Cheng-Han (成漢) 成 (304–338), 漢 (338–347) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304–347 | |||||||||
.jpg) Cheng-Han (Cheng) in southwestern China | |||||||||
| Capital | Chengdu | ||||||||
| Common languages | Ba–Shu Chinese | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Emperor | |||||||||
• 304–334 | Li Xiong | ||||||||
• 334 | Li Ban | ||||||||
• 334–338 | Li Qi | ||||||||
• 338–343 | Li Shou | ||||||||
• 343–347 | Li Shi | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| 303 | |||||||||
• Li Xiong's claim of princely title | 304 | ||||||||
• Li Xiong's claim of imperial title | 306 | ||||||||
• Name change to Han | 338 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 347 | ||||||||
• Li Shi's death | 361 | ||||||||
| Currency | Chinese cash coins (Ancient Chinese coinage) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | China | ||||||||
Cheng-Han (simplified Chinese:成汉;traditional Chinese:成漢;pinyin:Chéng Hàn; 303 or 304 – 347) was adynastic state of China listed as one of theSixteen Kingdoms in Chinese historiography. Ruled by the Li clan of theBa-Di people, its territory was based in what is modern-daySichuan Province, China. The name Cheng-Han collectively refers to the state ofCheng (成;Chéng) orDacheng (大成;Dàchéng), founded byLi Xiong in 304 (or byLi Te in 303) and the state ofHan (漢;Hàn) founded byLi Shou in 338. The state is also less commonly known asLater Shu (後蜀;Hòu Shǔ).
The Li clan were originallyCong people from Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; in present-dayNanchong, Sichuan) in present-day Sichuan.[1] When the Han chancellor,Cao Cao conqueredHanzhong in 215, Li Hu (李虎) led his family to surrender and migrated toLüeyang Commandery, where they mingled with the localDi tribes. Their people became known as the Ba-Di, with “Ba” referring to their ancestral homeland.[2] In 296, the Di chieftain,Qi Wannian, led a tribal rebellion against theWestern Jin dynasty. The rebellion devastated theGuanzhong region, creating an influx of Han and non-Han refugees fleeing south intoHanzhong and Sichuan.
Among the refugees, the Li clan grew to prominence after the Inspector ofYi,Zhao Xin rebelled in 299. They joined him and served as key generals, but later overthrew him and took the provincial capital,Chengdu in 300.Li Te submitted to Jin in light of the Jin army’s arrival led by the new provincial inspector,Luo Shang, but from this point on, he acted as a representative for the influential refugee families in the region.
Tension grew between Li Te and Luo Shang due to an order from the imperial court demanding the refugees to return to their homes. The refugees were reluctant to make the journey, as the north was reportedly still unstable. Li Te negotiated with Luo Shang to extend their stay, but the latter soon grew frustrated by the delay and tried to force a move. In 301, Luo Shang’s forces attacked the refugees and began Li Te's rebellion.
Li Te had much success against the Jin forces and reached the outskirts of Chengdu in 303. Shortly after, he declared a new reign era, which hinted his intention of founding a new state but was suddenly killed in an ambush. Nonetheless, his brother,Li Liu succeeded him, followed by Li Te’s son,Li Xiong. In 304, Li Xiong ousted Luo Shang from Chengdu, where he declared himself the King of Chengdu. His declaration is seen by most historians as the beginning of the Cheng-Han dynasty, although there is also the view that the state began with Li Te’s proclamation. Regardless, the Cheng was the first of the Sixteen Kingdoms to be founded, followed closely by theXiongnu-ledHan-Zhao dynasty in the north.
Li Xiong elevated himself to Emperor of Cheng in 306. Luo Shang, now commanding from Ba Commandery (巴郡; present-dayChongqing), continued to threaten Cheng, but after his death in 310, the Jin forces became disarray, allowing Cheng to dispatch them and consolidate their rule. Cheng became a refuge for people fleeing from the disorder in northern China, with some of them becoming officials in their administration. Notably, in 314, a group of rebelling refugees in Hanzhong surrendered the region to Cheng. Li Xiong and his family were also followers of theWay of the Five Pecks of Rice, andTaoism was popular in Sichuan and Hanzhong. He appointed the Taoist hermit,Fan Changsheng as his Prime Minister, with his son,Fan Ben, later succeeding him.
For most of his reign, Li Xiong maintained peace and stability within his state, but issues arose following his death in 334. Intending to pass the throne to the line of his late elder brother,Li Dang, Li Xiong chose his nephewLi Ban to succeed him, a decision that angered his own sons. Meanwhile, the Cheng court was also divided on the direction of the state; as Cheng had many Han Chinese officials serving under them, and with theEastern Jin dynasty firmly established in the east, some ministers believed that Cheng should be a vassal of Jin while others wanted to maintain its independence. In 334, shortly after ascending the throne, Li Ban was killed and usurped by Li Xiong’s son,Li Qi.
In 338, Li Qi’s father's cousin,Li Shou forced him to abdicate and took the throne for himself. Li Shou renamed the state from Cheng to Han, named so after his peerage and wanting to distance himself from Li Xiong's line. For this reason, historiographers collectively refer to Li Xiong and Li Shou’s states as Cheng-Han. Li Shou initially promised to only rule for a few years before submitting to Jin to appease the court but soon reneged on his words. Instead, he imitated his rule after theLater Zhao dynasty in the north by imposing harsher laws, taxes andcorvee labor on his citizens and building lavish palaces.
Li Shou died in 343 and was succeeded by his sonLi Shi. His reign was plagued by a succession crisis, a popular revolt by one of his generals and a sudden influx ofRau people entering his territory. The tumulous situation in Han caught the attention of the Jin commander,Huan Wen, who was looking to elevate his own prestige. In 346, Huan Wen set off to conquer Han, and in 347, he reached Chengdu and forced Li Shi to surrender, ending the Cheng-Han dynasty. Li Shi was sent toJiankang, capital of Eastern Jin, where he lived before dying of natural causes in 361.
| Temple name | Posthumous name | Personal name | Durations of reign | Era names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheng 303 or 304 – 338 | ||||
| Shizu | Jing | Li Te | 303 | Jianchu (建初) or Jingchu (景初) 303 |
| – | – | Li Liu | 303 | – |
| Taizong | Wu | Li Xiong | 303–334 | Jianxing (建興) 304–306 Yanping (晏平) 306–311 Yuheng (玉衡) 311–334 |
| – | – | Li Ban | 334 | Yuheng (玉衡) 334 |
| – | – | Li Qi | 334–338 | Yuheng (玉恆) 335–338 |
| Han 338–347 | ||||
| Zhongzong | Zhaowen | Li Shou | 338–343 | Hanxing (漢興) 338–343 |
| – | – | Li Shi | 343–347 | Taihe (太和) 343–346 Jianing (嘉寧) 346–347 |
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