House-Legenda : The Three Kingdoms

Three ingdom

The Three Kingdoms period (simplified Chinese: 三国时代; traditional Chinese: 三國時代; pinyin: Sānguó shídài) is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the Wei in 220 and the conquest of the Wu by the Jin Dynasty in 280.  However, many Chinese historians and laymen extend the starting point of this period back to the uprising of the Yellow Turbans in 184.

The three kingdoms were Wei (魏), Shu (蜀), and Wu (吳). To help further distinguish these states from other historical Chinese states of the same name, historians add a relevant character: Wei is also known as Cao Wei (曹魏), Shu is also known as Shu Han (蜀漢), and Wu is also known as Dong Wu or Eastern Wu (東吳). The term Three Kingdoms itself is somewhat of a mistranslation, since each state was eventually headed not by kings, but by an emperor who claimed legitimate succession from the Han Dynasty. Although the translation Three Empires is more contextually accurate,[1] the term Three Kingdoms has become standard among sinologists.

The earlier, "unofficial" part of the period, from 184 to 220, was marked by chaotic infighting between warlords in various parts of China. The middle part of the period, from 220 and 263, was marked by a more militarily stable arrangement between three rival states, Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.  The later part of this period was marked by the collapse of the tripartite situation: first the destruction of Shu by Wei (263), then the overthrow of Wei by the Jin Dynasty (265), and the destruction of Wu by Jin (280).

Although relatively short, this historical period has been greatly romanticised in the cultures of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It has been celebrated and popularised in operas, folk stories, novels and in more recent times, films, television series, and video games.  The best known of these is undoubtedly the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a novel dealing with the period that draws heavily on history. The authoritative historical record of the era is Chen Shou's Sanguo Zhi, along with Pei Songzhi's later annotations of the text.

The Three Kingdoms period was one of the bloodiest in Chinese history.  A population census during the late Eastern Han Dynasty reported a population of approximately 50 million, while a population census during the early Western Jin Dynasty (after Jin re-unified China) reported a population of approximately 16 million.[2] However, the Jin dynasty's census was far less complete than the Han census, so these figures are in question.

Technology advanced significantly during this period. Zhuge Liang invented the wooden ox, suggested to be an early form of the wheelbarrow, and improved on the repeating crossbow. A brilliant mechanical engineer known as Ma Jun, in Wei, is considered by many to be the equal of his predecessor Zhang Heng. He invented a hydraulic-powered, mechanical puppet theatre designed for Emperor Ming of Wei (Cao Rui), square-pallet chain pumps for irrigation of gardens in Luoyang, and the ingenious design of the South Pointing Chariot, a non-magnetic directional compass operated by differential gears.

Cerita nya

Yellow Turban Rebellion

The power of the Eastern Han Dynasty went in to depression and steadily declined after the reign of Emperor He of Han from a variety of political and economic problems. A series of Han emperors ascended the throne while still youths, and de facto Imperial power often rested with the young emperors' older relatives. Because these relatives occasionally were loath to give up their influence, emperors would, upon reaching maturity, be forced to rely on political alliances with senior officials and eunuchs to achieve control of the government. Political posturing and infighting between Imperial relatives and government eunuchs was a constant problem in Chinese government at the time. During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, leading officials' dissatisfaction with the eunuchs' usurpations of power reached a peak, and many began to openly protest against them. The first and second protests met with failure, and the court eunuchs persuaded the Emperor to execute many of the protesting scholars. Some local rulers seized the opportunity to exert despotic control over their lands and citizens, since many feared to speak out in the oppressive political climate. Emperors Huan' and Ling's reigns were recorded as particularly dark periods of Han Dynasty rule. In addition to political oppression and mismanagement, China experienced a number of natural disasters during this period, and local rebellions sprung up throughout China.

In the second month of 184 AD, Zhang Jiao, leader of the Dao of Supreme Harmony Daoist movement, along with his two brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, led the movement's followers in a rebellion against the government that was called the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Their movement quickly attracted followers and soon numbered several hundred thousands and received support from many parts of Han China. They had 36 bases throughout China, with large bases having 10,000 or more followers and minor bases having 6,000 to 7,000, similar to Han armies. Their motto was: "The Han Emperor's already dead, Lord Zhang Jiao shall take his stead; the year-cycle is at its head, into fortune shall all be led!" (Chinese: 蒼天已死，黃天當立，歲在甲子，天下大吉) [3] Emperor Ling of Han dispatched Generals Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, and Zhu Jun to lead the Han armies against the Yellow Turbans, and decreed that local governments had to supply soldiers to assist in their efforts. It is at this point that the great epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins its narrative. The Yellow Turbans were ultimately defeated and its surviving followers dispersed throughout China, but due to the turbulent situation throughout the empire, many were able to survive as bandits in mountainous areas, thus continuing their ability to contribute to the turmoil of the era.

With the widespread increase in bandits across the Chinese nation, the Han army had no way to repel each and every raiding party. In 188, Emperor Ling accepted a memorial from Yizhou governor Liu Yan suggesting he grant direct administrative power over feudal provinces and direct command of regional military to local governors, as well promoting them in rank and filling such positions with members of the Liu family or court officials. This move made provinces (zhou) official administrative units, and although they had power to combat rebellions, the later intra-government chaos allowed these local governors to easily rule independently of the central government. Soon after this move, Liu Yan severed all of his region's (modern Sichuan) ties to the Han court, and several other areas followed suit.
[edit] Dong Zhuo in power

That same year, Emperor Ling died, and another struggle began between the court eunuchs for control of the Imperial family . Court eunuch Jian Shuo planned to kill General He Jin, a relative of the royal family, and to replace the Crown Prince Liu Bian with his younger brother Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu (in modern Kaifeng), though his plan was unsuccessful. Liu Bian took the Han throne as Emperor Shao of Han, and General He Jin plotted with warlord Yuan Shao to assassinate the Ten Attendants, a clique of ten eunuchs led by Zhang Rang who controlled much of the imperial court. He Jin also ordered Dong Zhuo, the frontier general in Liangzhou, and Ding Yuan, Inspector of Bingzhou (the area now between Baoding and Taiyuan), to bring troops to the capital to reinforce his position of authority. The eunuchs learned of General He's plot, and had him assassinated before Dong Zhuo ever reached the capital, Luoyang. When Yuan Shao's troops reached the capital they stormed the palace complex, killing the Ten Attendants and two thousand of those loyal to them. Though this move effectively ended the century-long feud between the eunuchs and the Imperial family, it ushered in the era of warlords and martial law that became the Three Kingdoms Era.

This event prompted the invitation of Dong Zhuo to enter Luoyang from the northwest boundary of China. At the time China faced the powerful barbarians of Qiang tribe to the northwest, and thus Dong Zhuo controlled a large army with elite training. When he brought the army to Luoyang, he was able to easily overpower the existing armies of both sides and took control of the imperial court, ushering in a period of civil war across China.

Dong Zhuo then manipulated the succession so that the future Emperor Xian could take the throne in lieu of his elder half-brother. Dong Zhuo, while ambitious, genuinely wished for a more capable emperor. On his way to Luoyang, he encountered a small band of soldiers protecting the two sons of Emperor Ling fleeing the war zone. In the encounter Dong Zhuo acted arrogantly and threateningly, causing the elder half-brother to be paralyzed with fear; the younger brother, the future Emperor Xian, responded calmly with authority and commanded Dong Zhuo to protect the royal family with his army to return to the Imperial Court.

While Dong Zhuo originally wanted to re-establish the authority of Han Empire and manage all the political conflict properly, his political capability proved to be much worse than his military leadership. His behaviour grew more and more violent and authoritarian, executing or sending into exile all that opposed him, and showed less and less respect to the Emperor. He ignored all royal etiquette and frequently carried open weapons into the imperial court. In 190 a coalition led by Yuan Shao was formed between nearly all the provincial authorities in the eastern provinces of the empire against Dong Zhuo. The mounting pressure from repeated defeat on the southern frontline against the Sun Jian forces drove the Han Emperor and later Dong Zhuo himself west to Chang'an in May 191.

Dong Zhuo once again demonstrated his political shortcomings by forcing millions of residents of Luoyang to migrate to Chang'an. He then set fire to Luoyang, preventing occupation by his enemies and destroying the biggest city in China at that time. In addition, he ordered his army to slaughter a whole village of civilians. The soldiers beheaded the civilians and carried their heads into Chang'an to show off as war trophies, pretending to have had a great victory against his enemies. A year later Dong Zhuo was killed in a coup d'etat by Wang Yun and Lü Bu.
[edit] Rise of Cao Cao
Sculpture of a foreign soldier, Three Kingdoms, 3rd century AD, China.

In 191, there was some talk among the coalition of appointing Liu Yu, an imperial relative, as emperor, and gradually its members began to fall out. Most of the warlords in the coalition, with a few exceptions, sought the increase of personal military power in the time of instability instead of seriously wishing to restore the Han Dynasty's authority. The Han empire was divided between a number of regional warlords. Yuan Shao occupied the northern area of Ye and extended his power, by taking over his superior Han Fu with trickery and intimidation, north of the Yellow River against Gongsun Zan, who held the northern frontier. Cáo Cāo, directly to Yuan's south, was engaged in a struggle against Yuan Shu and Liu Biao, who occupied respectively the Huai River basin and Middle Yangzi regions. Further south the young warlord Sun Ce, taking over after the untimely death of Sun Jian, was establishing his rule in the Lower Yangzi, albeit as a subordinate of Yuan Shu. In the west, Liu Zhang held Yizhou province while Hanzhong and the northwest were controlled by a motley collection of smaller warlords such as Ma Teng of Xiliang, the original post of Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo, confident in his success, was slain by his own adopted son, Lü Bu and his father-in-law Wang Yun. Lü Bu, in turn, was attacked by Dong Zhuo's supporters: Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou. Wang Yun and his whole family were executed. Lu fled to Zhang Yang, a northern warlord, and remained with him for a time before briefly joining Yuan Shao, but it was clear that Lü Bu was far too independent to serve another.

In August 195, Emperor Xian fled the tyranny of Li Jue at Chang'an and made a year long hazardous journey east in search of supporters. By 196, when he was received by Cao Cao, most of the smaller contenders for power had either been absorbed by larger ones or destroyed. This was an extremely important move for Cao Cao following the suggestion from his primary advisor, Xun Yu, commenting that by supporting the authentic Emperor, Cao Cao would have the formal legal authority to control the other warlords and force them to comply in order to restore the Han dynasty.

Cao Cao, whose zone of control was the precursor to the Kingdom of Wei, had raised an army in the winter of 189. In several strategic movements and battles, he controlled the Dui province and defeated several factions of the Yellow Turban rebels. This earned him the aid of other local militaries controlled by Zhang Miao and Chen Gong, who joined his cause to create his first sizable army. He continued the effort and absorbed approximately 300,000 Yellow Turbans into his army as well as a number of clan-based military groups from the eastern side of Qing province. In 196 he established an imperial court at Xuchang and developed military agricultural colonies (tuntian) to support his army. Although the system imposed a heavy tax on hired civilian farmers (40% to 60% of agricultural production), the farmers were more than pleased to be able to work with relative stability and professional military protection in a time of chaos. This was later said to be his second important policy for success.

In 194, Cao Cao went to war with Tao Qian of Xuzhou, whose officers had executed his whole family. Tao Qian received the support of Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan, but even then it seemed as if Cao Cao's superior forces would overrun Xuzhou entirely. However, Cao Cao received word that Lü Bu had seized Yan province in Cao Cao's absence, and accordingly he retreated, putting a halt to hostilities with Tao Qian for the time being. Tao Qian died that same year, leaving his province to Liu Bei. A year later, in 195, Cao Cao managed to drive Lü Bu out of Yan. Lu Bu fled to Xuzhou and was received by Liu Bei, and an uneasy alliance began between the two.

In the south, Sun Ce, then an independent general under the service of Yuan Shu, defeated the warlords of Yangzhou, including Liu Yao, Wang Lang, and Yan Baihu. The speed with which Sun Ce accomplished his conquests led to his nickname, "Little Conqueror" (小霸王), a reference to the late Xiang Yu. In 197, Yuan Shu, who was at odds with Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei, felt assured of victory with his subordinate's conquests, and thus declared himself emperor of the Cheng Dynasty. The move, however, was a strategic blunder, as it drew the ire of many warlords across the land, including Yuan Shu's own subordinate Sun Ce, who had advised Yuan Shu not to make such a move. Cao Cao issued orders to Sun Ce to attack Yuan Shu. Sun Ce complied, but first convinced Cao Cao to form a coalition against Yuan Shu, of which Liu Bei and Lü Bu were members. Attacked on all sides, Yuan Shu was defeated and fled into hiding.

Afterwards, Lü Bu betrayed Liu Bei and seized Xuzhou, forming an alliance with Yuan Shu's remnant forces. Liu Bei fled to Cao Cao, who accepted him. Soon, preparations were made for an attack on Lü Bu, and the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei besieged Xia Pi. Lü Bu's officers deserted him, Yuan Shu's forces never arrived as reinforcements, and he was bound by his own officers Song Xian and Wei Xu and executed along with many of his officers. Thus, the man known as the mightiest warrior in the land was no more.

In 200, Dong Cheng, an officer of the Imperial Court, received a secret edict from the Emperor to assassinate Cao Cao. He collaborated with Liu Bei on this effort, but Cao Cao soon found out about the plot and had Dong Cheng and his co-conspirators executed, with only Liu Bei surviving and fleeing too Yuan Shao in the north.

After settling the nearby provinces, including a rebellion led by former Yellow Turbans, and internal affairs with the court, Cao Cao turned his attention north to Yuan Shao, who himself had eliminated his northern rival Gongsun Zan that same year. Yuan Shao, himself of higher nobility than Cao Cao, amassed a large army and camped along the northern bank of the Yellow river.

In 200, after winning a decisive battle against Liu Biao at Shaxian and putting down the rebellions of Xu Gong and others, Sun Ce was struck by an arrow and fatally wounded. On his deathbed, he named his younger brother, Sun Quan, as his heir.

Following months of planning, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao met in force at Guandu. Overcoming Yuan's superior numbers, Cao Cao decisively defeated him by setting fire to his supplies, and in doing so crippled the northern army. Liu Bei fled to Liu Biao of Jing province, and many of Yuan Shao's forces were destroyed. In 202, Cao Cao took advantage of Yuan Shao's death and the resulting division among his sons to advance north of the Yellow River. He captured Ye in 204 and occupied the provinces of Ji, Bing, Qing and You. By the end of 207, after a lightning campaign against the Wuhuan barbarians, Cao Cao had achieved undisputed dominance of the North China Plain.
[edit] Battle of Red Cliffs
Main article: Battle of Red Cliffs
One traditional site of Red Cliffs (Chinese: 赤壁), whose actual location is a matter of intense debate.

In 208, Cao Cao marched south with his army hoping to quickly unify the empire. Liu Biao's son Liu Cong surrendered the province of Jing and Cao was able to capture a sizable fleet at Jiangling. Sun Quan, the successor to Sun Ce in the Lower Yangzi, continued to resist, however. His advisor Lu Su secured an alliance with Liu Bei, himself a recent refugee from the north, and Sun Ce's sworn brother Zhou Yu was placed in command of Sun Quan's navy, along with a veteran officer of the Sun family, Cheng Pu. Their combined armies of 50,000 met Cao Cao's fleet and 200,000-strong force at Red Cliffs (Chinese: 赤壁 Chi Bi) that winter. After an initial skirmish, an attack beginning with a plan to set fire to Cao Cao's fleet was set in motion to lead to the decisive defeat of Cao Cao, forcing him to retreat in disarray back to the north. The allied victory at Red Cliffs ensured the survival of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, and provided the basis for the states of Shu and Wu.

After his return to the north, Cao Cao contented himself with absorbing the northwestern regions in 211 and consolidating his power. He progressively increased his titles and power, eventually becoming the Prince of Wei in 217, a title bestowed upon him by the puppet Han emperor that he controlled. Liu Bei, having defeated the weak Jing warlords Han Xuan, Jin Xuan, Zhao Fan, and Liu Du, entered Yi province and later in 214 displaced Liu Zhang as ruler, leaving his commander and sworn brother Guan Yu in charge of Jing province. Sun Quan, who had in the intervening years being engaged with defenses against Cao Cao in the southeast at Hefei, now turned his attention to Jing province and the Middle Yangzi. Tensions between the allies were increasingly visible. In 219, after Liu Bei successfully seized Hanzhong from Cao Cao and as Guan Yu was engaged in the siege of Fan, Sun Quan's commander-in-chief Lu Meng secretly seized Jing province, and his forces captured and slew Guan Yu.
[edit] Three Emperors

In the first month of 220, Cao Cao died and in the tenth month his son Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate, thus ending the Han Dynasty. He named his state Wei and made himself emperor at Luoyang. In 221, Liu Bei named himself Emperor of Han, in a bid to restore the fallen Han dynasty. (His state is known to history as "Shu" or "Shu Han".) In the same year, Wei bestowed on Sun Quan the title of King of Wu. A year later, Shu Han troops declared war on Wu and met the Wu armies at the Battle of Yiling. At Yiling, Liu Bei was disastrously defeated by Sun Quan's commander Lu Xun and forced to retreat back to Shu, where he died soon afterward. After the death of Liu Bei, Shu and Wu resumed friendly relations at the expense of Wei, thus stabilizing the tripartite configuration. In 222, Sun Quan renounced his recognition of Cao Pi's regime and, in 229, he declared himself emperor at Wuchang.

Dominion of the north completely belonged to Wei, whilst Shu occupied the southwest and Wu the central south and east. The external borders of the states were generally limited to the extent of Chinese civilization. For example, the political control of Shu on its southern frontier was limited by the Tai tribes of modern Yunnan and Burma, known collectively as the Southern Barbarians (南蠻).
[edit] Consolidation
See also: Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign

In 223 Liu Shan rose to the throne of Shu following his father's defeat and death. The defeat of Liu Bei at Yiling ended the period of hostility between Wu and Shu and both used the opportunity to concentrate on internal problems and the external enemy of Wei. For Sun Quan, the victory terminated his fears of Shu expansion into Jing province and he turned to the aborigines of the southeast, whom the Chinese collectively called the "Shanyue". A collection of successes against the rebellious tribesmen culminated in the victory of 224. In that year Zhuge Ke ended a three year siege of Danyang with the surrender of 100,000 Shanyue. Of these, 40,000 were drafted as auxiliaries into the Wu army. Meanwhile Shu was also experiencing troubles with the indigenous tribes of their south. The Southwestern Nanman peoples rose in revolt against Han authority, captured and looted the city of Yizhou. Zhuge Liang, recognising the importance of stability in the south, ordered the advance of the Shu armies in three columns against the Nanman. He fought a number of engagements against the chieftain Meng Huo, at the end of which Meng submitted. A tribesman was allowed to reside at the Shu capital Chengdu as an official and the Nanman formed their own battalions within the Shu army.
[edit] Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions
Main article: Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions

At the end of Zhuge Liang's southern campaign, the Wu-Shu alliance came to fruition and Shu was free to move against the north. In 227 Zhuge Liang transferred his main Shu armies to Hanzhong, and opened up the battle for the northwest with Wei. The next year, he ordered the general Zhao Yun to attack from Ji Gorge as a diversion while Zhuge himself led the main force to Qishan. The vanguard Ma Su, however, suffered a tactical defeat at Jieting and the Shu army was forced to withdraw. In the next six years Zhuge Liang attempted several more offensives, but supply problems limited the capacity for success. In 234 he led his last great northern offensive, reaching the Battle of Wuzhang Plains south of the Wei River. Due to the death of Zhuge Liang (234 AD), however, the Shu army was forced once again to withdraw, but were pursued by Wei. The Shu forces began to withdraw; Sima Yi deduced Zhuge's demise and ordered an attack. Shu struck back almost immediately, causing Sima Yi to second guess and allow Shu to withdraw successfully.
[edit] Wu and the South

In the times of Zhuge Liang's great northern offensives, the state of Wu had always been on the defensive against invasions from the north. The area around Hefei was the scene of many bitter battles and under constant pressure from Wei after the Battle of Red Cliffs. Warfare had grown so intense that many of the residents chose to migrate and resettle south of the Yangzi. After Zhuge Liang's death, attacks on the Huainan region intensified but nonetheless, Wei could not break through the line of the river defenses erected by Wu, which included the Ruxu fortress.

Sun Quan's long reign is regarded as a time of plenty for his southern state. Migrations from the north and the settlement of the Shanyue increased manpower for agriculture, especially along the lower reaches of the Yangzi and in Kuaiji commandery. River transport blossomed, with the construction of the Zhedong and Jiangnan canals. Trade with Shu flourished, with a huge influx of Shu cotton and the development of celadon and metal industries. Ocean transport was improved to such an extent that sea journeys were made to Manchuria and the island of Taiwan. In the south, Wu merchants reached Linyi (northern Vietnam) and Fu'nan (southern Vietnam). As the economy prospered, so too did the arts and culture. In the Yangzi delta, the first Buddhist influences reached the south from Luoyang. (See Buddhism in China)
[edit] Decline and End of the Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms in 262, on the eve of the conquest of Shu.

From the late 230s tensions began to become visible between the imperial Cao clan and the Sima clan. Following the death of Cao Zhen, factionalism was evident between Cao Shuang and the Grand Commander Sima Yi. In deliberations, Cao Shuang placed his own supporters in important posts and excluded Sima, whom he regarded as a threat. The power of the Sima clan, one of the great landowning families of the Han, was bolstered by Sima Yi's military victories. Additionally, Sima Yi was an extremely capable strategist and politician. In 238 he crushed the rebellion of Gongsun Yuan and brought the Liaodong region directly under central control. Ultimately, he outmaneuvered Cao Shuang in power play. Taking advantage of an excursion by the imperial clansmen to the Gaoping tombs, Sima undertook a putsch in Luoyang, forcing Cao Shuang's faction from authority. Many protested against the overwhelming power of the Sima family; notable among these were the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. One of the sages, Xi Kang, was executed as part of the purges after Cao Shuang's downfall.
[edit] Fall of Shu
Main article: Conquest of Shu by Wei

The decreasing strength of the Cao clan was mirrored by the decline of Shu. After Zhuge Liang's death, his position as Lieutenant Chancellor fell to Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Dong Yun, in that order. But after 258, Shu politics became increasingly controlled by the eunuch faction and corruption rose. Despite the energetic efforts of Jiang Wei, Zhuge's protege, Shu was unable to secure any decisive achievement. In 263, Wei launched a three-pronged attack and the Shu army was forced into general retreat from Hanzhong. Jiang Wei hurriedly held a position at Jian'ge but he was outflanked by the Wei commander Deng Ai, who force-marched his army from Yinping through territory formerly considered impassable. By the winter of the year, the capital Chengdu fell due to the strategic invasion of Wei by Deng Ai who invaded Chengdu personally. The emperor Liu Shan thus surrendered. The state of Shu had come to an end after forty-three years.
[edit] Fall of Wei

Cao Huan succeeded to the throne in 260 after Cao Mao was killed by Sima Zhao. Soon after, Sima Zhao died and his title as Lord of Jin was inherited by his son Sima Yan. Sima Yan immediately began plotting to become Emperor but faced stiff opposition. However, due to advice from his advisors, Cao Huan decided the best course of action would be to abdicate, unlike his predecessor Cao Mao. Sima Yan seized the throne in 264 after forcing Cao Huan's abdication, effectively overthrowing the Wei Dynasty and establishing the successor Jin Dynasty. This situation was similar to the deposal of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty by Cao Pi, the founder of the Wei Dynasty.
[edit] Fall of Wu
Main article: Conquest of Wu by Jin

Following Sun Quan's death and the ascension of the young Sun Liang as emperor in 252, the kingdom of Wu went into a period of steady decline. Successful Wei suppression of rebellions in the Huainan region by Sima Zhao and Sima Shi reduced any opportunity of Wu influence. The fall of Shu signalled a change in Wei politics. After Liu Shan surrendered to Wei, Sima Yan (grandson of Sima Yi), overthrew the Wei emperor and proclaimed his own dynasty of Jin in 264, ending forty-six years of Cao dominion in the north. After Jin's rise, Emperor Sun Xiu of Wu died, and his ministers gave the throne to Sun Hao. Sun Hao was a promising young man, but upon ascension he became a tyrant, killing or exiling all who dared oppose him in the court. In 269 Yang Hu, Jin commander in the south, started preparing for the invasion of Wu by ordering the construction of a fleet and the training of marines in Sichuan under Wang Jun. Four years later, Lu Kang, the last great general of Wu, died leaving no competent successor. The planned Jin offensive finally came in the winter of 279. Sima Yan launched five simultaneous offensives along the Yangzi River from Jianye to Jiangling whilst the Sichuan fleet sailed downriver to Jing province. Under the strain of such an enormous attack, the Wu forces collapsed and Jianye fell in the third month of 280. Emperor Sun Hao surrendered and was given a fiefdom on which to live out his days. This marked the end of the Three Kingdoms era, and the beginning of a break in the forthcoming 300 years of chaos.

Raja dari Wu

Sun Jian

Sun Jian (Hanzi: 孫堅) (155-191) adalah seorang jendral dan panglima kecil yang terkenal, semasa Dinasti Han Timur akhir. Ia bernama lengkap Sun Wentai, lahir di Fuchun, Kabupaten Wu.
Karier politiknya diawali dengan membasmi bandit-bandit yang saat itu merajalela di wilayah Huiji dan Qiantang. Berjasa dalam pemadaman Pemberontakan Serban Kuning di daerah tersebut, ia kemudian diberikan jabatan yang memperluas kesempatannya untuk memperkuat diri sendiri di daerah Changsha.
Sewaktu para jenderal perang membentuk aliansi bersama menggulingkan sang perdana menteri zalim, Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian juga turut serta menyumbangkan prajurit dan menyumbangkan ide strategi, saat itu (190 M) Sun Jian beraliansi dengan Yuan Shu. Tentaranya berhasil membunuh Jenderal Hua Xiong, seorang jendral andalan Dong Zhuo (dalam novel Kisah Tiga Negara, dikatakan bahwa Hua Xiong dibunuh oleh Guan Yu, bukan oleh bawahan Sun Jian).
Setelah aliansi bersama dibubarkan, China jatuh ke dalam peperangan masal antara para panglima perang. Tahun 191 M, Sun Jian gugur dalam pertempuran sewaktu menyerang Liu Biao. Sun Jian terkena panah beracun sewaktu mengejar Jenderal Huang Zu. Ia kemudian digantikan oleh anaknya, Sun Ce yang juga seorang pemimpin yang cakap dan garang, namun seperti ayahnya juga mati di usia muda.
Riwayat Sun Jian
Sun Jian yang bernama lengkap Sun Gongtai adalah Raja dari Kerajaan Wu Timur. Tidak banyak yang diketahui tentang masa kecilnya; ia dikenal sebagai "Harimau dari Jiangdong". Sun Jian mengukir namanya pada usia yang muda dengan mengalahkan para bajak laut.
Peran dalam perang melawan Dong Zhuo
Ditunjuk sebagai kepala pasukan depan dari tentara aliansi yang melawan Dong Zhuo. Sun Jian sudah hampir berhasil menguasai Terusan Fanshui namun disebabkan hantaran bahan makanan yang tidak sampai oleh Yuan Shu, Sun Jian tidak dapat menduduki Terusan Sishui.
Tentara yang kelaparan dengan moral yang rendah, membuat kekuatan tentara Sun Jian dapat dikalahkan oleh Hua Xiong. Kembali ke markas tentara gabungan, Sun Jian berdebat dengan Yuan Shu mengenai pengiriman bahan makanan yang tidak sampai. Yuan Shu membantah semua tuduhan yang dilontarkan Sun Jian, dan mengkambing hitamkan salah seorang anak buahnya untuk menghindari kemarahan Sun Jian dan Yuan Shao.
Pada saat kejatuhan Terusan Hulao dan kebakaran di Luoyang, Sun Jian memimpin tentaranya ke Luoyang untuk membantu memadamkan api. Pada saat memadamkan api, salah seorang tentara Sun Jian menemukan sebuah stempel kerajaan. Penemuan stempel kekaisaran ini membuat Jenderal Huang Gai menyarankan Sun Jian untuk mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada Yuan Shao dan kembali ke Jiangdong untuk membuat rencana berikutnya.
Sun Jian menginginkan penemuan stempel kerajaan ini menjadi sesuatu yang bersifat rahasia. Namun salah seorang prajuritnya melaporkan penemuan tersebut ke Yuan Shao untuk mendapatkan hadiah. Ketika Sun Jian datang untuk mengucapkan selamat tinggal, Yuan Shao memaksa Sun Jian menyerahkan stempel tersebut untuk disimpan dengan aman. Sun Jian berkata dia tidak memiliki stempel tersebut dan berhasil mengelabui Yuan Shao. Namun Yuan Shao mengirimkan utusan kepada Liu Biao untuk menyerang Sun Jian dalam perjalanan pulang untuk mendapatkan stempel tersebut.
Pertarungan antara Sun Jian dengan Liu Biao demi stempel kerajaan terjadi di Jingzhou. Dan Sun Jian berhasil melarikan diri untuk pulang ke Jiangdong.
Tahun 191 M, Sun Jian gugur dalam pertempuran sewaktu menyerang Liu Biao. Sun Jian terkena panah beracun sewaktu mengejar Jenderal Huang Zu. Ia kemudian digantikan oleh anaknya, Sun Ce

Raja Dari Shu

Liu Bei

Liu Bei (Hanzi: 劉備) (161-223) adalah seorang tokoh terkenal di Zaman Tiga Negara. Ia lahir di Kabupaten Zhuo (sekarang di wilayah provinsi Hebei), merupakan keturunan dari Liu Sheng, Raja Jing di Zhongshan yang merupakan anak dari Kaisar Jing dari Han. Dihitung-hitung, ia masih paman dari Kaisar Xian dari Han yang memerintah waktu itu. Ia bernama lengkap Liu Xuande. Ia juga dikenal di kalangan Tionghoa Indonesia dengan nama Lau Pi yang merupakan lafal dialek Hokkian.
Karier politiknya dimulai dengan pemberantasan pemberontak Serban Kuning di akhir zaman Dinasti Han yang mengancam legitimasi dinasti tersebut bersama dengan 2 saudara angkatnya, Guan Yu dan Zhang Fei. Setelah berjasa atas pemadaman pemberontakan tadi, ia diberikan jabatan kecil sebagai penjabat bupati di sebuah kabupaten kecil di daerah Anxi.
Pada awalnya, karier politiknya sangat tidak mulus. Tidak punya wilayah sendiri untuk menyusun kekuatan, ia bahkan sempat mencari perlindungan dan menjadi bawahan daripada kekuatan-kekuatan lainnya di masa tersebut misalnya Tao Qian, Yuan Shao, Lu Bu, Cao Cao, Liu Biao dan terakhir Liu Zhang yang kemudian menyerahkan Prefektur Yizhou kepadanya sebagai tempat menyusun kekuatan.
Keberhasilannya di kemudian hari adalah karena muncul orang-orang di sekelilingnya yang membantu dalam banyak hal, seperti Zhuge Liang dan Pang Tong di bidang sipil, strategi dan politik; Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong dan Zhao Yun di bidang militer.
Setelah menguasai Prefektur Yizhou dan Hanzhong, ia kemudian memaklumatkan diri sebagai Raja Hanzhong. Tahun 221, setahun setelah Cao Pi memaklumatkan diri sebagai kaisar, Liu Bei juga memaklumatkan diri sebagai Kaisar Han Liedi, mendirikan Negara Shu Han yang mengklaim legitimasi sebagai penerus Dinasti Han yang resmi telah tidak ada setelah proklamasi Negara Cao Wei.
Sepeninggalnya, ia digantikan oleh anaknya Liu Chan yang tidak cakap memerintah. Seluruh urusan pemerintahan pada saat itu dibebankan kepada Zhuge Liang sebagai perdana menteri.
Biografi sejarah
Liu Bei adalah keturunan dari pangeran Sheng dari Zhongshan, cucu buyut dari kaisar keempat Han, Jing. Liu Bei hidup dalam kemiskinan semasa mudanya. Ayahnya telah meninggal dan ibunya bekerja sebagai penenun dan penjual sandal jerami. Pada umur 15 tahun, Liu Bei bersama rekannya, Gongsun Zan berguru pada Lu Zhi.
Pada masa Pemberontakan Serban Kuning, dia terpilih menjadi Pegawai Pengadilan di kabupaten Anxi.
Liu Bei memulai karier militernya di bawah komandan utama,He Jin dalam perwalian Gongsun Zan sebagai Komandan Pasukan Cadangan dan bupati Ping Yuan.
Ketika Cao Cao menyerang kota Xu Zhou milik Tao Qian, Liu Bei membawa pasukannya untuk melindungi sang Pelindung Kekaisaran. Pada tahun 196, Liu Bei direkomendasikan untuk menjabat sebagai Jendral Penjaga Wilayah Timur dan diberi gelar Penguasa Yicheng.
Selanjutnya Liu Bei membantu Cao Cao dalam penangkapan Lu Bu dan dipromosikan menjadi Jendral Pasukan Kiri. Saat ini, kaisar Xian mengetahui adanya hubungan keluarga antara Liu Bei dan pangeran Zhongshan sehingga ia menganugerahi Liu Bei gelar "Paman Kaisar".
Antara tahun 198 - 199, Liu Bei tidak disenangi Cao Cao karena mendukung rencana pembunuhannya. Liu Bei pindah ke Xia Pi,dan pada tahun 200, meminta perlindungan Yuan Shao.
Setelah bertemu kembali dengan saudara angkatnya, Zhang Fei dan Guan Yu, Liu Bei meninggalkan Yuan Shao untuk menjumpai Liu Biao di Jingzhou. Cao Cao mengejar Liu Bei yang akhirnya melepas pos pertahanannya di Fancheng dan mengungsi ke Xia Kou. Selanjutnya Liu Bei bersekutu dengan Sun Quan untuk mengalahkan Cao Cao. Setelah kemenangan mutlak di Pertempuran Chibi, Liu Bei sukses menempati daerah selatan Jing saat Zhou Yu menghancurkan angkatan perang Cao Cao.
Setelah wafatnya Liu Biao dan putranya Liu Qi, Liu Bei menempati beberapa kabupaten di provinsi Jing. Ia kemudian menikahi adik Sun Quan dan resmi menjadi Pelindung Jingzhou.
Pada tahun 211, ia berangkat ke Yizhou sambil berpura-pura membantu Liu Zhang mengalahkan Zhang Lu. Saat ini, Liu Bei menerima dua rekomendasi untuk menempati posisi Menhankam dan Panglima Distrik Ibukota. 3 tahun kemudian, Liu Bei berbalik melawan Liu Zhang dan menguasai Cheng Du dan seluruh wilayah barat. Ia menjabat sebagai Pelindung Yizhou dan pada tahun 219, ia mengangkat dirinya sebagai Raja Hanzhong.
Setelah melewati beberapa peperangan dengan Dong Wu dan Cao Wei, atas desakan Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei mengumumkan dirinya sebagai Kaisar pada bulan April tahun 221. Perang terakhirnya adalah melawan negeri Dong Wu sebagai aksi balas dendam setelah ekspedisi Wu yang mengakibatkan terbunuhnya Guan Yu. Liu Bei dikalahkan oleh Lu Xun, jendral dari Sun Quan di Yiling. Liu Bei menetap di Bai Di Cheng pasca kekalahan tersebut. Pada bulan April tahun 223, Liu Bei meninggal karena sakit dan dimakamkan di Hui Ling. Ia diberi gelar anumerta "Raja Zhao Di" (Shu Han Zhao Lie Di).


Raja dari wei

Cao Cao

Cao Cao (Hanzi: 曹操)(155-220) merupakan seorang tokoh Zaman Tiga Negara yang terkenal. Ia dikenal sebagai pemikir ulung, ahli strategi dan juga ahli perang. Ia bernama lengkap Cao Mengde, juga dipanggil sebagai Cao A Man yang merupakan nama kecilnya. Cao Cao dikenal di kalangan Tionghoa Indonesia sebagai Tsao-tsao, Tso-tso atau Cho Cho.
Biografi
Ia lahir di kota Qiao (sekarang di Haozhou, Anhui). Kitab sejarah Catatan Sejarah Tiga Negara mencatat bahwa salah satu leluhurnya, Cao Can adalah seorang pejabat kekaisaran di awal Dinasti Han.
Karier politik
Karier politiknya dimulai dengan ikut memadamkan Pemberontakan Serban Kuning yang mengancam legitimasi Dinasti Han di masa-masa akhir dinasti tersebut. Setelah berhasil memadamkan pemberontakan tersebut, ia diberikan jabatan dan kemudian mengambil kesempatan tersebut untuk menguasai Prefektur Qingzhou. Ia kemudian memperkuat diri sendiri dengan membujuk bekas anggota pemberontak Serban Kuning untuk bergabung di dalam tentara pribadinya.
Tahun 196, ia menerima dan memberikan perlindungan kepada Kaisar Han Xiandi yang pada saat itu mendapat ancaman. Namun kemudian malah menyandera kaisar dan meminjam kesempatan ini untuk menaklukkan beberapa jenderal perang di sekitar wilayah Xuchang yang merupakan pusat kekuatannya.
Kemenangan terbesarnya adalah Pertempuran Guandu menaklukkan Yuan Shao yang pada saat itu merupakan jenderal perang terbesar di wilayah utara Tiongkok. Setelah penaklukan itu, ia resmi menjadi perdana menteri dan berhasil mempersatukan Tiongkok utara.
Setelah menggapai kedudukan sebagai perdana menteri, Cao Cao kemudian menyusun kekuatan untuk invasi ke Tiongkok selatan yang waktu itu dikuasai oleh Liu Bei dan Sun Quan. Pertempuran Chibi adalah pertempuran di antara Cao Cao melawan aliansi Liu Bei dan Sun Quan. Cao Cao kalah telak dalam peperangan terkenal sepanjang sejarah Tiongkok ini.
Ia memaklumatkan diri sebagai Raja Wei. Sepeninggalnya, anaknya Cao Pi kemudian memaklumatkan diri sebagai Kaisar Wei dan sekaligus berdirinya negara Cao Wei. Selanjutnya, Cao Cao diangkat statusnya menjadi Kaisar Wei Wudi.