, Cao Wei Dynasty]]
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of
China during the
Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at
Luoyang, the state 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 (曹, from Cao Cao's family name) to distinguish it from the other states in Chinese history also known as Wei, such as the earlier
Wei state 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 overthrown and became part of 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
chancellor to the last Han ruler,
Emperor Xian. In 213, Cao Cao was granted the title of "
Duke of Wei" and 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. In 216, Cao Cao was promoted to "
King of Wei".
On March 15, 220, Cao Cao died and his son Cao Pi inherited the title of "King of Wei". Later that year on December 11, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate and took over the throne, founding the Wei Dynasty. However, Liu Bei of Shu Han immediately contested Cao Pi's claim to the Han throne, and Sun Quan of Eastern Wu followed suit in 222.
Cao Pi ruled for six years until his death in 226. He was succeeded by his son Cao Rui, who died in 239, and was in turn succeeded by Cao Fang. In 249, during Cao Fang's reign, the regent Sima Yi seized state power from his co-regent Cao Shuang in a coup known as the Incident at Gaoping Tombs. 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. Sima Yi died in 251 and passed on his authority to his oldest son Sima Shi, who continued ruling as regent. Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang in 254 and replaced him with Cao Mao. After Sima Shi died in the following year, his younger brother Sima Zhao inherited his power and status as regent. In 260, Cao Mao attempted to seize back state power from Sima Zhao in a coup, but was killed by Sima's subordinate Cheng Ji (成濟).
After Cao Mao's death, Cao Huan was enthroned as the fifth ruler of Wei. However, Cao Huan was also a figurehead under Sima Zhao's control much like his predecessor. In 263, Wei armies led by Zhong Hui and Deng Ai conquered Shu. Two years later, Sima Zhao's son Sima Yan forced Cao Huan to abdicate in his favour, replacing Wei with the Jin Dynasty.
Culture
Sometime between the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Cao Wei Dynasty,
kaishu, a style of
Chinese calligraphy, appeared, with its first known master being
Zhong Yao, who also served as a politician in Wei.
List of territories
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ You
Province幽州
|-
!colspan=12|
Commanderies
|-
| Fanyang范陽 || Dai代 || Yuyang漁陽 || Right Beiping右北平 || Liaoxi遼西 ||
Lelang樂浪 || Shanggu上谷 ||
Yan (state)燕國 || Changli昌黎 ||
Xuantu玄菟 || Liaodong遼東 ||
Daifang帶方
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Ji Province冀州
|-
!colspan=13| Commanderies
|-
| Wei魏 || Yangping陽平 || Guangping廣平 || Qinghe清河 || Julu鉅鹿 || Zhao (state)趙國 || Changshan常山 || Anping安平 || Pingyuan平原 || Leling (state)樂陵 || Hejian河間 || Bohai渤海 || Zhongshan (state)中山國
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Qing Province青州
|-
!colspan=6| Commanderies
|-
| Chengyang城陽 || Donglai東萊 || Beihai (state)北海國 || Qi (state)齊國 || Le'an樂安 || Jinan (state)濟南國
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Bing Province并州
|-
!colspan=6| Commanderies
|-
| Shangdang上黨 || Xihe西河 || Taiyuan太原 || Leping樂平 || Xinxing新興 || Yanmen雁門
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Si Province司州
|-
!colspan=5| Commanderies
|-
| Henan河南尹 || Hongnong弘農 || Henei河內 || Hedong河東 || Pingyang平陽
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Yan Province兗州
|-
!colspan=8| Commanderies
|-
| Taishan泰山 || Jibei (state)濟北國 || Dongping (state)東平國 || Dong東 || Rencheng任城 || Shanyang山陽 || Jiyin濟陰 || Chenliu (state)陳留國
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Xu Province徐州
|-
!colspan=6| Commanderies
|-
| Dongguan東莞 || Langye (state)琅琊國 || Donghai (state)東海國 || Guangling廣陵 || Xiapi下邳 || Pengcheng (state)彭城國
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Yong Province雍州
|-
!colspan=10| Commanderies
|-
| Jingzhao京兆 || Pingyi馮翊 || Fufeng扶風 || Beidi北地 || Xinping新平 || Anding安定 || Guangwei廣魏 || Tianshui天水 || Nan'an南安 || Longxi隴西
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Yu Province豫州
|-
!colspan=9| Commanderies
|-
| Chen陳 || Yingchuan潁川 || Runan汝南 || Liang (state)梁國 || Pei (state)沛國 || Qiao譙 || Lu魯 || Yiyang弋陽 || Anfeng安豐
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Liang Province涼州
|-
!colspan=7| Commanderies
|-
| Wuwei武威 || Jincheng金城 || Xiping西平 || Zhangye張掖 || Jiuquan酒泉 || Xihai西海 || Dunhuang敦煌
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Yang Province揚州
|-
!colspan=2| Commanderies
|-
| Huainan淮南 || Lujiang廬江
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Jing Province荊州
|-
!colspan=8| Commanderies
|-
| Jiangxia江夏 || Xiangyang襄陽 || Xincheng新城 || Nanyang南陽 || Nanxiang南鄉 || Shangyong上庸 || Weixing魏興 || Zhangling (Yiyang)章陵 (義陽)
|}
List of sovereigns
{|class="wikitable"
|+
Cao Wei or Kingdom of Wei 220-265 AD
|-
!width=40%|
Posthumous names
!
Family (in bold) name and
first names
!Year(s) of reigns
!
Era names and their range of years
|-
|colspan="4" align="center" |
Chinese convention: family and first names, and less commonly "Wei" + posthumous name + "di"
|-
|Emperor Wen of Wei ()
|
Cao Pi ()
|220-226
|
Huangchu () 220-226
|-
|Emperor Ming of Wei ()
|
Cao Rui ()
|226-239
|
Taihe () 227-233
Qinglong () 233-237
Jingchu () 237-239
|-
|Shao () or Prince of Qi of Wei ()
|
Cao Fang ()
|239-254
|
Zhengshi () 240-249
Jiaping () 249-254
|-
|Duke of Gaoguixiang of Wei ()
|
Cao Mao ()
|254-260
|
Zhengyuan () 254-256
Ganlu () 256-260
|-
|Emperor Yuan of Wei ()
|
Cao Huan ()
|260-265
|
Jingyuan () 260-264
Xianxi () 264-265
|}
See also
Shu Han
Eastern Wu
Three Kingdoms
List of people of the Three Kingdoms
Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
References
Bo Yang's edition of Zizhi Tongjian by Sima Guang. 柏楊版資治通鑑
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. Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. 1996. ISBN 0-7315-2526-4.
Category:States and territories established in 220
Category:220 establishments
Category:265 disestablishments
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![Dynasty Warriors 7 [Wei Story Mode] [Cao Cao's Death] [Ending of Wei Story Ending Credits] [Part 32]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110828050118im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0uPN2VGZRM8/0.jpg "Dynasty Warriors 7 [Wei Story Mode] [Cao Cao's Death] [Ending of Wei Story Ending Credits] [Part 32]")
