Cáo Huàn
Encyclopedia
Cao Huan formally known as Emperor Yuan of Wei, was the fifth and last emperor
of the state of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
.
In 265, Cao abdicated in favor of Sima Yan
, then Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, and was granted the title of "Prince of Chenliu" (陳留王), which he carried until his death. After his death, he was buried with honors befitting that of an emperor and given a posthumous name
.
warlord Cao Cao
. In 258, at the age of 12, in accordance with Cao Wei's regulations that the sons of princes (other than the first-born son of the prince's spouse, customarily designated the prince's heir) were to be instated as dukes, Cao Huan was instated as the Duke of Changdao (常道鄉公).
In 260, after the ruling emperor Cao Mao
was killed in an attempt to seize back state power from the regent Sima Zhao
, Cao Huang was selected to succeed Cao Mao.
with the name "Huang" (which was a homonym to many common terms—including "yellow" (黃) and "emperor" (皇)). During Cao Huan's reign, the Sima clan controlled state power, and Cao was merely a figurehead and head of state in name. In 263, Cao Huan instated his wife Lady Bian
as empress.
For the first few years of Cao Huan's reign, there were constant attacks by forces from the rival Shu Han
state, under the command of Jiang Wei
. While Jiang's attacks were largely easily repelled, Sima Zhao eventually ordered a counterattack on Shu Han, with an invading force of 180,000 men commanded by Zhong Hui
and Deng Ai
. In late 263, Liu Shan
, the emperor of Shu Han, surrendered to Deng, bringing an end to his state. After the fall of Shu Han, Deng was framed for treason by Zhong and stripped of command. In early 264, Zhong plotted with Jiang Wei to restore Shu Han and eliminate all the Cao Wei generals who might oppose him. However, the generals started a counterinsurgency and killed Zhong and Jiang. Shu Han's former territories (in present-day Sichuan
, Chongqing
, Yunnan
, southern Shaanxi
, and southeastern Gansu
) were completely annexed by Cao Wei.
and this time finally accepted, signifying that an usurpation was near. In 264, he was promoted to the Prince of Jin — the final step before usurpation. After he died in 265, his son Sima Yan
inherited his position, and later that year forced Cao Huan to abdicate in favor of him, establishing the Jin Dynasty. He granted Cao Huan the title of "Prince of Chenliu", which Cao carried until his death.
Not much is known about Cao Huan's life as a prince under Jin rule. Sima Yan (later known as Emperor Wu of Jin) permitted him to retain imperial banners and wagons and to worship ancestors with imperial ceremonies. He also permitted Cao not to refer to himself as a subject of his. He died in 302, during the reign of Emperor Wu's son, Emperor Hui
. He was buried with honors due an emperor and given a posthumous name
.
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
of the state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
In 265, Cao abdicated in favor of Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
, then Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, and was granted the title of "Prince of Chenliu" (陳留王), which he carried until his death. After his death, he was buried with honors befitting that of an emperor and given a posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
.
Family background and ascension to the throne
Cao Huan born Cao Huang (曹璜) in 246. His father Cao Yu (曹宇), the Prince of Yan, was one of the youngest sons of the late Han DynastyHan Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. In 258, at the age of 12, in accordance with Cao Wei's regulations that the sons of princes (other than the first-born son of the prince's spouse, customarily designated the prince's heir) were to be instated as dukes, Cao Huan was instated as the Duke of Changdao (常道鄉公).
In 260, after the ruling emperor Cao Mao
Cao Mao
Cao Mao , formally known as the Duke of Gaogui, was the fourth emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a grandson of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi. Described as intelligent and studious, Cao Mao made repeated attempts to seize back state power...
was killed in an attempt to seize back state power from the regent Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Cao Huang was selected to succeed Cao Mao.
Reign
At the time Cao Huang became emperor, his name was changed to "Cao Huan", because it was difficult to observe naming tabooNaming taboo
Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere.-Kinds of naming taboo:...
with the name "Huang" (which was a homonym to many common terms—including "yellow" (黃) and "emperor" (皇)). During Cao Huan's reign, the Sima clan controlled state power, and Cao was merely a figurehead and head of state in name. In 263, Cao Huan instated his wife Lady Bian
Empress Bian (Yuan)
Empress Bian, personal name unknown, was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was married to Cao Huan , the fifth and last emperor of Cao Wei...
as empress.
For the first few years of Cao Huan's reign, there were constant attacks by forces from the rival Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
state, under the command of Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
. While Jiang's attacks were largely easily repelled, Sima Zhao eventually ordered a counterattack on Shu Han, with an invading force of 180,000 men commanded by Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
and Deng Ai
Deng Ai
Deng Ai was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. It was said that whenever he saw a hill or wide valley, he would immediately size up the best places to store grain and position troops. His talent was recognized by Sima Yi, who recommended him to take up...
. In late 263, Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
, the emperor of Shu Han, surrendered to Deng, bringing an end to his state. After the fall of Shu Han, Deng was framed for treason by Zhong and stripped of command. In early 264, Zhong plotted with Jiang Wei to restore Shu Han and eliminate all the Cao Wei generals who might oppose him. However, the generals started a counterinsurgency and killed Zhong and Jiang. Shu Han's former territories (in present-day Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, southern Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, and southeastern Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
) were completely annexed by Cao Wei.
Abdication and later life
Cao Wei itself did not last much longer, however. In 263, Sima again forced Cao Huan to grant him the nine bestowmentsNine bestowments
The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine...
and this time finally accepted, signifying that an usurpation was near. In 264, he was promoted to the Prince of Jin — the final step before usurpation. After he died in 265, his son Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
inherited his position, and later that year forced Cao Huan to abdicate in favor of him, establishing the Jin Dynasty. He granted Cao Huan the title of "Prince of Chenliu", which Cao carried until his death.
Not much is known about Cao Huan's life as a prince under Jin rule. Sima Yan (later known as Emperor Wu of Jin) permitted him to retain imperial banners and wagons and to worship ancestors with imperial ceremonies. He also permitted Cao not to refer to himself as a subject of his. He died in 302, during the reign of Emperor Wu's son, Emperor Hui
Emperor Hui of Jin
Emperor Hui of Jin, sim. ch. 晋惠帝, trad. ch. 晉惠帝, py. jìn huì dì, wg. Chin Hui-ti , personal name Sima Zhong , courtesy name Zhengdu , was the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty...
. He was buried with honors due an emperor and given a posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
.
Family
- Father: Cao Yu (曹宇), Prince of Yan, son of Cao CaoCao CaoCao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
- Spouse: Empress Bian, daughter of Bian Lin (卞綝), instated in 263
Titles held
- Prince of Chenliu (陳留王)
- Emperor Yuan of Wei (魏元帝) - granted to Cao Huan posthumously