Tian Kai was an official serving as the Inspector of Qing province under the warlord Gongsun Zan

Gongsun Zan

Gongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...

 during the late Han Dynasty

Han 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...

 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 189 the general Dong Zhuo

Dong Zhuo

Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...

 had seized control of the Han court. Refusing to acknowledge his authority, the governors and generals of the Han Empire's eastern provinces rebelled. With neither side able to win a decisive victory the war turned into a stalemate and the rebel alliance fell apart, its leaders concentrating on building up their own power base. In the latter half of 191 Gongsun Zan went to war against his enemy to the south, Yuan Shao

Yuan Shao

Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...

, the Governor of Ji province. Gongsun Zan sent Tian Kai to attack Qing province, then controlled by Yuan Shao, appointing him Inspector of Qing. Tian Kai managed to establish himself in the northern part of Qing, but was unable to defeat Yuan Shao's rival appointment for Inspector, his oldest son Yuan Tan

Yuan Tan

Yuan Tan was the oldest son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Tan split with his youngest brother Yuan Shang over the successorship to their father's realm. Yuan Tan sought help from the warlord Cao Cao and defeated Yuan...

. In 193 Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao concluded a truce, both sides exhausted after two years of continuous war.

In 194 Tao Qian

Tao Qian

Tao Qian , better known as Tao Yuanming , was a Chinese poet. Born in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi, he was one of the most influential pre-Tang Dynasty Chinese poets....

, Inspector of Xu province, who was under heavy attack from the rising 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...

, approached Tian Kai for aid. Tian sent one of his officers, Liu Bei

Liu Bei

Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

, with a few thousand men to help Tao Qian. Tao Qian gave Liu Bei four thousand more so Liu Bei shifted his allegiance away from Tian Kai.

In 198 Yuan Shao again advanced against Gongsun Zan, winning a decisive victory in 199 in the Battle of Yijing

Battle of Yijing

The Battle of Yijing was a battle that took place in northern China between 198 and 199 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

 where Tian Kai was killed and Gongsun Zan committed suicide.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms