Han general. After his father's death in 191, he became the charge of his brother Sun Ce
Sun Ce

Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen....
. Sun has greenish-blue eyes and redish hair. As he grew up, he became an officer under his brother during his brother's conquest of the region south of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang , is the longest river in China and Asia, and the List of rivers by length in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon River in South America....
. He was made a county magistrate in 196, at age 14, and continued to rise through the ranks as his brother gave him more and more important tasks.

The Sanguo Zhi records that Sun Quan's father Sun Jian
Sun Jian

Sun Jian was a military general and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian of Han China in his power....
 was a descendant of Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu , also called Sun Wu , is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of War, sometimes called the Sun Tzu, an influential ancient China book on military strategy considered to be a prime example of Taoism strategy....
, the great military strategist of the Warring States period. According to later tradition, Sun Quan was born on Sunzhou ("Sun Island", later Wangzhou - "King's Island"), an islet at the intersection of the Fuchun River and one of its tributaries. Local folklore
Folklore

Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, superstitions, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group ....
 relates a story about how Sun Quan's grandfather Sun Zhong was originally a melon farmer on the islet.

As warlord after Sun Ce's death


Prior to the Battle of Red Cliffs

Sun Ce was assassinated in 200 during a hunt. On his deathbed, he knew that his son was still too young to be considered a realistic heir, so he entrusted the 18-year-old Sun Quan to his faithful subordinates. Initially, Sun Quan mourned so greatly that he could do nothing, but at Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao

Zhang Zhao was a civil officer who served Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. His stylename was Zibu .He was born in what is now part of Jiangsu....
's behest, he changed into a general's clothing and set out to visit the commanderies under his brother's control. Many of Sun Ce's subordinates thought that Sun Quan was too young to sustain Sun Ce's domain and wanted to leave, but Zhang and Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era; the turbulent years leading to the end of Han Dynasty in China.Zhou Yu was the stratigist for Sun Ce and he was very well at his job....
 saw special qualities in the young man and chose to stay to serve Sun Quan. Zhang Hong
Zhang Hong

Zhang Hong was a minister for Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China.Originally from Guangling, he and Zhang Zhao were known as the "Two Zhangs"....
, whom Sun Ce had earlier sent as a liaison to the paramount warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao

C?o Cao was a warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of China of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China....
, also returned from Cao's domain to assist Sun Quan. (At Zhang Hong's request, Cao, in the name of Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han

Emperor Xian of Han was the last emperor of China of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was forced to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi and was given the title of Duke of Shanyang ....
, commissioned Sun Quan as General Taolu, a title that he would be known for a long time.) He listened carefully to his mother Lady Wu's encouraging words, and greatly trusted Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong with regard to civilian affairs and Zhou, Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu

Cheng Pu was a veteran warrior who served the Sun family for three generations in the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was skilled in wielding his serpent spear as a weapon....
, and Lü Fan
Lü Fan

L? Fan, styled Ziheng was an officer serving Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China.L? Fan was a man from Runan County Commandery in Yang province....
 with regard to military matters. He also sought out talented young men to serve as his personal advisors, and it was around this time that he befriended Lu Su
Lu Su

Lu Su , styled Zijing, was an advisor for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He took control of the military after the death of Zhou Yu....
 and Zhuge Jin
Zhuge Jin

Zhug? Jin , courtesy name Ziyu , was a minister for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was the elder brother of the famous Shu Han strategist, Zhuge Liang....
, who would later play prominent roles in his administration. Throughout this period and decades to come, Sun Quan's leadership would be characterized by his ability to find men of character and entrust important matters to him, and his ability to react swiftly to events.

For the next several years, Sun Quan was largely interested in first defending his realm against potential enemies, but he gradually sought to harass and weaken Liu Biao
Liu Biao

Li? Biao was the governor of the Jingzhou during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He was a member of the same extended family as the Han emperors....
's key subordinate, Huang Zu
Huang Zu

Huang Zu was a high-ranked naval officer and Prefect of Jiangxia under the governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao during the later Han Dynasty and during the Three Kingdoms era of China....
 (who controlled the northeastern region of Liu's domain) -- particularly because Huang had killed his father Sun Jian in battle. In 208, he was finally able to defeat Huang Zu and kill him in battle. Soon after, Liu Biao himself died while Cao Cao was preparing a major campaign to subjugate both Liu Biao and Sun Quan under his control, precipitating a major confrontation.

Battle of Red Cliffs

After Liu Biao's death, a succession struggle for his domain came into being, between his sons Liu Qi
Liu Qi

Liu Qi may refer to:* Emperor Jing of Han, 6th emperor of the Western Han Dynasty* Liu Qi - eldest son of Liu Biao* Liu Qi - former mayor of Beijing and president of Beijing Organizing Committee during the 2008 Summer Olympics...
 and younger son Liu Cong, whom Liu Biao's second wife Lady Cai
Lady Cai

Lady Cai is known as the woman who renounced Chingchou to Huang Zu.She was Huang Zu's second wife, who opposed the leadership of the crown prince of Jingzhou, Liu Qi....
 favored (because he had married her niece). After Huang's death, Liu Qi was therefore given Huang's post as the governor of Jiangxia Commandery (roughly modern Huanggang
Huanggang, Hubei

Huanggang City is a major municipality in eastern Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Shan mountain range....
, Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
). Liu Cong therefore succeeded Liu Biao after his death, and Liu Qi was displeased and considered, but did not carry out, an attack against his brother. Nevertheless, Liu Cong, in fear of having to fight Cao Cao and his brother on two fronts, surrendered to Cao Cao against the advice of Liu Biao's key ally Liu Bei
Liu Bei

Liu Bei , Chinese style name Xu?nd? , was a general, warlord, and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China....
. Liu Bei, unwilling to submit to Cao Cao, fled south. Cao Cao caught up to him and crushed his forces, but Liu Bei escaped with his life; he fled to Dangyang (??, in modern Yichang
Yichang

Yichang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of China....
, Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
). Cao Cao took over most of Jing Province, and appeared set on finally unifying the empire.

Sun Quan was well aware of Cao's intentions, and he quickly entered into an alliance with Liu Bei and Liu Qi to prepare for a Cao assault. Cao Cao wrote Sun with a letter intending to intimidate, and in face of Cao Cao's overwhelming force (estimated to be about 220,000 men, although Cao Cao claimed 800,000, against Sun Quan owned 30,000 and the Lius' combined force of 10,000), many of Sun Quan subordinates, even including the highly capable Zhang Zhao, advocated surrender. Sun Quan refused, under advice from Zhou Yu and Lu Su (that Cao Cao would surely not tolerate him even if he surrendered).

Sun put Zhou in charge of his 30,000 men, largely stationed on naval ships, and Zhou set up in a defense position in conjunction with Liu Bei, whose army was stationed on land. About this time, there was a plague developing in Cao's forces which significantly weakened it. Zhou set up a trap where he pretended to be punishing his subordinate Huang Gai
Huang Gai

Huang Gai was a military general for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was renowned as a hardened combat veteran who loyally served three Sun Family lords throughout his lifetime: Sun Jian, his eldest son Sun Ce, and his second son Sun Quan....
, and Huang Gai pretended to be in such fear that he was willing to surrender to Cao. Zhou then sent ships under Huang's command to pretend to surrender and, as Huang's ships approached Cao's fleet, they were lit on fire to assault Cao's fleet, and Cao's fleet was largely destroyed by fire. Cao led his forces to escape on land, but much of the force was destroyed by Sun Quan and Liu Bei's land forces. The death rate was said to be over 50%.

Uneasy alliance with Liu Bei

Immediately, after Cao Cao withdrew, Sun Quan took over the northern half of Jing Province. Liu Bei marched south and took over the southern half. The Sun-Liu alliance was further cemented by a marriage of Sun Quan's sister to Liu Bei. Zhou was suspicious of Liu Bei intentions, however, and suggested to Sun Quan that Liu Bei be seized and put under house arrest (albeit be very well-treated) and his forces be merged into Sun Quan's; Sun Quan, believing that Liu Bei's forces would rebel if he did that, declined. Sun Quan did agree to Zhou Yu's plans to consider attacking Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu
Zhang Lu

Zhang Lu was a warlord during the Three Kingdoms era of China. After his grandfather, and then father, he was the third leader of the Celestial Masters, a religious group....
 (who controlled the modern southern Shaanxi
Shaanxi

is a north-central political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province....
) to try to take over their territories, but after Zhou Yu died in 210, the plans were abandoned. However, Sun Quan was able to persuade the warlords in modern Guangdong
Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
, Guangxi
Guangxi

This article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guanxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang people autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China....
, and northern Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....
 to submit to him, and they became part of his domain. He then yielded northern Jing to Liu Bei as well, agreeing with Liu Bei that southern Jing was insufficient to supply his troops.

In 215, the Sun-Liu alliance appeared on the verge of break-up, because Sun Quan demanded that Liu Bei return Jing Province and Liu refused. Sun Quan made an initial attack against Liu Bei's general Guan Yu
Guan Yu

Guan Yu was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era 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 Shu Han, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor....
, who was left in charge of Jing Province by Liu Bei, and most of the eastern Jing Province (east of the Xiang River
Xiang River

The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China. The river gave Hunan its Chinese abbreviation, the same as Xiang ....
) quickly surrendered. However, after a face-to-face summit between Guan Yu and Lu, the sides renewed their alliance, dividing Jing Province at the Xiang.

Breaking of alliance with Liu Bei

In 219, Guan Yu
Guan Yu

Guan Yu was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era 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 Shu Han, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor....
 advanced north, attacking Fancheng
Fancheng

Fancheng District is a District of Xiangfan, Hubei, China....
, scoring a major victory over Cao's nephew Cao Ren
Cao Ren

Cao Ren was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He played a significant part in the civil wars leading to the disintegration of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the establishment of the Cao Wei....
. While Fancheng did not fall at this time, Guan put it under siege, and the situation was severe enough that Cao Cao considered moving the capital away from Xu. However, Sun, resentful of Guan's prior constant instigation of hostilities (including seizing Sun's food supplies to use for his campaign north), took the opportunity to attack Guan from the rear, and Guan's forces collapsed. Guan was captured by Sun's general Lü Meng
Lü Meng

L? Meng was a renowned officer under Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He served as the commanding general in the L? Meng's invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu....
; once captured, Sun Quan executed Guan Yu, Jing Province became Sun's once more, and the Sun-Liu alliance was over. Sun instead nominally submitted to Cao and, indeed, urged him to take the throne. Cao declined, but prepared for his son Cao Pi
Cao Pi

Cao Pi , formally Emperor Wen of Wei , courtesy name Zihuan , was born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery . He was the second son of the China politician and poet Cao Cao and was the first Emperor of China and the real founder of Cao Wei , one of the Three Kingdoms....
 to do so.

After Cao Cao's death in 220, Cao Pi did indeed force Emperor Xian to yield the throne to him, ending the Han Dynasty and establishing Cao Wei
Cao Wei

Cao Wei was one of the empires that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Lu?y?ng, the empire was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid....
. Sun did not immediately declare himself a Cao Wei subject or declare independence after Cao Pi's enthronement, but took a wait-and-see attitude; by contrast, in early 221, Liu Bei declared himself emperor, establishing Shu Han
Shu Han

Shu Han , sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty, based on areas around Sichuan which was then known as Shu ....
. Immediately, Liu planned a campaign against Sun to avenge Guan. After attempting to negotiate peace and receiving no positive response from Liu, fearing attack on both sides, Sun declared himself a Cao Wei subject. Cao Pi's strategist Liu Ye
Liu Ye

Liu Ye is a Chinese film and television actor.Beginning his acting career when he was a 20 year old student majoring in performing arts at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, Liu Ye's talent in acting was apparent very early on....
 suggested that Cao decline -- and in fact attack Sun on a second front, effectively partitioning Sun's domain with Shu Han, and then eventually seek to destroy Shu Han as well. Cao declined, in a fateful choice that most historians believe doomed his empire to ruling only the northern and central China -- and this chance would not come again. Indeed, against Liu Ye's advice, he created Sun the Prince of Wu and granted him the nine bestowments
Nine bestowments

The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. While the nature of the bestowments was probably established during the Zhou Dynasty, there was no record of anyone receiving them until Wang Mang....
.

In 222, at the Battle of Xiaoting
Battle of Xiaoting

The Battle of Xiaoting , also known as the Battle of Yiling , is a battle in 222 during the Three Kingdoms period in China. It was fought between Shu Han and Eastern Wu in the plains of Yichang....
, Sun's general Lu Xun
Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)

Lu Xun was an officer of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was instrumental in causing Guan Yu's downfall, but is most famous for defeating Liu Bei in the celebrated Battle of Yiling....
 dealt Liu a major defeat, stopping the Shu Han offensive. Shu Han would not again pose a threat to Sun from that point on. Later that year, when Cao Pi demanded that Sun send his crown prince
Crown Prince

A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
 Sun Deng
Sun Deng

Sun Deng was a crown prince of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period of China. Sun Deng was the eldest son of the famous emperor of Wu, Sun Quan....
 to the Cao Wei capital Luoyang
Luoyang

Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of China, People's Republic of 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....
 as a hostage (to guarantee his loyalty), Sun refused and declared independence (by changing era name
Era name

#REDIRECT Regnal year...
), thus establishing Eastern Wu as an independent state. Cao Pi therefore launched a major attack on Eastern Wu, but after Cao Wei defeats in early 223, it became clear that Eastern Wu was secure. After Liu Bei's death later that year, Zhuge Jin's brother Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang was Chancellor of China of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
, the regent for Liu Bei's son and successor Liu Shan
Liu Shan

Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. As he ascended the throne at the young age of sixteen, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of a group of veteran ministers, including the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretary Li Yan ....
, reestablished the alliance with Sun Quan, and the two states would remain allies until Shu Han's eventual destruction in 263.

Reign as the monarch of Eastern Wu


Early reign

Early in Sun Quan's reign, the Eastern Wu administration was known for its efficiency, as Sun showed a knack for listening to correct advice and for delegating authorities to the proper individuals. For example, he correctly trusted the faithful Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin, so much so that he made a duplicate imperial seal and left it with Lu; whenever he would correspond with Shu Han's emperor Liu Shan or regent Zhuge Liang, he would deliver the letter to Lu first (as Lu's post was near the Shu Han border), and then if, in Lu's opinion, changes were needed, he would revise the letter and then restamp it with Sun's imperial seal. Further, Lu and Zhuge Jin were authorized to coordinate their actions with Shu Han without prior imperial approval. Sun treated his high level officials as friends and addressed them accordingly (with courtesy names), and in accordance they dedicated all effort to Eastern Wu's preservation. He also knew what were the proper roles for officials that he trusted; for example, in 225, when selecting a prime minister, while the key officials all respected Zhang Zhao greatly and wanted him to be prime minister, Sun declined -- reasoning that while he respected Zhang greatly, a prime minister needed to handle all affairs of state, and Zhang, while capable, had such strong opinions that he would surely be in conflict with Sun and other officials at all times. He also repeatedly promoted his official Lü Fan
Lü Fan

L? Fan, styled Ziheng was an officer serving Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China.L? Fan was a man from Runan County Commandery in Yang province....
 even though, while he was young, Lü had informed to Sun Ce about his improper spending habits, understanding that Lü did so only out of loyalty to Sun Ce.

In 224 and 225, Cao Pi again made attacks on Eastern Wu, but each time the Eastern Wu forces were able to repel Cao Wei's with fair ease -- so easily that Cao made the comment, "Heaven created the Yangtze to divide the north and south." However, Sun was himself equally unsuccessful in efforts to make major attacks on Cao Wei. After Cao Pi's death in 226, for example, Sun launched an attack on Cao Wei's Jiangxia Commandery (roughly modern Xiaogan
Xiaogan

Xiaogan is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the China. Its population is 310,000 residents....
, Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
) but was forced to withdraw as soon as Cao Wei relief forces arrived despite Cao Pi's recent death. However, later that year, he was able to increase his effective control over Jiao Province (??, modern northern Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....
) when his general Lü Dai was able to defeat the warlord Shi Hui and end the effective independence that the Shi clan had. In addition, the several independent kingdoms in modern Cambodia
Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 13 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh....
, Laos
Laos

Laos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west....
, and southern Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....
 all became Eastern Wu vassals as well.

The one major victory that Eastern Wu would have over Cao Wei during this period came in 228, when, with Sun's approval, his general Zhou Fang
Zhou Fang (Three Kingdoms)

Zhou Fang , courtesy name Ziyu , was an Eastern Wu general during the Three Kingdoms period. In 228, he was a main actor in a famous confrontation between Eastern Wu and its larger rival, Cao Wei, when he pretended to surrender to Cao Wei to induce the Cao Wei general Cao Xiu into a trap, and Eastern Wu forces were able to deal Cao Wei...
 pretended to be surrendering to Cao Wei after pretending to have been punished repeatedly by Sun. This tricked the Cao Wei general Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu

Cao Xiu was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao and succeeding rulers of the Kingdom of Wei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China....
, who led a large army south to support Zhou. He walked into the trap set by Zhou and Lu Xun and suffered major losses, but was saved from total annihilation by Jia Kui
Jia Kui

Jia Kui, , courtesy name Liangdao , was a general and bureaucrat of the Later Han Dynasty and subsequently of the Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period....
.

In 229, Sun declared himself emperor, which almost damaged the alliance with Shu Han, as many Shu Han officials saw this as a sign of betrayal of the Han Dynasty -- which Shu Han claimed to be the legitimate successor to. However, Zhuge Liang opposed ending the alliance and in fact confirmed it with a formal treaty later that year, in which the two states pledged to support each other and divide Cao Wei equally if they could conquer it. Later that year, he moved his capital from Wuchang (??, in modern Ezhou
Ezhou

Ezhou is a prefecture-level city in China's Hubei province....
, Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
) to Jianye
Jianye

Jianye may refer to:*Jianye District, district of Nanjing, Jiangsu, China*Jiankang, ancient city, also named Jianye*Henan Jianye, Chinese football club...
, leaving his crown prince Sun Deng, assisted by Lu Xun, in charge of the western empire.

Middle reign

In 230, however, the first sign of the deterioration of Sun Quan's reign occurred. That year, he sent his generals Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi with a navy of 10,000 into the East China Sea
East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km?. In China, the sea is called the East Sea....
 to seek the legendary islands of Yizhou (??, may be modern Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
) and Danzhou (??, may be modern Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
) to seek to conquer them, despite strenuous opposition of Lu Xun and Quan Cong
Quan Cong

Quan Cong was an officer of the Three Kingdoms Period that served under that of the Kingdom of Wu . During the subjugation of the Shanyue, Cong achieved great success....
. The navy was not able to locate Danzhou but located Yizhou, and returned in 231 after capturing several thousand men -- but only after 80-90% of the navy had died of illnesses. Instead of seeing his own fault in this venture, Sun simply executed Wei Wen and Zhuge Zhi. Perhaps concerned about this deterioration in Sun Quan's judgment, Sun Deng left the western empire in Lu's hands in 232 and returned in Jianye, and would remain at Jianye until his own death in 241.

In 232, Sun had another misadventure involving his navy -- as he sent his generals Zhou He and Pei Qian to the nominal Cao Wei vassal Gongsun Yuan
Gongsun Yuan

Gongsun Yuan was a general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period.He was born to Gongsun Kang, Governor of Liaodong, Xuantu commandery, Lelang commandery and Daifang commandery commandery....
, in control of Liaodong Commandery (modern central Liaoning
Liaoning

is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125....
), to purchase horses, against the advice of Yu Fan
Yu Fan

Yu Fan a notable district supervisor of Hu Ji, later coming into the service of Sun Ce. After Sun Ce defeated the prefect Wang Lang, Yu Fan submitted to Sun Ce....
 -- and indeed, he exiled Yu to the desolate Cangwu Commandery (roughly modern Wuzhou
Wuzhou

Wuzhou...
, Guangxi
Guangxi

This article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guanxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang people autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China....
) as punishment. Just as Yu predicted, however, the venture would end in failure -- as Zhou and Pei, on their way back, were intercepted by Cao Wei forces and killed. Regretting his actions, Sun tried to recall Yu back to Jianye, only to learn that Yu had died in exile.

The next year, however, Sun would have yet another misadventure in his dealings with Gongsun, as Gongsun sent messengers to him, offering to be his subject. Sun was ecstatic, and created Gongsun the Prince of Yan and granted him the nine bestowments
Nine bestowments

The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. While the nature of the bestowments was probably established during the Zhou Dynasty, there was no record of anyone receiving them until Wang Mang....
, and further sent a detachment of 10,000 men by sea north to assist Gongsun in his campaign against Cao Wei, against the advice of nearly every single one of his high level officials, particularly Zhang Zhao. Once the army arrived, however, Gongsun betrayed them, killing Sun's officials Zhang Mi and Xu Yan, whom Sun had sent to grant the bestowments and seized their troops. Once that happened, the enraged Sun wanted to personally head north with a fleet to attack Gongsun, and initially, not even Lu's opposition was able to stop him, although he eventually calmed down and did not follow through. To his credit, he also personally went to Zhang's house and apologized to Zhang. Further, despite the deterioration in his previous clear thinking, he was still capable of making proper decisions at times. For example, in 235, when, as a sign of contempt, Cao Wei's emperor Cao Rui
Cao Rui

Cao Rui was the son of Cao Pi and the second emperor of the Cao Wei. He is also known as the Emperor Ming of Wei, ch. ???, py. w?i m?ng d?, wg....
 offered horses to him in exchange for pearls, jade, and tortoise shells, Sun ignored the implicit insult and made the exchange, reasoning that his empire needed horses much more than pearls, jade, or tortoise shells.

In 234, in coordination with Zhuge Liang's final northern expedition against Cao Wei, Sun personally led a major attack against Cao Wei's border city Hefei
Hefei

Hefei is a prefecture-level city and the capital of Anhui province of China, People's Republic of China. Located in central Anhui, it borders Huainan to the north, Chuzhou to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an to the west....
, while having Lu and Zhuge Jin attack Xiangyang
Xiangyang

Xiangyang was a China city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty. It was also an important city during the period of the Three Kingdoms, in the Romance of Three Kingdoms it was said that it was nearby Xiangyang that Zhuge Liang received his three visits from Liu Bei....
, with the strategy of trying to attract Cao Wei relief forces and then attacking them. However, Cao Wei's generals correctly saw the situation and simply let Sun siege Hefei. Only after Sun's food supplies ran low did Cao Rui
Cao Rui

Cao Rui was the son of Cao Pi and the second emperor of the Cao Wei. He is also known as the Emperor Ming of Wei, ch. ???, py. w?i m?ng d?, wg....
 personally arrive with relief forces, and Sun withdrew, as did Lu and Zhuge. (This would prove to be the first of only two coordinated efforts made by allies Eastern Wu and Shu Han against Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period.)

In 238, when Gongsun was under attack by Cao Wei's general Sima Yi
Sima Yi

Sima Yi was a strategist, general, and politician of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He is perhaps best known for defending Cao Wei from Zhuge Liang's Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions....
, Sun, despite his prior rage against Gongsun, correctly judged the situation as one where he might be able to take advantage if Sima were initially unsuccessful, did not immediately refuse Gongsun's request for help. However, as Sima was able to conquer Gongsun quickly, Sun never launched the major attack that he considered if Sima got stuck in a stalemate with Gongsun. That year, he also recognized how his head secretary Lü Yi had been falsely accusing his officials, and had Lü executed; he then further confirmed his trust in the high level officials by personally writing an emotional letter to Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi
Bu Zhi

Bu Zhi , styled Zishan, was a scholar of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He served as an advisor along with other scholars like Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin, Gu Yong etc....
, Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran

Zhu Ran was a military general for Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was praised for his skills as a general, and took part in many important military campaigns for the Kingdom of Wu, including the Battle of Yiling and the defense of Jiangling ....
, and Lü Dai, blaming himself for the recent problems with his administration while urging them to speak out honestly whenever they saw faults in him.

In 241, Sun would launch the last major assault against Cao Wei of his reign, in light of Cao Rui's death in 239, but he rejected a strategy offered by Yin Zha to attack Cao Wei in coordinated effort with Shu Han on four different fronts, and the campaign ended in failure as well.

Late reign

Later in 241, Crown Prince Deng died -- an event that left open the issue of succession and appeared to mark the start of a precipitous decline in Sun Quan's mental health. In 242, he created his son Sun He
Sun He

Sun He , courtesy name Zixiao , formally Emperor Wen was a son and one-time crown prince of Eastern Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period....
, by Consort Wang, crown prince. However, he also favored another son by Consort Wang, Sun Ba the Prince of Lu, and permitted Sun Ba to have the same staffing level as the crown prince -- a move that was objected to by a number of officials as encouraging Prince Ba to compete with Prince He, but Sun Quan did not listen to them. After 245, when Crown Prince He and Prince Ba began to have separate residences, their relationship detriorated further, and Prince Ba began to scheme at how to seize heir status from Prince He. Fanned by gossip from his daughter Sun Dahu, Sun Quan blamed the princes' mother Consort Wang for this -- and she died in fear. He also cut off Crown Prince He and Prince Ba's access to the officials who supported them in hopes of receiving future favors, but this could not stop Prince Ba's machinations. Indeed, when Lu Xun tried to intervene to protect Crown Prince He, Prince Ba falsely accused him of many crimes, and Sun Quan became provoked so much that he repeatedly rebuked Lu -- causing Lu to die in anger.

In 250, fed up with Prince Ba's constant attacks against Crown Prince He, Sun Quan carried out an inexplicable combination of actions -- he forced Prince Ba to commit suicide, while deposing Crown Prince He (who had not been shown to have committed any crimes), and instead creating his youngest son, Sun Liang
Sun Liang

Sun Liang was an emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the founding emperor Sun Quan's youngest son and heir. He is also known as the Prince of Kuaiji or Marquess of Houguan , which were his successive titles after his removal in 258 by the regent Sun Lin following his failed attempt to remove Sun Lin...
, crown prince to replace Prince He. This move was opposed by his son-in-law Zhu Ju
Zhu Ju

Zhu Ju an officer of the Three Kingdoms Period who became the husband of the daughter of Sun Quan. Zhu Ju became brigadier general, but ended up being demoted after being slandered by Sun Ba....
 (the husband of Princess Xiaohu), but Zhu's pleas not only did not help Prince He, but also resulted in his own death, as Sun forced him to commit suicide. Many other officials who also opposed the move, as well as officials who had supported Prince Ba, were executed.

Around this time, Sun also had his generals destroy a number of levees near the border with Cao Wei, creating large areas of flooding, in order to obstruct potential attacks from Cao Wei.

In 251, Sun created the first empress of his reign -- Crown Prince Liang's mother Consort Pan
Empress Pan (Da)

Empress Pan was an empress of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. She was the only empress of the founding emperor, Sun Quan, even though he had a succession of wives before her....
. (Previously, he had a succession of wives, but never created any of them empresses, except that his favorite, Lady Bu, was created empress posthumously after her death in 238.) Later that year, however, he realized that Prince He was blameless and wanted to recall him from his exile, but was persuaded not to do so by his daughter Princess Dahu and Sun Jun
Sun Jun

Sun Jun , courtesy name Ziyuan , was a regent for the emperor Sun Liang of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period.He was a great-grandson of Sun Jing , the uncle of Eastern Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan ....
, who had supported Crown Prince Liang's ascension. He realized that he was getting very old (69 by this point) and, at Sun Jun's recommendation, commissioned Zhuge Jin's son Zhuge Ke
Zhuge Ke

Zhuge Ke , courtesy name Yuanxun , was an officer for Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was the son of the Wu minister, Zhuge Jin, whose younger brother was the great Shu Han strategist, Zhuge Liang....
 as the future regent for Crown Prince Liang -- even though he correctly had misgivings about how Zhuge Ke was arrogant and had overly high opinion of his own abilities -- because at that time, virtually the entire empire, awed by Zhuge's prior military victories, was convinced that Zhuge would be the correct choice for regent.

In 252, as Sun Quan neared death, Empress Pan was murdered -- but how she was murdered remains a controversy. Eastern Wu officials claimed that her servants, unable to stand her temper, strangled her while she was asleep, while a number of historians, including Hu Sansheng
Hu Sansheng

Hu Sansheng , born Hu Mansun , courtesy names Shenzhi , Meijian , and Jingcan , was a China historian and commentator who lived during the late Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty....
, the commentator to Sima Guang
Sima Guang

Sima Guang was a China historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty....
's Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian

The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the compilation of a universal history of Chi...
, believed that top Eastern Wu officials were complicit, as they feared that she would seize power as empress dowager
Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Emperor of China, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of Korea, or Emperor of Vietnam.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand Empress Dowager....
 after Sun's death. Later that year, Sun died at the age of 70, and Crown Prince Liang succeeded him. Sun Quan was buried in a mausoleum at Purple Mountain
Purple Mountain

Purple Mountain or Zijin Mountain , also known as Bell Mountain , is located on the eastern side of Nanjing, Jiangsu, N32 5, E118 48, 447.1 m high, with the lowest point 30 m ....
 in present-day Nanjing
Nanjing

is the capital city of China's Jiangsu province of China, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and Chinese culture. Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Historical capitals of China....
.

Modern references

Sun Quan is a playable character in the Koei
Koei

Koei Company, Limited , formerly ?? ) is a Japanese video game publisher and video game developer founded in 1978 in video gaming. The company is best known for its historical simulation games based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as simulation games based on historical events....
 video game series, Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors

is a series of Fighting game/tactical Action game video games created by Omega Force/Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms....
. He is portrayed as a stolid man with an intensely serious personality, which is in stark contrast to his brother, Sun Ce
Sun Ce

Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen....
, who is informal and care-free.

Sun Quan was portrayed by Chang Chen
Chang Chen

Chang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Zhang Guozhu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Zhang Han ....
 in the 2008 movie Red Cliff, directed by John Woo
John Woo

John Woo Yu-Sen is a critically acclaimed international China film director and film producer. Recognized for his stylized films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Mr....
.

Era names

  • Huangwu (?? huáng wu) 222-229
  • Huanglong (?? huáng lóng) 229-231
  • Jiahe (?? jia hé) 232-238
  • Chiwu (?? chì wu) 238-251
  • Taiyuan (?? taì yuán) 251-252
  • Shenfeng (?? shén fèng) 252


Personal information

  • Father
    • Sun Jian
      Sun Jian

      Sun Jian was a military general and minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian of Han China in his power....
  • Mother
    • Lady Wu
      Lady Wu

      Lady Wu was the wife of Sun Jian during the Three Kingdoms era of China. She had six children: five sons, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, Sun Kuang, Sun Lang and one daughter, Sun Shangxiang....
      (d. 202)
  • Brothers
    • Sun Ce
      Sun Ce

      Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen....
    • Sun Kuang
      Sun Kuang

      Sun Kuang, Chinese style name Jizuo , was the fourth son of Sun Jian and part of the Sun clan that founded and ruled the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China....
    • Sun Yi
      Sun Yi

      Sun Yi an officer serving under Wu and the third son of Sun Jian. Sun Yi was currently at that time the prefect of Dan Yang. Sun Yi was known as a very courageous warrior just like his elder brother Sun Ce, but was also very violent and whipped his soldiers when they were drunk....
    • Sun Lang
      Sun Lang

      Sun Lang, Chinese style name Zaoan , was an illegitimate son of Sun Jian, a military commander of the Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period. He is mistakenly referred to as Sun Ren in some versions of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms....
  • Sister
    • Sun Shang Xiang
  • Wives
    • Lady Xie
      Lady Xie

      Lady Xie was the wife of Sun Quan, an emperor of Eastern Wu. She features in the 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. She was the daughter of Ju, who was both the Prefect of Xu and of the Master of Writing....
    • Lady Xu, adoptive mother of Crown Prince Deng
    • Lady Bu (d. 238), posthumously honored as empress
    • Empress Pan
      Empress Pan (Da)

      Empress Pan was an empress of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. She was the only empress of the founding emperor, Sun Quan, even though he had a succession of wives before her....
       (created 251, d. 252), mother of Crown Prince Liang
  • Major Concubines
    • Consort Wang, mother of Crown Prince He and Prince Ba and grandmother of Sun Hao
      Sun Hao

      Sun Hao , courtesy name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the courtesy name Yuanzong , was the fourth and final emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period....
      , posthumously honored as Empress Dayi
    • Consort Wang, mother of Sun Xiu (Emperor Jing), posthumously honored as Empress Jinghuai
    • Consort Zhong, mother of Prince Fen
    • Consort Yuan, daughter of Yuan Shu
      Yuan Shu

      Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han court in 189....
  • Children
    • Sun Deng
      Sun Deng

      Sun Deng was a crown prince of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period of China. Sun Deng was the eldest son of the famous emperor of Wu, Sun Quan....
      , the Crown Prince (b. 209, created 221, d. 241)
    • Sun Lü, the Marquess of Jianchang (b. 213, created 228, d. 232)
    • Sun He
      Sun He

      Sun He , courtesy name Zixiao , formally Emperor Wen was a son and one-time crown prince of Eastern Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period....
      , initially the Crown Prince (b. 223, created 242, deposed 250), later the Prince of Nanyang (created 252, forced to commit suicide 253)
    • Sun Ba, the Prince of Lu (created 242, forced to commit suicide 250)
    • Sun Fen, the Prince of Qi (created 252, deposed 253), later the Marquess of Zhang'an (created 258, executed 270)
    • Sun Xiu
      Sun Xiu

      Sun Xiu , courtesy name Zilie , formally Emperor Jing of Wu, was the third emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China....
      , the Prince of Langye (created 252), later Emperor Jing
    • Sun Liang
      Sun Liang

      Sun Liang was an emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the founding emperor Sun Quan's youngest son and heir. He is also known as the Prince of Kuaiji or Marquess of Houguan , which were his successive titles after his removal in 258 by the regent Sun Lin following his failed attempt to remove Sun Lin...
      , the Crown Prince (created 252), later emperor
    • Sun Dahu, also known as Princess Quan
    • Sun Xiaohu, also known as Princess Zhufu


See also

  • End of Han Dynasty
    End of Han Dynasty

    The End of the Han Dynasty refers to a period roughly coinciding with the reign of Han Dynasty's final emperor Emperor Xian of Han when the empire, with its institutions destroyed by the warlord Dong Zhuo, fractured into regional regimes ruled by various warlords....
  • Chinese history
  • Chinese sovereign
    Chinese sovereign

    Chinese sovereign is the ruler of a particular period in ancient China. Several titles and naming schemes have been used throughout history....
  • Three Kingdoms
    Three Kingdoms

    The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors....
  • Personages of the Three Kingdoms
    Personages of the Three Kingdoms

    The following is a list of personages significant to the Three Kingdoms period of History of China. They provided the basis of what is often termed "Matter of the Three Kingdoms", a favourite subject for Chinese folklore....
  • Records of Three Kingdoms
    Records of Three Kingdoms

    The Records of Three Kingdoms , is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, that was written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century....
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms

    Romance of the Three Kingdoms , written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based upon events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of China, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in 280....
  • Zhou Tai
    Zhou Tai

    Zhou Tai , courtesy name Youping , was an officer who served the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China....
  • Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
    Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

    The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It lies at the northern foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing, China....
  • Red Cliff
    Red Cliff

    Red Cliff may refer to:* Red Cliff, Colorado, United States* Red Cliff, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada* Red Cliff, Wisconsin, United States...


External links