 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Liu Biao" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Liu Biao | |
|---|---|
| 劉表 | |
 AQing dynasty illustration of Liu Biao | |
| Governor ofJing Province (荊州牧) | |
| In office 192 (192) – 208 (208) | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Succeeded by | Liu Cong |
| General Who Guards the South (鎮南將軍) | |
| In office 192 (192) – 208 (208) | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Inspector of Jing Province (荊州刺史) | |
| In office 190 (190) – 192 (192) | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 142[1][2] Gaoping County,Shanyang Commandery (near modern dayYutai County,Shandong) |
| Died | 208 (aged 66)[1] Xiangyang |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | |
| Relatives |
|
| Occupation | Military general, politician, warlord |
| Courtesy name | Jingsheng (景升) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Chengwu (成武侯) |
Liu Biao (Chinese:劉表;pinyin:Liú Biǎo) (pronunciationⓘ) (c. 151[3] –c. September 208[4]),courtesy nameJingsheng, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the lateEastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for serving as the governor ofJing Province (covering present-dayHubei andHunan) from 192 until his death in 208. He was also a member of the extended family of the Han emperors through his ancestorLiu Yu, the fifth son ofEmperor Jing.[1] Liu Biao was described as a handsome man and was over eightchi tall (1.86 metres).[5]
Inc.166 to 167, when Liu Biao was 17 (by East Asian reckoning), he became a student of Wang Chang (grandfather ofWang Can). At the time, Wang Chang was Administrator of Nanyang (南阳太守).[6]
Liu Biao gained control ofJing Province (covering present-dayHubei andHunan) in 190 CE, when Dong Zhuo appointed him to the position after the death of its previous governor (or inspector), Wang Rui. Liu Biao later started a war against the warlordYuan Shu and his minor vassal,Sun Jian. During theBattle of Xiangyang, Sun Jian was put in command of an army on Yuan Shu's orders to assault Liu Biao in Jing Province. Liu Biao appointedHuang Zu to command the forces against Sun Jian. Huang Zu was outmaneuvered by Sun Jian, but the latter was hit by an arrow and killed, effectively ending the battle in favour of Liu Biao's forces. Years after, Sun Jian's two eldest sons,Sun Ce andSun Quan, caused Liu Biao no end of trouble as they sought to avenge their father's death. However, they did not cause Liu Biao's demise as they targeted Huang Zu, who was a general under Liu Biao, instead of Liu Biao himself. WhileCao Cao (in the north) was gaining strength, Liu Biao chose to neither help nor hinder his conquests, in part because he had been dealt a defeat against the forces of Sun Ce at the Battle of Shaxian (沙羡, in modernWuhan, Hubei).
Around 200 CE, afterCao Cao's total victory over his archrival warlordYuan Shao at theBattle of Guandu, Liu Biao still remained neutral, despite being one of the only other warlords in a position to oppose the two powers. However, Liu Biao eventually decided to shelterLiu Bei, an enemy of Cao Cao and relative in deep lineage when Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, where Liu Bei was previously sheltered after the events of 198 (Battle of Xiapi). This made Liu Biao a target of Cao Cao's wrath as Liu Bei rebelled against Cao Cao just before the war against Yuan Shao. After Cao Cao finalised his unification of northern China in 208, he led a large army south to conquer Jing Province. With a decline in relations between Liu Biao and Liu Bei as a result of the meddling ofCai Mao's family, Liu Biao's people faced much difficulty. To make matters worse, Sun Quan's army had defeated and killed Huang Zu at theBattle of Jiangxia and ultimately destroyed Liu Biao's defences to the east.
Shortly after Cao Cao's main army began its offensive, Liu Biao died of illness,[7] probably a back ulcer.[8] Liu Biao's successor, his younger sonLiu Cong, chose to surrender instead of resisting Cao Cao's invasion. Liu Biao's elder son,Liu Qi, who had had some disagreement with Liu Cong, joined the fleeing Liu Bei, leading to theBattle of Red Cliffs. The aftermath of that battle split Liu Biao's former domain between the three resulting power blocs. Jing Province continued to be a flash point throughout theremaining years of the Han dynasty and well into the Three Kingdoms period, due to its strategic position between all three warring factions, with multiple battles and campaigns being fought for control of the province.
Liu Biao's first wife, Lady Chen (陳氏), bore him two sons:Liu Qi andLiu Cong. She died early, so Liu Biao took a second wife,Lady Cai (蔡氏) from the influential Cai family inXiangyang. As Liu Cong married Lady Cai's niece, the Cai family favoured him and wanted him to succeed his father as the Governor of Jing Province even though Liu Qi, being the elder son, should be the rightful successor. A sibling rivalry developed between Liu Cong and Liu Qi. (Note: In the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Qi and Liu Cong are half-brothers as Liu Cong's mother is Lady Cai, but historically they were born to the same mother.)
Around mid-208, Liu Qi found an excuse to leave Xiangyang and serve as the Administrator ofJiangxia Commandery. After Liu Biao's death in late 208, Liu Cong became the new Governor of Jing Province with the support of the Cai family. Later that year, he surrendered to the warlordCao Cao when the latter led his forces to attack Jing Province. Cao Cao then appointed him as the Inspector ofQing Province. On the other hand, Liu Qi, who was in Jiangxia Commandery, became an ally of Cao Cao's rivalsLiu Bei and Sun Quan at theBattle of Red Cliffs in the winter of 208–209. After the battle, Liu Bei nominated Liu Qi to be the nominal Inspector of Jing Province, but Liu Qi died of illness later that year.
Liu Biao had at least one more son, Liu Xiu (劉修), and a daughter. Liu Xiu followed Liu Cong when the latter surrendered to Cao Cao and went to Qing Province to serve as the provincial Inspector. In 210, Liu Xiu was appointed as the Administrator of Dong'an Commandery. He composed a number of poems, rhapsodies and formal hymns.[9] Liu Biao's daughter marriedWang Can's relative Wang Kai (王凱) and was the mother of Wang Ye (courtesy name Zhangxu); Wang Zhangxu was the father of Wang Hong andWang Bi.[10]
Liu Biao had two nephews: Liu Pan (劉磐) and Liu Hu (劉虎).
Liu Pan participated in the battles against rival warlordSun Ce under the command ofHuang Zu, the Administrator of Jiangxia Commandery. He was defeated in battle byTaishi Ci, a general under Sun Ce. Later, after Liu Biao pacified Changsha Commandery (長沙郡; covering parts of present-dayHunan), he put Liu Pan andHuang Zhong in charge of guarding the commandery. It is not known what happened to him after that. In the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Pan later came to serve Liu Bei through Huang Zhong's recommendation.
Liu Hu also participated in the Battle of Shaxian against Sun Ce under Huang Zu's leadership. Although many of Liu Biao's subordinates who fought in the battle were reportedly killed in action, it is not known whether Liu Hu was one of them.
Liu Biao is featured as one of the available warlords that the player can choose from inCreative Assembly's gameTotal War: Three Kingdoms.
Ji Chenggong portrayed Liu Biao in the 2010 Chinese television seriesThree Kingdoms.