Cao Wei

Cao Wei was one of the empires that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luòyáng, the empire was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid. Its name came from 213, when Cao Cao's feudal holdings were given the name Wei; historians often add the prefix Cao (from Cao Cao's family name) to distinguish it from the other states in Chinese history also known as Wei, such as the earlier State of Wei during the Warring States Period, and the later Northern Wei state. In 220, when Cao Pi deposed the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei became the name of the new dynasty he founded, which was seized and controlled by the Sima family in 249, until it was officially overthrown and became the Jin Dynasty in 265.

History

During the decline of the Han Dynasty, the northern part of China was under the control of Cao Cao, the Imperial Chancellor to the last Han emperor (see Unification of northern China). In 213, he was titled the "Duke of Wei" and was given ten cities as his domain. This area was named "Wei". At that time, the southern part of China was already divided into two areas controlled by two warlords (later Shu Han and Eastern Wu). In 216, Cao Cao was promoted to "King of Wei".

In March 15 of 220, Cao Cao died and his son Cao Pi succeeded to the title "King of Wei" and the position as Imperial Chancellor. Later that year in December 11, Cao Pi seized the imperial throne and claimed to have founded the Wei Dynasty, but Liu Bei of Shu Han immediately contested his claim to the throne, and Sun Quan of Eastern Wu followed suit in 222.

Wei conquered Shu Han in 263. Shortly afterwards, in 265, the Wei dynasty was overthrown by its own last Imperial Chancellor, Sima Yan, grandson of Sima Yi, who then founded the Jin Dynasty.

Culture

Sometime between the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Cao Wei, standard or regular script (kaishu) appeared, with its first known master being Zhong Yao.

Important figures

Sovereigns of Cao Wei

Cao Wèi or Kingdom of Wèi 220-265 AD
Posthumous Names	family (in bold) name and first names	Year(s) of Reigns	Era Names and their range of years
Chinese Convention: family and first names, and less commonly "Wèi" + posthumous name + "di"
Emperor Wen of Wei, ch. 文, py. wén	Cao Pi, ch. 曹丕, py. cáo pī	220-226	Huangchu (黃初 huang2 chu1) 220-226
Emperor Ming of Wei, ch. 明 py. míng	Cao Rui, ch. 曹叡, py. cáo rùi	226-239	Taihe (太和 tài hé) 227-233 Qinglong (青龍 qīng lóng) 233-237 Jingchu (景初 jĭng chū) 237-239
Shao (少 py. shao4) or King of Qi of Wei, ch. 齊王, py. qí wáng	Cao Fang, ch. 曹芳, py. cáo fāng	239-254	Zhengshi (正始 zhèng shĭ) 240-249 Jiaping (嘉平 jīa píng) 249-254
Gaoguixiang Gong of Wei, ch. 高貴鄉公, py. gāo gùi xīang gōng	Cao Mao, ch. 曹髦, py. cáo máo	254-260	Zhengyuan (正元 zhèng yúan) 254-256 Ganlu (甘露 gān lù) 256-260
Emperor Yuan of Wei, ch. 元, py. yúan	Cao Huan, ch. 曹奐, py. cáo hùan	260-265	Jingyuan (景元 jĭng yúan) 260-264 Xianxi (咸熙 xían xī) 264-265

References