Shu Han - History

History

Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei, a warlord and distant relative of the Han imperial clan, rallied the support of many capable followers. Following the counsel of his advisor Zhuge Liang and Zhuge's Longzhong Plan, Liu Bei conquered parts of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) in 208 and 209. Between 212 and 215, Liu Bei took over Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin) from the warlord Liu Zhang, and wrestled control of Hanzhong from rival warlord Cao Cao in 219.

From the territories he gained, Liu Bei established a position for himself in China during the final years of the Han Dynasty. However in 219, the alliance between Liu Bei and his ally, Sun Quan, was broken when Sun sent his general Lü Meng to invade Jing Province. Jing Province came under Sun Quan's control after the surprise attack, and Liu Bei's general Guan Yu was captured and executed on Sun's order.

In 220, after the death of Cao Cao, his son Cao Pi forced the Han Dynasty's last ruler, Emperor Xian to abdicate, taking over the Han throne and starting a new Cao Wei dynasty. The following year, Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor in Chengdu, with his dynasty known as "Shu Han". Although Liu Bei is seen as the founder of Shu Han, he never claimed to be the founder of a new dynasty; rather, he claimed to be continuing the fallen Han Dynasty.

In 222, Liu Bei launched an attack on Sun Quan to retake Jing Province and avenge Guan Yu, culminating in the Battle of Xiaoting. However, due to grave tactical mistakes, Liu Bei suffered a dramatic defeat with the burning of his line of camps and the decimation of his already numerically inferior army. Liu Bei survived the battle and fled to Baidicheng, where he died a year later due to illness. His son, Liu Shan, succeeded him as emperor of Shu Han. The chancellor Zhuge Liang and general Li Yan were appointed as regents to assist the young Liu Shan.

Zhuge Liang felt that it was more important for Shu to attack and topple the Wei government and restore legitimacy to the Han Dynasty, hence he made peace with Sun Quan and reaffirmed Shu's alliance with Sun. Sun Quan later declared himself emperor of Eastern Wu in 229, and his status was recognized by Shu. Between 228 and 234, Zhuge Liang launched a series of six invasions on Wei but failed each time due to lack of supplies or incompetency of his officers, eventually dying of sickness at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. Zhuge Liang's protégé, Jiang Wei, continued his legacy by leading another nine campaigns against Wei between 247 and 262, but failed to make any significant territorial gains.

In 263, armies led by Wei generals Zhong Hui and Deng Ai attacked Shu and conquered its capital Chengdu. Liu Shan surrendered to Deng Ai outside Chengdu, marking the end of Shu. Jiang Wei attempted to incite conflict between Zhong Hui and Deng Ai, hoping to take advantage of the situation to revive Shu. However, his plan failed and he was killed by Wei troops along with Zhong Hui and Deng Ai. Liu Shan was brought to the Wei capital Luoyang and lived a comfortable and peaceful life as the "Duke of Anle" until the end of his days.

Shu was not merely a nation of war. During peace time, Shu began many irrigation and road-building projects designed to improve the economy. Many of these public works still exist and are widely used. For example, the Zipingpu Dam is still present near Chengdu, Sichuan. These works helped improve the economy of southwestern China and can be credited with beginning the history of economic activity in Sichuan. It also promoted trade with southern China, which was then ruled by Eastern Wu.

It was claimed that many refugees fled west to Sasanian Persia when Shu fell in 263.