Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period

This is a timeline of the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. In a strict academic sense, the Three Kingdoms period refers to the interval between the founding of the state of Cao Wei (220–266) in 220 and the conquest of the state of Eastern Wu (229–280) by the Western Jin dynasty (265–316) in 280. However, many Chinese historians and laymen extend the starting point of this period back to the Yellow Turban Rebellion that took place in 184 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220).

Timeline of territorial changes during the Three Kingdoms period.

180s

Year	Date	Event
184	spring	Yellow Turban Rebellion: The Yellow Turbans ravage the north and east and are defeated[1][2]
184	winter	Liang Province rebellion: A rebellion occurs in Liang province (Liangzhou; 涼州; roughly present-day Wuwei, Gansu)[1]
185		The imperial palace is damaged by fire and special taxes are levied for rebuilding[1]
188		Governors are appointed to unify provincial administrations[1]
189	summer	Emperor Ling of Han dies; Empress He and her brother He Jin enthrone Liu Bian and establish a regency government[1]
189	winter	The Ten Eunuchs kill He Jin and are themselves massacred by Yuan Shao;[2] Dong Zhuo takes control of Luoyang and deposes Liu Bian in favor of his half-brother Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han[1]
189		Campaign against Dong Zhuo: An anti-Dong Zhuo alliance forms in the east, led by Yuan Shao[1]

190s

Year	Date	Event
190		Dong Zhuo burns Luoyang, loots the imperials tombs, and relocates to Chang'an[2]
190		Battle of Xingyang: Dong Zhuo defeated Cao Cao at Xingyang, Henan[1]
		The Coalition breaks up and local officials set themselves up as warlords[1]
		Cai Yong dies[2]
191		Battle of Yangcheng: Battle between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu
		Battle of Xiangyang: Sun Jian dies.
		Zhang Lu sets up a theocracy in Hanzhong[1]
192		Wang Yun and Lü Bu kill Dong Zhuo and Wang Yun himself is killed by Dong Zhuo's officers Li Jue and Guo Si[1]
193		Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province: Liu Bei first territory as a result of Cao Cao's campaign.[1]
194		Battle of Yan Province: Cao Cao takes over Yan Province.[1]
195		Emperor Xian of Han escapes from Chang'an[1]
195		Sun Ce sets up south of the Changjiang, Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong begin.[1]
196		Emperor Xian of Han relocates to Xuchang under Cao Cao's control[1]
197		Campaign against Yuan Shu: Yuan Shu takes the imperial title but is driven south by Cao Cao
		War between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu begin.[1]
199		Battle of Xiapi: Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeated Lu Bu.[1]
199		Battle of Yijing: Yuan Shao eliminates Gongsun Zan in You Province.[1]
		Yuan Shu dies[1]

200s

Year	Date	Event
200		Battle of Guandu: Yuan Shao is defeated by Cao Cao northeast of modern Zhongmou, Henan[1]
		Sun Ce dies and is succeeded by his brother Sun Quan[1]
		Zheng Xuan dies[2]
202		Yuan Shao dies and is succeeded by his younger son Yuan Shang[1]
		Battle of Xinye: Liu Bei defeats Cao Cao at Bowang (near present-day Fancheng District, Hubei)[1]
203		Cao Cao's campaigns to unify northern China begin[1]
		Battle of Xiakou: Battle between the warlords Sun Quan and Liu Biao[1]
207		Battle of White Wolf Mountain: Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shang and the Wuhuan, Cao Cao unites northern China[1]
208		Battle of Jiangxia: Sun Quan defeats Liu Biao and beheads Huang Zu[1]
208		Zhuge Liang advises Liu Bei, Liu Biao dies, Cao Cao takes over Jing Province.[1]
		Battle of Changban: Zhao Yun rescues Liu Shan, Liu Bei escapes to Xiakou.[1]
		Battle of Red Cliffs: Cao Cao is defeated on the Changjiang, west of modern Jiangxia, Hubei, by Sun Quan and Liu Bei[1]

210s

Year	Date	Event
210		Liu Bei occupies the south of Jing Province[1]
211		Battle of Tong Pass: Cao Cao defeats Ma Chao and Han Sui and starts campaigning in northwestern China[1]
211		Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province: Liu Zhang invites Liu Bei to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing)[1]
214		Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province: Liu Bei takes control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang[1]
215		Battle of Yangping: Zhang Lu surrenders Hanzhong to Cao Cao[1]
216		Cao Cao declares himself King of Wei[3]
219	spring	Battle of Mount Dingjun: Liu Bei defeats and slays Cao Cao's general Xiahou Yuan and takes Hanzhong[1]
	autumn	Liu Bei becomes King of Hanzhong[1]
	autumn	Battle of Fancheng: Liu Bei's general Guan Yu attacks north in Jing Province[1]
	winter	Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province: Sun Quan's general Lü Meng attacks Guan Yu and seizes the south of Jing Province[1]

220s

Year	Date	Event
220		Guan Yu is executed by Sun Quan[3]
	spring	Cao Cao dies at Luoyang and is succeeded by his son Cao Pi[1]
		The Nine-rank system is implemented[3]
	winter	Cao Pi forces Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate and declares himself Emperor of the Wei dynasty; so ends the Han dynasty[1]
221		Liu Bei declares himself emperor of Han[3]
222		Battle of Xiaoting: Liu Bei is defeated by Sun Quan's general Lu Xun[3]
223		Liu Bei dies and is succeeded by Liu Shan[3]
225		Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign: Zhuge Liang conquers Nanzhong[3]
226		Cao Pi dies and is succeeded by Cao Rui[3]
228		Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions: Ma Su is defeated by Zhang He[3]
229		Sun Quan proclaims himself "Emperor of Wu" in Jianye (Nanjing; Wu enters an alliance with Shu Han[3]

230s

Year	Date	Event
230		Eastern Wu expedition troops land on an island known as Yizhou (suspected to be Taiwan) where most of them die but manage to bring back "several thousand" natives back to China[4]
231		Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions: Zhuge Liang launches another expedition against Cao Wei but is forced to retreat after provisions are exhausted[3]
232		Cao Zhi dies[3]
233		Sun Quan sends an envoy to Gongsun Yuan in the northeast, but the envoy is killed and brought to Cao Wei[3]
234		Battle of Wuzhang Plains: Zhuge Liang dies on his last campaign against Cao Wei[5]
237		Gongsun Yuan declares himself King of Yan[5]
238		Sima Yi's Liaodong campaign: Sima Yi kills Gongsun Yuan and annexes his territory[5]
239		Cao Rui dies and is succeeded by Cao Fang but real power is wielded by the co-regents Sima Yi and Cao Shuang[5]

240s

Year	Date	Event
245		Goguryeo–Wei War: Cao Wei general Guanqiu Jian defeats Goguryeo, taking Gungnae[6]
249		Sima Yi kills Cao Shuang and He Yan[5]
249		Wang Bi dies[5]

250s

Year	Date	Event
251		Sima Yi dies and his son Sima Shi succeeds him[5]
251		Cao Wei divides the Southern Xiongnu into two parts to weaken their power[5]
252		Sima Shi gains the title of "Great General"[5]
252		Sun Quan dies and is succeeded by Sun Liang; Zhuge Ke assumes regency[5]
253		Sun Jun kills Zhuge Ke[5]
254		Sima Shi deposes Cao Fang and replaces him with Cao Mao[5]
255		Sima Shi dies and his brother Sima Zhao takes over[5]
256		Sun Jun dies[5]
256		Wang Su dies[5]
258		Sun Liang is deposed by Sun Chen and Sun Xiu succeeds him;[5] the eunuch Huang Hao begins to dominate the court[5]
259		Cao Wei forces are defeated by Goguryeo at Yangmaenggok[7]

260s

Year	Date	Event
260		Sima Zhao kills Cao Mao and replaces him with Cao Huan[5]
262		Sima Zhao kills Ji Kang[5]
263		Conquest of Shu by Wei: Liu Shan surrenders to Sima Zhao; so ends Shu Han[5]
263		In 263, Viet people in Jiaozhou (Northern Vietnam) under Lã Hưng revolted against the Wu dynasty.[8] The Jin dynasty sent armies to aid the rebels.
264		Sima Zhao declares himself King of Jin[5]
264		Sun Xiu dies and is succeeded by Sun Hao[5]
265		Sima Zhao dies and is succeeded by Sima Yan[9]
266		Sima Yan declares himself emperor of the Jin dynasty[9]

270s

Year	Date	Event
270		Qiao Zhou dies[9]
271		Wu recaptured towns and seaports in Jiaozhou, however fighting continued in the countryside until 280.[8]

280s

Year	Date	Event
280		Conquest of Wu by Jin: Sun Hao surrenders to Jin; so ends the Three Kingdoms period[9]

Gallery

Late Han dynasty provinces
Locations during the Three Kingdoms period
Warlords 194
Warlords 199
Warlords 208
Warlords 215
Cao Pi's invasions of Eastern Wu (222–225)
Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign in 225
Zhuge Liang's first and second Northern Expeditions (228–229)
Zhuge Liang's third northern expedition in 229
Zhuge Liang's fourth and fifth northern expeditions in 231 and 234
China in 262
The Three Kingdoms in 262 AD
China in 266
War in Northern Vietnam, 263–280 AD
Conquest of Wu by Jin in 280

References

Crespigny 2007, p. xxxi.
Xiong 2009, p. lxxxvii.
Xiong 2009, p. lxxxviii.
Knapp 1980, p. 5.
Xiong 2009, p. lxxxix.
The Three Kingdoms and Western Jin A history of China in the Third Century AD, archived from the original on 8 August 2007, retrieved 23 April 2018CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Shin 2014, p. 30.
Kiernan 2019, p. 98.
Xiong 2009, p. xc.

Bibliography

Crespigny, Rafe (2007), A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD), Brill
Knapp, Ronald G. (1980), China's Island Frontier: Studies in the Historical Geography of Taiwan, The University of Hawaii
Kiernan, Ben (2019). Việt Nam: a history from earliest time to the present. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190053796.
Shin, Michael D. (2014), Korean History in Maps, Cambridge University Press
Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2009), Historical Dictionary of Medieval China, United States of America: Scarecrow Press, Inc., ISBN 0810860538

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[FOOTNOTECrespigny2007xxxi-1] Crespigny 2007, p. xxxi.

[FOOTNOTEXiong2009lxxxvii-2] Xiong 2009, p. lxxxvii.

[FOOTNOTEXiong2009lxxxviii-3] Xiong 2009, p. lxxxviii.

[FOOTNOTEKnapp19805-4] Knapp 1980, p. 5.

[FOOTNOTEXiong2009lxxxix-5] Xiong 2009, p. lxxxix.

[6] The Three Kingdoms and Western Jin A history of China in the Third Century AD, archived from the original on 8 August 2007, retrieved 23 April 2018CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[FOOTNOTEShin201430-7] Shin 2014, p. 30.

[FOOTNOTEKiernan201998-8] Kiernan 2019, p. 98.

[FOOTNOTEXiong2009xc-9] Xiong 2009, p. xc.

Timelines of Chinese history
Ancient	Warring States and Qin dynasty (5th century–207 BC) Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC) Han dynasty (202 BC–AD 9, AD 25–220)
Medieval	Three Kingdoms (220–280) Jin dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms (266–439) Northern and Southern dynasties (420–589) Sui dynasty (581–619) Tang dynasty (618–690, 705–907) Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–979)
Early Modern	Song dynasty (960–1279) Jin–Song Wars (1125–1234) Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) Northern Yuan (1368–1635) Ming dynasty (1368–1644) Treasure voyages (1405–1433) Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
Modern	Qing dynasty (1636–1912) Republic of China (1912–)
Locations	Fuzhou Guangzhou Hangzhou Hong Kong Nanjing Shanghai Taiwan Tibet Yunnan-Guizhou
Non-Han ethnicities	Vietnamese Uyghur Khitan Tangut Jurchen Mongol
Related	Xiongnu Göktürk Turgesh Karluk Tibetan Empire Fragmentation Mongol Empire Oirat
Neighboring countries	Korea Vietnam Early independent Lý Japan Mongolia Pakistan India Russia
Miscellaneous	Chinese texts