Wei

Wei (魏) Kingdoms Information


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 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, 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.

After the Sima family seized power in 249, emperor Cao Mao was the only one who tried to seize power back to his hands. He died during his coupe against Sima Zhao in 260.

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.

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