Three Kingdoms of China

Three Kingdoms (zh-Hant 三國, Pinyin: Sānguó ) indicates one period of the Chinese history beginning in 220 after the fall of the Dynastie Han (zh-Hant 漢) and finishing with the establishment of the Dynastie Jin in 265. During this period, the three kingdoms of Shu (zh-Hant 蜀), Wei (zh-Hant 魏) and Wu (zh-Hant 吳) clashed for the domination of the China.

The history of the Three Kingdoms was written with the wire of the principal following texts: The Roman of the Three Kingdoms ( Sanguo Yanyi ) was written at the 14th century by Luo Guanzhong on the basis of notes written at the 3rd century by Chen Shou and supplemented abundantly by Pei Shongzhi at the 5th century - notes which took the title of Sanguo Zhi , Chroniques of the Three Kingdoms.

This novel and these chronicles describe an episode of the history of China which goes from the decomposition of the Dynastie Han at the end of the 2nd century, until the reformation of the national unit under the aegis of the Jin towards 265, while passing by this new cutting of the territories in three kingdoms which gave their title to these works. The texts cover one period which extends from 184 to 280, the end of the Han dynasty being officially gone back to 220, and the official foundation of the Jin dynasty, 265.

These texts make begin the history before the official fall of the empire because they have the ambition of us to describe some cause - what will be essential to the intelligence of the later events. And they continue beyond the foundation of the Jin dynasty, because they describe us the political and military adventures of the three kingdoms until the last pockets of resistance with the new capacity were completely overcome.

In the last decades of the Han dynasty, the eunuques ones and some rich person families usurp the imperial capacity. The political disorder generates inflation, surtaxes, abuse of power, famines, without speaking about the natural disasters which push finally the people with the revolt into 184, under the cane of the Yellow Turbans and of their Master Zhang Jiao.

When the ambition of eunuques is broken, Dong Zhuo will usurp in its turn the capacity before being finally assassinated by his/her adoptive son, frightening Drunk Lu.

A general of north, wire adoptive of eunuque, named CAD CAD, will be able to benefit from these disorders to make a fulgurating military career. After an attempted murder missed against Dong Zhuo, it will have to escape, but will reform troops and will eliminate soon Lu Drunk before becoming, in the place of the emperor, the true leader out of grounds of north: it will dictate, brilliantly besides, the policy of the kingdom of Wei.

Before what one will call the period of the Three Kingdoms itself, the empire entered a phase of advanced decomposition and split up in many rival territories: CAD CAD will control one in the northern center of them, Yuan Shao, another in septentrional China; Liu Biao is installed in the center, Sun Jian in south-east; Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu in the west. Various local potentates which divide the country then sometimes will be combined and sometimes will clash until it does not remain any more that three relatively stable spheres of influence, the shortly after the Bataille of Red Cliff ( Chibi zhi zhan ), in 208.

These three kingdoms are: in north, the Kingdom of Wei, directed by CAD CAD; in south-east, the Kingdom of Wu, under the direction of Sun Quan; in south-west, the last formed kingdom is the Royaume of Shu of Liu EIB and its strategist Zhuge Liang.

These three kingdoms have a common point which explains their power and their fast decline: they rest all on the charismatic personality of their founder. They thus all will be very weakened with their death, by the lack of charisma of their successor and will disappear quickly with the profit from a rising family which knew to be raised in the first places of the state thanks to the policy of the merit installation, in north, by CAD CAD: Sima which skilfully succeeded in drawing aside from the capacity the heirs-at-law to CAD CAD.

The rise of CAD CAD

The imperial uncle Liu EIB was a time with the service of CAD CAD, in the area of the central plains (province of Henan), which had taken the Emperor under his wing. CAD CAD carried out many battles, in particular against Lu Drunk, which he had pursued of the province of Yan then, after he took refuge with Xiapi (zh-Hant 下邳), of the province of Xu. Liu EIB wishing only the re-establishment of the Han dynasty, was not long in going to take refuge in his/her distant cousin Liu Biao (which during this time had known to resist the attacks of Sun Jian by embanking it in a ambush). CAD CAD is not long in obstructing Yuan Shao (zh-Hant 袁紹), which occupies the major part of the central plains and accumulated capacity more and more. A long war of attrition was followed from there, war disputed by the strategists of Yuan Shao, which did not take account of their opinions. In spite of their numerical disadvantage, the forces of CAD CAD gain the Bataille of Guandu (zh-Hant 官渡), thanks to the clever strategies of Guo Jia, the such destruction of the deposit of supply of the army of Yuan with Wuchao, and thanks to the disorganization of the unfavourable forces. Before dying of frustration, Yuan Shao required of his/her son junior to be his successor. The oldest son asserted the capacities, and two camps were thus formed. CAD CAD could benefit astutely from the situation by leaving the brothers guerroyer and entretuer. Soon, there did not remain any more any downward of Yuan Shao which wished to see the war continuing. CAD CAD had thus gained: it occupied all the central plains and was with the head of the one of the most powerful kingdoms, if not most powerful.

Liu EIB, during this time, had gained the confidence of Liu Biao. This last asks to him whether it would be necessary for him to yield its succession to his son junior, virtuous, or with his oldest son to whom it kingdom returned from right. Liu EIB, being based on the example of the Yuan family, encouraged her cousin to choose his oldest son in order to avoid the conflicts, when the moment would have come. However, Cai Mao (zh-Hant 蔡瑁), uncle of the son junior, was fixed for goal to continue and kill Liu EIB. After several adventures, Liu EIB met strategists who advised it and it was not long in settling in the west of the Kingdom of Liu Biao with its faithful.

The son of Sun Jian (zh-Hant 孫堅), Sun This manages with the strategist Zhou Yu to reconquer all the grounds whose the brigands in south-east had seized the Yangzi. He thus makes it possible the kingdom of Wu to be essential and gains the nickname of Small Conqueror.

Becoming CAD CAD threatening, Liu Bao prefers to negotiate its rendering in spite of the protests of certain faithful of the Han emperor. The kingdom is thus invaded, but Liu EIB refuses to go, and flees even more in the west. It obtains, thereafter, the services of the legendary strategist, Zhuge Liang, which was for much in the subsistence of the kingdom. CAD CAD continues in its dash while trying to invade Wu, carried out by the brother of Sun This, Sun Quan (zh-Hant 孫權), who had for only defense only the Long river. The army of CAD CAD did not have indeed experience of the naval actions.

Oscillating between battle and rendering, Sun Quan requires council of Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu is handled by Zhuge Liang, which, having a presentiment of that the fall of Wu would mean the death of the kingdom of Liu EIB, manage to convince it to resist (while making him believe that CAD CAD wished to seize the woman of late Sun This, Da Qiao (zh-Hant 大喬), and of that of Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao (zh-Hant 小喬), to lock up them in its “Ivory tower”).

The battle of the Cliff Crimson

To unify the China, CAD CAD, Prime Minister for Han, carried out wars ceaseless - and often victorious - against its rivals. During years 207 and 208, while supervising the military devices of the South, it attacks Liu EIB. Of defeat in defeat, this one is constrained to beat a retreat, and it takes refuge with its army with Xiakou (zh-Hant 夏口). Zhuge Liang, adviser of Liu EIB, manages to convince Zhou Yu, supreme general of the South, to be combined with them for better resisting CAD CAD. Sun Quan gives its agreement to this alliance. The strategists of the South and Liu EIB use of admirable strategies to counter the forces of CAD CAD.

The general Zhou Yu manages to make carry out Cai Mao by CAD CAD, which takes it for a traitor. Thus, the leader of North was demolishes of one of his most qualified generals for the naval actions. The second military engineering of the era of the Three Kingdoms, Pang Tong (zh-Hant 龐統), being used as Liu EIB, convinces CAD CAD to connect its boats so that they are more stable.

These tricks were going to cause its defeat with the battle of Chi Bi (zh-Hant 赤壁), celebrate it “battle of the Cliff Crimson”, battle decisive of the wars of the Three Kingdoms, which opposed, during the winter 208, the allied armies of Sun Quan and Liu EIB, under the command of Zhou Yu, with those, quite higher of number, of CAD CAD.

Sun Quan, sends 30 000 soldiers to join the troops of Liu EIB to burn the boats of CAD CAD, like had suggested the supreme general to him. Merry Huang (zh-Hant 黃蓋), valiant warrior of the South, makes accept the enemy whom it wished to go. Zhuge Liang calls upon the winds of South-east, and when the unit of Huang Gai puts fire at the ships of North by surprise, the fire is propagated with all the fleet of CAD CAD, the ships being attached and the wind feeding the flames. The allied troops of Liu EIB and Sun Quan had finally overcome CAD CAD, in spite of the weakness of their means. Indicator that the burning fire of the boats of CAD CAD had made redden cliff, one called it Chi Bi ( Red Falaise ). During this battle, the troops of Zhou Yu, whose daring strategy had made it possible to gain the victory, kill several thousands of soldiers of the army of CAD CAD. The Bataille of the Cliff Crimson crushing was demolished the most CAD CAD, which was stopped in its dash of conquest.

The battle of the Cliff Crimson is a successful example of major strategic reversal: how to override a stronger adversary, i.e. in a disproportionate power struggle? Because the battle of the Cliff Crimson tells how the armies of Wu, are 50 to 60.000 men approximately, could come to end from an army estimated between 200 and 500.000 men, that is to say several times more.

More astonishing still, the large winners of this battle of the Cliff Crimson are those which militarily took there less risk: Liu EIB and Zhu Ge Liang. The perfectly successful strategy of Zhu Ge Liang consists in like known as a Chinese proverb “killing with a borrowed knife”, jie CAD sha ren , i.e. to act and make carry the risk of a company by another. One of the major consequences of this battle, more surprising, it is not that it consolidated the kingdom of Wu, but it is that while stopping the expansion of CAD CAD, it immediately made possible the installation of Liu EIB in the south-west of China (current Sichuan, capital: Chengdu) to found there in full safety, in the decade which follows, the kingdom of Shu. The historians consider that 12 years later, that is to say in 220 a. JC, begins the period of the Three Kingdoms itself.

Three Kingdoms

Liu EIB and Sun Quan dispute the province of Jing (zh-Hant 荊州), previously occupied by Wei, and their alliance breaks more or less. Sun Quan tries many times to mislead Liu EIB and to kill it, but in vain. Zhuge Liang had estimated that to obtain a balance, it was necessary that only three kingdoms in China remain. Also encourages it Liu EIB to invade the kingdom of different sound cousin, Liu Zhang (zh-Hant 劉璋). The undecided nature of Liu Zhang, reigning on the imposing kingdom of Shu, had made it miss many occasions unifying China. The kingdom could, indeed, compete with Wei, but its chief, not very charismatic and careful, had not undertaken any military operation. At the end of some skirmishes between him and Liu EIB, he preferred to yield his capacities to him to avoid a blood bath. CAD CAD, during this time, had obtained the rendering of the prophet Zhang Lu and some other minor kingdoms. Remained indeed only three kingdoms

End of the Three Kingdoms

With died of Zhuge Liang, the kingdom of Shu does not have any competitive strategist, except his disciple Jiang Wei (zh-Hant 姜維), who does not manage to invade Wei against which he fought. The kingdom of Wu does not find any successor suitable with Sun Quan: all proved to be tyrants without virtue. Dynasty CAD of Wei was relieved by Sima (zh-Hant 司馬), in the past strategists of CAD CAD and its sons.

The army of Wei, at the end of a long walk, takes the capital of Shu, Chengdu (zh-Hant 成都), which goes around the year 265.

The period of the Three Kingdoms ends in 265, with the foundation of the Dynastie Jin (zh-Hant 晉朝) by Sima Yan (zh-Hant 司馬炎).

Wu, which had only little chance to resist Jin, were conquered in 280.

These events are reported in the Chroniques of the Three Kingdoms , text historical over the period, and told in the novel Histoire of the Three Kingdoms, written starting from this last at the 14th century.

See too

Chronic of the Three Kingdoms
Dynasty Han
History of China
History of the Three Kingdoms
China

Video game

The history of the Three Kingdoms is the main theme of a series of video games, Dynasty Warriors, which reports with details the adventures of the large generals of this period.

External bonds

Three Kingdoms and Western Jin by Rafe de Crespigny, on the site of ANU.

Zh-classical: 三國

Random links: