Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period
This is a timeline of the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. In a strict academic sense, the Three Kingdoms period refers to the interval between the founding of the state of Cao Wei (220–265) in 220 and the conquest of the state of Eastern Wu (229–280) by the Western Jin Dynasty (265–316) in 280. However, many Chinese historians and laymen extend the starting point of this period back to the Yellow Turban Rebellion that took place in 184 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220).
| Year | Major events |
|---|---|
| 184 | Yellow Turban Rebellion |
| 189 | Emperor Ling of Han dies; Liu Bian is enthroned as Emperor Shao of Han; Power struggle between He Jin and the Ten Eunuchs; Dong Zhuo takes control of the imperial court and deposes Emperor Shao; Liu Xie is enthroned as Emperor Xian of Han; Lü Bu kills Ding Yuan and defects to Dong Zhuo |
| 190 | Dong Zhuo murders the deposed Emperor Shao; A coalition of warlords and regional officials launch a campaign against Dong Zhuo |
| 191 | Battle of Jieqiao between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan; Sun Jian is killed in action at the Battle of Xiangyang against Liu Biao |
| 192 | Lü Bu kills Dong Zhuo |
| 193 | Cao Cao invades Xu Province; Battle of Yan Province between Cao Cao and Lü Bu |
| 194 | Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong begin; Liu Bei succeeds Tao Qian as Governor of Xu Province |
| 196 | Cao Cao finds Emperor Xian of Han in the ruins of the old capital Luoyang and brings him to Xuchang, where the new capital was established; Lü Bu seizes control of Xu Province's capital Xiapi from Liu Bei |
| 197 | Battle of Wancheng between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu; Campaign against Yuan Shu begins |
| 198 | The combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi |
| 199 | Yuan Shao eliminates Gongsun Zan in the Battle of Yijing; Yuan Shu is defeated and dies in Shouchun; Liu Bei seizes Xu Province from Cao Cao; Cao Cao defeats Liu Bei and retakes Xu Province; Guan Yu surrenders to Cao Cao and temporarily serves the latter |
| 200 | Sun Ce is assassinated; Sun Quan succeeds Sun Ce as warlord of Jiangdong; Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao |
| 202 | Cao Cao's campaigns to reunify northern China begin |
| 203 | Battle of Xiakou between Sun Quan and Liu Biao |
| 207 | Northern China is united under Cao Cao's control after the Battle of White Wolf Mountain; Zhuge Liang presents the Longzhong Plan to Liu Bei and comes to serve the latter |
| 208 | Battle of Jiangxia between Sun Quan and Liu Biao; Liu Cong surrenders Jing Province to Cao Cao; Battle of Red Cliffs between Cao Cao and the combined forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan |
| 211 | Battle of Tong Pass between Cao Cao and a coalition force led by Ma Chao and Han Sui; Cao Cao's campaigns in northwestern China begin |
| 212 | Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province begins |
| 213 | Emperor Xian of Han enfeoffs Cao Cao as "Duke of Wei" and grants him the nine bestowments |
| 215 | Liu Bei takes complete control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang; Zhang Lu surrenders Hanzhong to Cao Cao after the Battle of Yangping; Battle of Xiaoyao Ford between Cao Cao and Sun Quan |
| 216 | Emperor Xian of Han promotes Cao Cao to "King of Wei" |
| 217 | Liu Bei launches the Hanzhong Campaign against Cao Cao; Battle of Ruxu between Cao Cao and Sun Quan |
| 219 | Liu Bei emerges victorious in the Hanzhong Campaign and declares himself "King of Hanzhong"; Battle of Fancheng between the forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei; Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province; Guan Yu is captured and executed by Sun Quan |
| 220 | Cao Cao dies; Cao Pi forces Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate the throne to him and ends the Han Dynasty; Cao Pi establishes the state of Wei; Sun Quan becomes a vassal under Wei; Start of the Three Kingdoms period |
| 221 | Liu Bei declares himself emperor and establishes the state of Shu |
| 222 | Liu Bei is defeated by Sun Quan's forces at the Battle of Xiaoting; Sun Quan declares independence from Wei and rules as "King of Wu" |
| 223 | Liu Bei dies; Liu Shan becomes emperor of Shu; Shu and Wu reaffirm their alliance; Battle of Jiangling between Wei and Wu |
| 225 | Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign |
| 226 | Cao Pi dies; Cao Rui becomes emperor of Wei |
| 228 | Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions begin; Battle of Jieting between Wei and Shu; Battle of Shiting between Wei and Wu |
| 229 | Sun Quan proclaims himself "Emperor of Wu" |
| 234 | Zhuge Liang dies at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains; |
| 238 | Sima Yi's Liaodong campaign |
| 239 | Cao Rui dies; Cao Fang becomes emperor of Wei |
| 245 | Goguryeo–Wei War ends |
| 247 | Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions begin |
| 249 | Sima Yi seizes power from Cao Shuang in the Incident at Gaoping Tombs |
| 251 | Wang Ling rebels in Wei |
| 252 | Sun Quan dies; Sun Liang becomes emperor of Wu; Battle of Dongxing between Wei and Wu |
| 254 | Cao Fang is deposed by Sima Shi; Cao Mao becomes emperor of Wei |
| 255 | Sima Shi has surgery to remove a tumor affecting his eyes; Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rebel in Wei; Sima Shi dies and leaves power in Sima Zhao's hands; Battle of Didao between Wei and Shu |
| 258 | Zhuge Dan rebels in Wei and the revolt is suppressed; Sun Liang is deposed by the regent Sun Chen; Sun Xiu becomes emperor of Wu |
| 260 | Cao Mao is killed in a coup to seize back state power from Sima Zhao; Cao Huan becomes emperor of Wei |
| 263 | Conquest of Shu by Wei; Liu Shan, emperor of Shu, surrenders to Sima Zhao, ending the state of Shu; Cao Huan names Sima Zhao Duke of Jin |
| 264 | Sima Zhao dies and is replaced by his son, Sima Yan; Sun Xiu dies; Sun Hao becomes emperor of Wu |
| 265 | Sima Yan forces Cao Huan to abdicate the throne to him and ends the state of Wei; Sima Yan founds the Jin Dynasty |
| 280 | Conquest of Wu by Jin; End of the Three Kingdoms period |