2020/5/7 Cao Wei - Wikipedia

Cao Wei
Wei (220–266), also known as Cao Wei or Former Wei
Wei[10][11], was one of the three major states that competed 魏
for supremacy over China in the Three Kingdoms period
220–266
(220–280). With its capital initially located at Xuchang,
and thereafter Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi
in 220, based upon the foundations laid by his father, Cao
Cao, towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty. The name
"Wei" first became associated with Cao Cao when he was
named the Duke of Wei by the Eastern Han government in
213, and became the name of the state when Cao Pi
proclaimed himself emperor in 220. Historians often add
the prefix "Cao" to distinguish it from other Chinese states
known as "Wei", such as Wei of the Warring States period
and Northern Wei of the Northern and Southern dynasties.
The territories of Cao Wei (in yellow),
The authority of the ruling Cao family dramatically 262 AD.
weakened in the aftermath of the deposal and execution of
Capital Xuchang (220-
Cao Shuang and his siblings, the former being one of the
226),[1]
regents for the third Wei emperor, Cao Fang, with state Luoyang (226-
authority gradually falling into the hands of Sima Yi, 266)
another Wei regent, and his family, from 249 onwards. The
last Wei emperors would remain largely as puppet rulers Common languages Old Chinese
under the control of the Simas until Sima Yi's grandson, Religion Taoism,
Sima Yan, forced the last Wei ruler, Cao Huan, to abdicate Confucianism,
the throne and established the Jin dynasty. Chinese folk
religion
Government Monarchy
Emperor
Contents • 220–226 Cao Pi
History • 226–239 Cao Rui
• 239–254 Cao Fang
Beginnings and founding • 254–260 Cao Mao
Reigns of Cao Pi and Cao Rui • 260–266 Cao Huan
Sima Yi's Liaodong Campaign Historical era Three
Kingdoms
Goguryeo–Wei Wars
• Abdication of 11 December
Fall of Wei Emperor Xian of 220[2][3]
Han
Government • Eastern Wu 222
Culture declaring
independence
Ruling class from Wei
• Cao Wei conquers 263
List of territories Shu Han
• Abdication of Cao 4 February
List of sovereigns Huan 266[a]
Cao Wei family tree Population
See also • 260 4,432,881
(disputed)[5][b]
Notes
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References Currency Chinese coin,

Chinese cash
Further reading (Wu Zhu)

Preceded by Succeeded by

History Eastern
Han
Western
Jin

Today part of China

Beginnings and founding North Korea
Vietnam[c]
Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, northern
China came under the control of Cao Cao, the chancellor to the
Cao Wei
last Han ruler, Emperor Xian. In 213, Emperor Xian granted Cao
Cao the title of "Duke of Wei" (魏公) and gave him ten cities as Traditional Chinese 曹魏
his dukedom. The area was named "Wei". At that time, the Simplified Chinese 曹魏
southern part of China was divided into two areas controlled by
two other warlords, Liu Bei and Sun Quan. In 216, Emperor Xian Hanyu Pinyin Cáo Wèi
promoted Cao Cao to the status of a vassal king — "King of Wei Transcriptions
(魏王)" — and granted him more territories.
Standard Mandarin
Cao Cao died on 15 March 220 and his vassal king title was Hanyu Pinyin Cáo Wèi
inherited by his son Cao Pi. Later that year, on 11 December, Cao
Bopomofo ㄘㄠˊ ㄨㄟˋ
Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate in his favour and took over
the throne, establishing the state of Wei. However, Liu Bei Gwoyeu Romatzyh Tsaur Wey
immediately contested Cao Pi's claim to the Han throne and Wade–Giles Tsʻao2 Wei4
declared himself "Emperor of Shu Han" a year later. Sun Quan Tongyong Pinyin Cáo Wèi
was nominally a vassal king under Wei, but he declared
independence in 222 and eventually proclaimed himself Yale Romanization Tsáu Wèi
"Emperor of Wu" in 229. IPA [tsʰǎu wêi]
Yue: Cantonese

Reigns of Cao Pi and Cao Rui Yale Romanization Chòuh Ngaih

Jyutping Cou4 Ngai6
Cao Pi ruled for six years until his death in 226 and was
IPA [tsʰȍu ŋɐ̀i]
succeeded by his son, Cao Rui, who ruled until his death in 239.
Throughout the reigns of Cao Pi and Cao Rui, Wei had been Southern Min
fighting numerous wars with its two rival states — Shu and Wu. Hokkien POJ Chô Gūi
Tâi-lô Tsô Guī
Between 228 and 234, Zhuge Liang, the Shu chancellor and
regent, led a series of five military campaigns to attack Wei's
western borders (within present-day Gansu and Shaanxi), with
the aim of conquering Chang'an, a strategic city which lay on the
road to the Wei capital, Luoyang. The Shu invasions were
repelled by the Wei armies led by the generals Cao Zhen, Sima Yi,
Zhang He and others; Shu did not make any significant gains in
the expeditions.

On its southern and eastern borders, Wei engaged Wu in a series

of armed conflicts throughout the 220s and 230s, including the A bronze crossbow trigger
battles of Dongkou (222-223), Jiangling (223) and Shiting (228). mechanism, Wei dynasty, 242 AD
However, most of the battles resulted in stalemate and neither
side managed to significantly expand its territory.

Sima Yi's Liaodong Campaign

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After Guanqiu Jian failed to subjugate the Gongsun clan of the Liaodong Commandery,[12] it was
Sima Yi who, in June 238, as the Grand Commandant ( 太 尉 ), launched an invasion with 40,000
troops at the behest of Emperor Cao Rui against Liaodong,[13] which at this point had been firmly
rooted under Gongsun control for 4 decades. After a three-month long siege, involving some
assistance from the Goguryeo Kingdom, Sima Yi managed to capture the capital city of Xiangping,
resulting in the conquest of the commandery by late September of the same year.[14]

Goguryeo–Wei Wars
Around that time, as the Korean kingdom Goguryeo consolidated its power, it proceeded to conquer
the territories on the Korean peninsula which were under Chinese rule.[15] Goguryeo initiated the
Goguryeo–Wei Wars in 242, trying to cut off Chinese access to its territories in Korea by attempting
to take a Chinese fort. However, Wei responded by invading and defeated Goguryeo. Hwando was
destroyed in revenge by Wei forces in 244.[15] The invasions sent its king fleeing, and broke the
tributary relationships between Goguryeo and the other tribes of Korea that formed much of
Goguryeo's economy. Although the king evaded capture and eventually settled in a new capital,
Goguryeo was reduced to such insignificance that for half a century there was no mention of the state
in Chinese historical texts.[16]

Fall of Wei
In 249, during the reign of Cao Rui's successor, Cao Fang, the regent Sima Yi seized state power from
his co-regent, Cao Shuang, in a coup. This event marked the collapse of imperial authority in Wei, as
Cao Fang's role had been reduced to a puppet ruler while Sima Yi wielded state power firmly in his
hands. Wang Ling, a Wei general, tried to rebel against Sima Yi, but was swiftly dealt with, and took
his own life. Sima Yi died on 7 September 251, passing on his authority to his eldest son, Sima Shi,
who continued ruling as regent.

Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang in 254, on grounds of planning to stage a rebellion, and replaced him
with Cao Mao. In response, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin staged a rebellion, but were crushed by Sima
Shi in an event that nevertheless took a heavy toll on Sima Shi's health, having undergone eye surgery
prior to the insurrection, causing him to die on 23 March 255, but not before handing his power and
regency over to his younger brother, Sima Zhao.

In 258, Sima Zhao quelled Zhuge Dan's rebellion, marking an end to what are known as the Three
Rebellions in Shouchun. In 260, Cao Mao attempted to seize back state power from Sima Zhao in a
coup, but was killed by Cheng Ji, a military officer who was serving under Jia Chong, a subordinate to
the Simas. After Cao Mao's death, Cao Huan was enthroned as the fifth ruler of Wei. However, Cao
Huan was also a mere figurehead under Sima Zhao's control, much like his predecessor. In 263, Wei
armies led by Zhong Hui and Deng Ai conquered Shu. Afterwards, Zhong Hui and former Shu general
Jiang Wei grouped and plotted together in order to oust Sima Zhao from power, however, various
Wei officials turned against them when it was found out that Jiang Wei had urged Zhong Hui to get
rid of these officials before the planned coup. Sima Zhao himself received and finally accepted the
nine bestowments and the title Duke of Jin in 263, and was further bestowed with the title King of Jin
by Cao Huan in 264, but he died on 6 September 265, leaving the final step of usurpation up to his
eldest son, Sima Yan.

On 4 February 266,[a] Sima Zhao's son, Sima Yan, forced Cao Huan to abdicate in his favor, replacing
Wei with the Jin dynasty on 8 February 266.[d] Cao Huan himself was spared, though, and continued
to live until 302, before dying.

Government
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The system of government in Wei inherited many aspects from that of the Eastern Han dynasty.
During his reign, Cao Pi established two separate government bodies - the Central Inspectorate (中書
監 ) and the Mobile Imperial Secretariat ( 行 尚 書 臺 ) — to reduce the authority of the Imperial
Secretariat (尚書臺) and consolidate the power of the central government.

During this time, the minister Chen Qun developed the nine-rank system for civil service nomination,
which was adopted by later dynasties until it was superseded by the imperial examination system in
the Sui dynasty.

Cao Pi felt that the Han dynasty collapsed because the Governors ( 州 牧 ) of the various provinces
wielded too much power and fell out of the control of the central government. He reduced the role of
a Governor to that of an Inspector (刺史), and permitted the Inspectors to administer only civil affairs
in their respective provinces, while military affairs were handled by military personnel based in
regional offices or in the capital.

Culture
The kaishu style of Chinese calligraphy was developed at some time between the late Eastern Han
dynasty and the Cao Wei dynasty, as well as the Jian'an poetry style. The first known master of the
former was Zhong Yao, an official of Wei,[18] of the latter; Cao Cao's son, Cao Zhi.

Since the beginning of the Cao Wei dynasty, finding their roots in Cao Cao's administrative
influences, intellectual constraints were relaxed, leading to the formation of new groups of
intellectuals, such as, for instance, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. These freedoms were
overturned by the time of the Jin dynasty (it was Sima Yi himself who associated with the orthodox
Confucianists, who despised these new intellectual groups, and therefore were more willing to offer
their support to the Sima clan).

Ruling class
According to the Book of Wei, the Cao family descended from the Yellow Emperor through his
grandson Zhuanxu. They were of the same lineage as Emperor Shun. Another account says that the
Cao family descended from Emperor Shun. This account was attacked by Chiang Chi, who claimed
that those with the family name "Tian" descended from Shun, but not those surnamed "Cao". He also
claimed that "Gui" (媯) was Emperor Shun's family name.[19]

List of territories

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Province Commanderies and Kingdoms/Principalities

Fanyang (范陽), Dai (代), Yuyang (漁陽), Youbeiping (右北平), Liaoxi (遼西), Lelang (樂浪), Shanggu
You
(上谷), Yan (principality) (燕國), Changli (昌黎), Xuantu (玄菟), Liaodong (遼東), Daifang (帶方)

Wei (魏), Yangping (陽平), Guangping (廣平), Qinghe (清河), Julu (鉅鹿), Zhao (principality) (趙國),
Ji Changshan (常山), Anping (安平), Pingyuan (平原), Leling (principality) (樂陵), Hejian (河間), Bohai
(渤海), Zhongshan (principality) (中山國)

Chengyang (城陽), Donglai (東萊), Beihai (principality) (北海國), Qi (principality) (齊國), Le'an (樂安),
Qing
Jinan (principality) (濟南國)

Bing Shangdang (上黨), Xihe (西河), Taiyuan (太原), Leping (樂平), Xinxing (新興), Yanmen (雁門)

Si Henan (河南尹), Hongnong (弘農), Henei (河內), Hedong (河東), Pingyang (平陽)

Taishan (泰山), Jibei (principality) (濟北國), Dongping (principality) (東平國), Dong (東), Rencheng
Yan
(任城), Shanyang (山陽), Jiyin (濟陰), Chenliu (principality) (陳留國)

Dongguan (東莞), Langye (principality) (琅琊國), Donghai (principality) (東海國), Guangling (廣陵),
Xu
Xiapi (下邳), Pengcheng (principality) (彭城國)

Jingzhao (京兆), Pingyi (馮翊), Fufeng (扶風), Beidi (北地), Xinping (新平), Anding (安定), Guangwei
Yong
(廣魏), Tianshui (天水), Nan'an (南安), Longxi (隴西)

Chen (陳), Yingchuan (潁川), Runan (汝南), Liang (principality) (梁國), Pei (principality) (沛國), Qiao
Yu
(譙), Lu (魯), Yiyang (弋陽), Anfeng (安豐)

Wuwei (武威), Jincheng (金城), Xiping (西平), Zhangye (張掖), Jiuquan (酒泉), Xihai (西海),
Liang
Dunhuang (敦煌)

Yan Huainan (淮南), Lujiang (廬江)

Jiangxia (江夏), Xiangyang (襄陽), Xincheng (新城), Nanyang (南陽), Nanxiang (南鄉), Shangyong
Jing
(上庸), Weixing (魏興), Zhangling (Yiyang) (章陵 / 義陽)

List of sovereigns

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Cao Wei rulers

Family
name (in Era names
Temple Posthumous
bold) and Reign and their Notes
name name
personal year ranges
name

Emperor
Cao Teng Cao Teng's posthumous name was
(N/A) Gao (N/A) (N/A)
曹騰 granted posthumously by Cao Rui.
高皇帝

Emperor Tai Cao Song Cao Song's posthumous name was

(N/A) (N/A) (N/A)
太皇帝 曹嵩 granted posthumously by Cao Pi.

Cao Cao's temple and posthumous

Taizu Emperor Wu Cao Cao 216-
(N/A) names were granted posthumously by
太祖 武皇帝 曹操 220
Cao Pi.

Emperor Huangchu
Shizu Cao Pi 220-
Wen 黃初 (220-
世祖 曹丕 226
文皇帝 226)

Taihe
太和 (227-
233)
Emperor Qinglong
Liezu Cao Rui 227-
Ming 青龍 (233-
烈祖 曹叡 239
明皇帝 237)
Jingchu
景初 (237-
239)

Zhengshi Cao Fang became "Prince of Qi" (齊王)

正始 (240- after his dethronement. He was
Cao Fang 240- 249)
(N/A) (N/A) posthumously granted the title "Duke Li
曹芳 249
Jiaping of Shaoling" (邵陵厲公) in the Western Jin
嘉平 (249- dynasty.
254)

Zhengyuan
正元 (254-
Cao Mao 254- 256) Cao Mao was granted the posthumous
(N/A) (N/A)
曹髦 260 name of "Duke of Gaogui" (高貴鄉公).
Ganlu
甘露 (256-
260)

Jingyuan
Emperor 景元 (260-
Cao Huan 260- 264)
(N/A) Yuan
曹奐 266
元皇帝 Xianxi
咸熙 (264-
266)

Cao Wei family tree

Cao Wei

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- - - - - = The dashed line denotes an adoption

Cao Cao
曹操
155–220
Emperor
Wu
武帝

Cao Zhang
Cao Yu
曹彰
Cao Pi 曹丕 187–226 曹宇
189–223
Emperor Wen d. 278
Prince Wei
文帝 Prince of
of
220–226 Yan
Rencheng
燕王
任城威王

Cao Rui Cao Huan

Cao Lin
曹叡 Cao Kai 曹奐
曹霖
205–239 曹楷 246–303
d. 249
Emperor Prince of Emperor
Prince Ding
Ming Jinan Yuan
of Donghai
明帝 济南王 元帝
東海定王
226–239 260–266

Cao Mao Cao Fang

曹髦 曹芳
241–260 232–274
Duke of Emperor
Gaogui District Shao
高貴鄉公 少帝
254–260 239–254

See also
Cao Wei family trees
Three Kingdoms
Shu Han
Eastern Wu

Notes
a. Cao Huan abdicated on the renxu (壬戌) day of the 12th month in the 1st year of the
Taishi era of the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin.[4] This date corresponds to 4 February 266 in
the Gregorian calendar.
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b. This figure, based on numbers given in the Sanguozhi, has been called into question since
the census system is claimed to have been flawed. The actual population is likely to be far
greater.[6] Tanner (2009) estimates the population of Wei to be over ⅔ of the Han
population.[7]
c. (221-222—through Eastern Wu vassalage;[8][9] 263-266)
d. On the bingyin (丙寅) day of the 12th month of the 1st year of the Taishi era, Sima Yan
became emperor and adopted "Taishi" (泰始) as the era name of his reign.[17] This date
corresponds to 8 February 266 in the Gregorian calendar.

References
1. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "Spring, first month (Feb. 15 - Mar. 15).
The Emperor was about to come to Xu-chang when the south gate of Xu-chang collapsed
from some unexplained cause. The Emperor was displeased at this and did not enter the
city."
2. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "In the tenth month of 220 (November),
various ministers proposed that Cao Pi replace Liu Xie as the emperor, citing various
astrological signs. On November 25, Liu Xie performed various ceremonies in preparation
for abdicating the throne. On December 11, Liu Xie formally abdicated the throne and
Cao Pi ascended as the new emperor."
3. Rafe de Crespigny. To Establish Peace. "On 11 December Cao Cao's son and successor
Cao Pi received the abdication of the Han Emperor and took the imperial title for himself,
with a new reign period Huangchu "Yellow Beginning," named in honour of the new
Power of Yellow and Earth which had been foretold should succeed to the Red and Fire of
Han. (Cf. note 84 to Jian'an 24.)"
4. ([泰始元年]十二月，壬戌，魏帝禪位于晉；) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 79.
5. Zou Jiwan (Chinese: 鄒紀萬), Zhongguo Tongshi - Weijin Nanbeichao Shi 中國通史·魏晉南北
朝史, (1992).
6. Institute of Advanced Studies (December 1991). Barme, Gerome (ed.). Easy Asian History:
THE CONTINUATION OF Papers on Far Eastern History (http://www.eastasianhistory.org/si
tes/default/files/article-content/02/EAH02_07.pdf) (PDF) (Number 2 ed.). Canberra,
Australia: Australian National University. pp. 149–152. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
7. Tanner, Harold M. (13 March 2009). "Chapter 5: The Age of Warriors and Buddhists".
China: A History. Hackett Publishing. p. 142. "When it was established, Wu had only one-
sixth of the population of the Eastern Han Empire (Cao Wei held over two-thirds of the
Han population)."
8. Sima Guang. Zizhi Tongjian. "In the eighth month of 221, Sun Quan sent ambassadors to
Wei declaring himself a subject of Cao Pi’s state"
9. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "Eighth month (Sept. 5 - Oct. 3). Sun
Quan sent an envoy to declare himself the subject of the Wei"
10. BSod-nams-rgyal-mtshan, Per K. Sørensen (1994). The Mirror Illuminating the Royal
Genealogies. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 80. ISBN 3447035102.
11. Ching-hsiung Wu, ed. (1940). T'ien Hsia Monthly. 11. Kelly and Walsh. p. 370.
12. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "The Emperor sent a sealed edict to
summon Gongsun Yuan. In the end, Gongsun Yuan arose in an armed rebellion, meeting
Guanqiu Jian at Liaosui. It so happened that it rained for more than ten days and the
water of Liaosui rose greatly. Guanqiu Jian fought him, but was unsuccessful and
withdrew his troops to Youbeiping."
13. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "The Emperor summoned Sima Yi from
Chang'an and had him lead an army of forty thousand men in a campaign against
Liaodong."

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14. Achilles Fang. Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms. "On the day ren-wu (September 29),
Xiangping fell. Gongsun Yuan and his son Gongsun Xiu, leading several hundred mounted
men, got through the encirclement and fled towards the southeast. The large Wei forces
instantly struck at them and killed Gongsun Yuan and his son on the Liangshui."
15. Charles Roger Tennant (1996). A history of Korea (https://books.google.com/?id=tKTtAAA
AMAAJ&dq=Wei.+In+242%2C+under+King+Tongch%276n%2C+they+attacked+a+Chin
ese+fortress+near+the+mouth+of+the+Yalu+in+an+attempt+to+cut+the+land+route+
across+Liao%2C+in+return+for+which+the+Wei+invaded+them+in+244+and+sacked+
Hwando&q=hwando). Kegan Paul International. p. 22. ISBN 0-7103-0532-X. "capital on
the middle reaches of the Yalu near the modern Chinese town of Ji'an, calling it 'Hwando'.
By developing both their iron weapons and their political organization, they had reached
a stage where in the turmoil that accompanied the break-up of the Han empire they were
able to threaten the Chinese colonies"
16. Byington, Mark E. "Control or Conquer? Koguryǒ's Relations with States and Peoples in
Manchuria," (https://web.archive.org/web/20111005153543/http://english.historyfoundati
on.or.kr/Data/Jnah/J4_1_S4.pdf) Journal of Northeast Asian History volume 4, number 1
(June 2007):93.
17. ([泰始元年十二月]丙寅，王卽皇帝位，大赦，改元。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 79.
18. Qiu Xigui (2000). Chinese Writing. Translated by Mattos and Jerry Norman. Early China
Special Monograph Series No. 4. Berkeley: The Society for the Study of Early China and
the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley. ISBN 1-55729-071-7;
p.142-3
19. Howard L. Goodman (1998). Ts'ao P'i transcendent: the political culture of dynasty-
founding in China at the end of the Han (https://books.google.com/?id=vbIc4BEGY2AC&
pg=PA70&dq=yellow+emperor+family+tree#v=onepage) (illustrated ed.). Psychology
Press. p. 70. ISBN 0-9666300-0-9. Retrieved 2012-04-01.

Further reading
de Crespigny, Rafe. "To Establish Peace: being the Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for
the years 201 to 220 AD as recorded in Chapters 64 to 69 of the Zizhi tongjian of Sima
Guang". Volume 2. (http://www.anu.edu.au/asianstudies/decrespigny/peace2_index.html)
Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. 1996. ISBN 0-7315-
2526-4.

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