The Three Kingdoms reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Three Kingdoms

Helping orphans the way you would do it

Alternate meanings: Three Kingdoms (disambiguation)





This article is part of
the History of China
series.		






 Pre-Xia







 Xia Dynasty







 Shang Dynasty







 Zhou Dynasty







 Qin Dynasty







 Han Dynasty







 Three Kingdoms







 Jin Dynasty







 Sixteen Kingdoms







 N/S Dynasties







 Sui Dynasty 







 Tang Dynasty







 Five Dyn./Ten King







 Song Dynasty







 Liao Dynasty







 Jin Dynasty







 Yuan Dynasty







 Ming Dynasty







 Qing Dynasty







 Republic of China






PRC (1, 2, 3, 4)






The Three Kingdoms (Traditional Chinese characters: 三國, Simplified Chinese characters: 三国, pinyin Sānguó) (220 - 265) refers to a period of time after the fall of the Han Dynasty in China, marked by the struggle of three rival kingdoms: the Kingdom of Wei, the Kingdom of Shu, and the Kingdom of Wu for control of China.  Each kingdom's ruler called himself "emperor" and  believed that his "empire" should be the true successor of the Han Dynasty.

Of the three, Wei was always the most powerful kingdom.  It conquered the Shu kingdom in 263. By this time the Sima clan had effectively wrested control of Wei away from the Cao family; Sima Yan formally seized the throne in 265 and established the Jin Dynasty (265-420).  In 280, Sima Yan succeeded in conquering the Wu kingdom and reunifying China.

The famous Chinese epic Romance of Three Kingdoms was based on this period. The authoritative historical record of this era is the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms.


Major battles


Major Campaigns and Events


See also


External links