Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms (三國 pinyin san1 guo2) (220 - 265) refers to a period of time after the fall of the Han Dynasty in China. It was so named because it was marked by the struggle of three rival kingdoms: the Kingdom of Wei (魏 wei4), the Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shu3) and the Kingdom of Wu (吳 wu2) for control of China. Wei was always the most powerful kingdom and conquered the Shu kingdom in 263. As the Sima clan had effectively wrested control of Wei away from the Cao family, Sima Yan formally seized the throne in 265 and established the Jin Dynasty (265-420). The Kingdom of Wu was later conquered in 280 resulting in the unification of China.

The famous Chinese epic novel Romance of Three Kingdoms was based on this period. The authoritative historical record of this era is the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms.

Map depicted significant regions of China at that time (http://www.threekingdoms.com/map2.htm)

• Major battles:
  • Battle of Red Cliff
  • Battle of Guan Du
  • Battle of Yi Ling
  • Battle of Jie Ting[?]
  • Battle of Wu Zhang Yuan[?]

• Major Campaigns and Events:
  • Yellow Turban Rebellion
  • Cao Cao Unification of the North[?]
  • Liu Bei Campaign of subduing Yizhou[?]
  • Zhuge Liang Campaign of subduing the Southern tribes[?]
  • The Six Northern Expeditions[?]

• Important figures:
  • Kingdom of Wei:
    • Cao Cao
    • Cao Pi
    • Cao Zhi
    • Cao Ren[?]
    • Xiahou Dun
    • Xiahou Yuan[?]
    • Zhang Liao
    • Le Jin[?]
    • Xu Huang[?]
    • Zhang He[?]
    • Yu Jin[?]
    • Xun You[?]
    • Xun Yu[?]
    • Chen Qun[?]
    • Guo Jia[?]
    • Cheng Yu[?]
    • Sima Yi[?]
    • Sima Si[?]
    • Sima Zhao[?]
    • Sima Yan[?]
    • Deng Ai[?]

• • Kingdom of Shu
    • Liu Bei
    • Liu Chan[?]
    • Guan Yu
    • Zhang Fei[?]
    • Zhao Yun[?]
    • Ma Chao
    • Wang Zhong[?]
    • Zhuge Liang[?]
    • Pang Tong[?]
    • Xu Shu[?]
    • Ma Su[?]
    • Liao Hua[?]
    • Zhang Yi[?]
    • Jiang Wei[?]

• • Kingdom of Wu
    • Sun Jian[?]
    • Sun Ce
    • Sun Quan
    • Huang Gai
    • Gan Ning[?]
    • Taishi Ci[?]
    • Zhou Yu[?]
    • Lu Su[?]
    • Lu Meng[?]
    • Lu Xun

Three Kingdoms Sovereigns

Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號)	Family (in bold) and first names	Year(s) of Reigns	Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their range of years
Kingdom of Wei 220-265 AD
Convention: "Wei" + posthumous name, sometimes except Cao Pi and Cao Fang who are referred to using personal name.
Wen Di (文帝 wen2 di4)	Cao Pi曹丕 cao2 pi1	220-226	Huangchu (黃初 huang2 chu1) 220-226
Ming Di (明帝 ming2 di4)	Cao Rui|Cao Rui 曹叡 cao2 rui4	226-239	Taihe (太和 tai4 he2) 227-233 Qinglong (青龍 qing1 long2) 233-237 Jingchu (景初 jing3 chu1) 237-239
Qi Wang (齊王 qi2 wang2)	Cao Fang|Cao Fang 曹芳 cao2 fang1	239-254	Zhengshi (正始 zheng4 shi3) 240-249 Jiaping (嘉平 jia1 ping2) 249-254
Gao Gui Xiang Gong (高貴鄉公 gao1 gui4 xiang1 gong1)	Cao Mao|Cao Mao 曹髦 cao2 mao2	254-260	Zhengyuan (正元 zheng4 yuan2) 254-256 Ganlu (甘露 gan1 lu4) 256-260
Yuan Di (元帝 yuan2 di4)	Cao Huan|Cao Huan 曹奐 cao2 huan4	260-265	Jingyuan (景元 jing3 yuan2) 260-264 Xianxi (咸熙 xian2 xi1) 264-265
Kingdom of Shu or Kingdom of Shu Han 221 - 263
Convention: use personal name
Zhao Lie Di (昭烈帝 zhao1 lie4 di4)	Liu Bei (劉備 liu2 bei4)	221-223	Zhangwu (章武 zhang1 wu3) 221-223
Hou Zhu (後主 hou4 zhu3)	Liu Chan 劉禪 (liu2 chan2)[?]	223-263	Jianxing (建興 jian4 xing1) 223-237 Yanxi (延熙 yan2 xi1) 238-257 Jingyao (景耀 jing3 yao4) 258-263 Yanxing (炎興 yan2 xing1) 263
Kingdom of Wu 222-280
Convention: use personal name
Da Di (大帝 da4 di4)	Sun Quan 孫權 sun1 quan2	222-252	Huangwu (黃武 huang2 wu3) 222-229 Huanglong (黃龍 huang2 long2) 229-231 Jiahe (嘉禾 jia1 he2) 232-238 Chiwu (赤烏 chi4 wu1) 238-251 Taiyuan (太元 tai4 yuan2) 251-252 Shenfeng (神鳳 shen2 feng4) 252
Kuai ji wang (會稽王 kuai4 ji1 wang2)	Sun Liang|Sun Liang 孫亮 sun1 liang4	252-258	Jianxing (建興 jian4 xing1) 252-253 Wufeng (五鳳 wu3 feng4) 254-256 Taiping (太平 tai4 ping2) 256-258
Jing Di (景帝 jing3 di4)	Sun Xiu|Sun Xiu 孫休 sun1 xiu1	258-264	Yongan (永安 yong3 an1) 258-264
Wu Cheng Hou (烏程侯 wu1 cheng2 hou2)	Sun Hao|Sun Hao 孫皓 sun1 hao4	264-280	Yuanxing (元興 yuan2 xing1) 264-265 Ganlu (甘露 gan1 lu4) 265-266 Baoding (寶鼎 bao3 ding3) 266-269 Jianheng (建衡 jian4 heng2) 269-271 Fenghuang (鳳凰 feng4 huang2) 272-274 Tiance (天冊 tian1 ce4) 275-276 Tianxi (天璽 tian1 xi3) 276 Tianji (天紀 tian1 ji4) 277-280

Check here for a complete list of Chinese rulers

See also: Chinese history -- Han dynasty -- Chinese sovereign -- Liu Bei -- Sun Quan -- Cao Cao

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The Three Kingdoms is also an expression for the three Korean kingdoms Koguryo, Paekche[?] and Silla[?] as depicted in Samguk Sagi.

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The Three Kingdoms is also an expression used to describe England, Scotland and Ireland in the days before the United Kingdom. For instance, it is found in the works of Jonathan Swift.

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The Three Kingdoms is also an expression used to describe the animal, the vegetable and the mineral in Bahya ibn Paquda's classic work, Duties of the Heart.