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84-642: At the start of the 4th century, northern China was ravaged by both the War of the Eight Princes and the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians . In addition to the perpetual state of war, famines and natural disasters were also frequent occurrences in the north, displacing many of the civil population. These refugees would form groups to better defend themselves against threats, and either fled southwards where

168-608: A Qihuo general in Henan, Huang Huai (黃淮), proclaimed himself Inspector of Bing province and allied with the Dingling rebel, Zhai Liao to attack Changshe (長社; present-day Changge , Henan) with thousands of people. However, he was defeated and killed by Jin forces. The Qihuo's last appearance in history was in 419. When many of the imperial Jin family fled to the south of the Yellow River, the general, Shao Ping (邵平) led more than

252-465: A breakthrough as they crossed the Yellow River to march on Luoyang. As the coalition forces approached, officials and generals in the capital began to turn on Lun and Sun Xiu despite their attempts to suppress reports of their losses. The defeat at Huangqiao left Sun Xiu's camp greatly alarmed as they struggled to devise a plan in response. On 30 May 301, the general of the Left Guard led troops into

336-535: A disturbance occurred in Sun Fu's camp, causing him to flee back to Luoyang and claim that Zhang Hong was defeated. Lun recalled a segment of his army to defend Luoyang, but when news of Zhang Hong's recent victories reached him, he sent them out again to attack Sima Ying. However, by this time Jiong had reversed his early defeats and repelled Zhang Hong back to his camp. Sun Hui led the main army against Ying at Huangqiao (黃橋, in present-day Wen County, Henan ), defeating

420-423: A few days later. On 2 November, Ai's forces defeated Ying's army again outside of Luoyang. The next day, Ai brought with him Emperor Hui and personally confronted Lu Ji's army at the city gates. Ai's officers had several thousand cavalry equipped with double-ended halberds charge Lu Ji's forces, heavily defeating them. Many of Lu Ji's officers were killed, and the dead on his side reportedly laid in piles and clogged

504-553: A notable exception as he was a " Wuhuan ". In 307, Sima Teng was killed in Ye by the rebel forces of Ji Sang and Shi Le , who then laid siege on the former Inspector of Shi Xian (石鮮) at Leling (樂陵; present-day Yangxin County, Shandong ). Seeking to avenge their former master, the Qihuo rallied 50,000 troops to rescue Shi Xian, although he was eventually killed in battle, and a contingent of

588-612: A proclamation to campaign against Sima Lun. The most important figure to accept his call was Sima Ying. Ying was described as beautiful but dull in the mind and did not read books, but he heeded his advisor Lu Zhi 's advice to rally the people to his cause. Some 200,000 troops, including the forces of the Prince of Changshan (later known as the Prince of Changsha), Sima Ai , were thus assembled near his base in Ye . In Chang'an , Sima Yong initially dispatched troops to support Lun but later sided with

672-483: A rival warlord, Fan Ya (樊雅) at Qiao . However, he became apprehensive of Li Tou, who he thought spoke too highly of Zu Ti, and had him executed. Feng Chong promptly led 400 people to surrender to Zu Ti, angering Chen Chuan even further. He plundered the commanderies of Yu province but was defeated in an ambush laid by Zu Ti. He then surrendered Junyi to Shi Le, who had recently established the Later Zhao dynasty, and

756-845: A subordinate army on his way to Chang'an. On his way back, Zhang Fang seized over 10,000 slave women in Luoyang and cut them into mince meat to feed to his men. Liu Chen defeated Yong in succession, and 5,000 of his soldiers were able to break into Chang'an. However, he was slow to capitalize on his success, and the soldiers in Chang'an were eventually killed while Zhang Fang arrived just in time to defeat and capture him. After Sima Ai's death, Sima Ying appointed himself Prime Minister and promoted Sima Yue to President of State Secretariat. Despite his new position, Ying kept Emperor Hui at Luoyang , leaving behind an army of 50,000 under Shi Chao while he returned to his base in Ye . On April 304, he imprisoned

840-470: A text that said, amongst other things, that Emperor Hui should abdicate in favor of him. Empress Jia then presented the copied text to Emperor Hui, who then decided to place him under house arrest. Sima Lun was tutor to the prince at the time and had climbed his way into Empress Jia's inner circle during his time in Luoyang. He also commanded some troops in the capital as general of the Right Army and

924-542: A thousand Qihuo soldiers from Bing province to welcome Sima Wenrong (司馬文榮) at the south of Jinyong (金鏞; northwest of Luoyang, Henan). After Wenrong was assassinated by a relative, Sima Shunming (司馬順明), who occupied Lingyun Terrace (陵雲台) west of Luoyang, Shao Ping acclaimed Shunming as the new leader. Shunming later surrendered to the Northern Wei dynasty . War of the Eight Princes The War of

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1008-512: The Tang dynasty and flourished during the Song dynasty . The county is therefore known as 'Flower County' ( 花县 , or also 花都 and 花乡 ). Industries in the county include machinery manufacturing, fertilizer, concrete and wine making among others. In 2017, the value of the county's output in the flower and plant industry reached 7.1 billion yuan (1.03 billion U.S. dollars). The population of

1092-615: The de facto rulers of Wei. In February 266, Sima Zhao's eldest son, Sima Yan , also known as Emperor Wu of Jin, forced the Wei emperor Cao Huan to abdicate the throne and established the Jin dynasty . Sima Yan sought to learn from the mistakes that led to the Cao Wei's downfall. Previously, the Wei regime had discouraged their princes from holding government and military offices, instead sending them away to live in their fiefs. Thus, Sima Yi, with

1176-655: The Army of Readiness. Li Han was afraid to accept the appointment due to enmity between himself and Huangfu Shang , one of Jiong's advisers. Li Han fled back to Yong and conspired with him to rebel against Jiong. Yong was told to align himself with Sima Ying, offering him the role of Crown Prince due to his public support. He was also told to force Sima Ai, who was in Luoyang , into joining so that Jiong would execute him and provide justification to overthrow him. In January 303, Yong rebelled while Ying, despite opposition from Lu Zhi,

1260-572: The Chief Controller for the city of Ye. He allowed many of the generals in Bing, along with more than 10,000 officials, to follow him to Ji where they could find for food. These generals formed a group which they dubbed "Qihuo" or "Begging-for-Life"; key members around this time include Tian Zhen (田甄), his brother Tian Lan (田蘭), Ren Zhi (任祉), Qi Ji (祁濟), Li Yun (李惲), and Bo Sheng (薄盛). The Qihuo leaders were mostly Han Chinese , with Bo Sheng being

1344-546: The Eight Princes , Rebellion of the Eight Kings , or Rebellion of the Eight Princes ( simplified Chinese : 八王之乱 ; traditional Chinese : 八王之亂 ; pinyin : bā wáng zhī luàn ; Wade–Giles : pa wang chih luan ) was a series of coups and civil wars among kings/princes (Chinese: wáng 王) of the Chinese Western Jin dynasty from 291 to 306 AD. The key point of contention in these conflicts

1428-476: The Empress Dowager. Empress Jia enlisted the help of Sima Liang and the Prince of Chu, Sima Wei to overthrow Yang Jun. Liang was reluctant to help her, but Wei agreed and left his fief for the capital, Luoyang with his troops. On the night of 23 April 291, Empress Jia and her allies sent out an imperial edict calling for the deposal of Yang Jun and occupied the gates leading to his residence. Yang Jun

1512-592: The Jia clan was beset with widespread corruption and bribery. Rumors began to spread of Empress Jia's personal debauchery and tyrannical behavior, laying the seeds of discontent that would surface by the end of the decade. Empress Jia also carried out a series of transfers that would influence the next stage of the War of the Eight Princes. In 296, a major tribal rebellion led by Qi Wannian broke out in Qin and Yong provinces under

1596-550: The Jin. In 309, Shi Le, now a general of Han-Zhao, attacked Zhongqiu County (中丘縣; west of present-day Neiqiu County , Hebej) and destroyed the Qihuo branch led by Tian Yin and She Ting (赦亭). Later that same year, Li Yun, Bo Sheng and the others aided Sima Yue in lifting the siege of the Jin capital, Luoyang from Han forces led by Liu Cong and Wang Mi . As Liu Cong retreated, the Qihuo managed to defeat Wang Mi at Xinji (新汲, in modern Fugou County , Henan). In 310, Li Yun, Chen Wu (陳午) and

1680-573: The Prince of Changsha, Sima Ai , discovered the plan, he prompted Jiong to reject it and have Wang Bao executed. Shortly after Lun's defeat in May 301, the court issued an edict ordering refugees in Yi province to return north. However, many of them, including Li Te , refused to comply with the edict. In winter 301, the provincial inspector, Luo Shang declared war against Li Te. Jiong wanted to appoint Li Han, one of Sima Yong 's chief of staff, to be colonel of

1764-464: The Prince of Huainan, Sima Yun rebelled against Lun with only 700 men in Luoyang. Lun was nearly killed in the fighting, but one of his supporters pretended to defect to Yun and killed him, ending his rebellion. The rebellion provided Lun and Sun Xiu with pretext to purge their court rivals and oppositions. Meanwhile, the Prince of Qi, Sima Jiong , who played a vital part in Empress Jia's arrest,

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1848-643: The Qiang warlord, Yao Xiang . During the reign of Fu Jian of the Former Qin dynasty (357–385), one member of the Qihuo, Xia Mo (夏默), was appointed as the Gentleman of the Left Garrison. In 370, there were several hundred Qihuo soldiers under the Jin general, Yuan Zhen when he rebelled at Shouchun , but after the rebellion's defeat in 371, the Jin commander, Huan Wen had them all executed. In 386,

1932-518: The Qianjin Dam (千金堨), effectively cutting off Luoyang's water supply. In response, Ai convinced the Inspector of Yong province , Liu Chen , to defect from Yong's side and attack Chang'an . He also sent Huangfu Shang out with an edict from the emperor to get the generals attacking Huangfu Zhong to disband, thus allowing him to send reinforcements to Luoyang. However, along the way, Huangfu Shang

2016-479: The Qihuo at Liangcheng (梁城; in Kaifeng), but he was defeated by Wang Ping (王平). Chen Wu died in 319, and before his death, he warned his people to never serve the " Hu " people. His son, Chen Chite (陳赤特), was still young, so his generals, Feng Chong (馮寵) and Li Tou (李頭) elected his cousin, Chen Chuan (陳川) to assist Chite. During Zu Ti's northern expedition that same year, Chen Chuan sent Li Tou to assist him against

2100-655: The Qihuo led by Tian Yin (田禋) was defeated by Shi Le. The rebels were later defeated by the Jin generals, Gou Xi and Ding Shao (丁邵). As Ji Sang was fleeing, Tian Zhen and the Qihuo ambushed him at Leling, where they killed him. For their contributions, the Grand Tutor and Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue appointed Tian Zhen and Tian Lan as the Administrator of Ji Commandery and Administrator of Julu Commandery respectively. When Tian Zhen requested for Wei Commandery instead, Sima Yue rejected him, which caused him to resent

2184-516: The Yang clan’s defeat, Sima Wei was notorious for his violent temperament. They attempted to strip him of his military power and send him back to his fief in Jing province , but Wei retaliated by conspiring with Empress Jia to depose them, claiming to her that the two were planning to overthrow her. Soon, Empress Jia produced an edict from the emperor calling for the removal of Liang and Wei Guan. However, Wei

2268-514: The advice of Lu Zhi , Ying withdrew to Ye to care for his ailing mother and handed over all major responsibility to Jiong. At Ye, Ying carried numerous popular policies to win over the people. He arranged for grain to be transported to the famine-stricken region of Yangdi, which had been devastated by war. He then had over 8,000 coffins constructed for high-ceremony funerals of those who had fallen in battle and over 14,000 of Sima Lun's soldiers to be buried. These were all Lu Zhi's ideas. In May 302,

2352-697: The area began around 6000 BC. In the early Zhou dynasty , the area became the state of Yan ( 鄢國 ). In the Eastern Zhou dynasty , the area became known as Yan Yi ( 鄢邑 ) after the destruction of the state of Yan under Duke Wu of Zheng ( 鄭武公 ) in the early part of the reign of King Ping of Zhou (after 770 BC). In the fifth month of 722 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeated his younger brother Gongshu Duan ( 共叔段 ) north of present-day Yanling County. The famous Battle of Yanling (575 BC) took place in Yanling County. Yanling County

2436-627: The backing of the powerful gentry clans, was able to take control over the Wei government with minimal resistance. Identifying this issue, Sima Yan bolstered the power of the Sima clan by enfeoffing his uncles, cousins, and sons. Those with large enfeoffments were entitled to an army of five thousand, those with medium enfeoffments were entitled to an army of three thousand, and those with small enfeoffments were entitled to an army of one thousand five hundred. As time passed, these princes and dukes were given administrative powers over their lands and were granted

2520-413: The city inhabitants followed them, and widespread violence and looting ensued. As the group was passing through Weicang (洧倉; northwest of present-day Yanling County, Henan ), they were attacked by Shi Le and defeated. The members of the imperial family were slaughtered, and Li Yun, after killing his own wife and children, fled to Guangzong County (廣宗縣; southeast of present-day Guangzong County , Hebei) with

2604-546: The city of Shangbai (上白) in Guangzong. While he initially considered killing the surrendered Qihuo soldiers, he quickly changed his mind after he found that his old friend, Guo Jing , was one of their general. He had the troops pardoned and placed them under Guo Jing's command. After Li Yun's death, Wang Jun had him replaced with Bo Sheng. However, in 313, Bo Sheng captured Jin's Administrator of Bohai, Liu Ji (劉既) and brought with him 5,000 troops to surrender to Shi Le. Wang Jun

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2688-672: The coalition after learning that they were larger in size. Due to their strategic bases and command over vast armies, Jiong, Ying and Yong were collectively referred to as the "Three Princes" (三王) in records. Another notable participant of the coalition was the Duke of Xinye, Sima Xin . Lun sent Zhang Hong (張泓) and Sun Fu (孫輔) with 24,000 men to secure the passes and 30,000 under Sun Hui (孫會) to confront Ying. Zhang Hong fought Jiong at Yangdi (陽翟, modern Yuzhou, Henan ) and defeated him several times before Jiong retreated and made camp at Yingyin (潁陰; in present-day Xuchang , Henan ). However, one night,

2772-424: The edict's authenticity among his soldiers. Deserted by his followers, Wei was captured and executed. His full-brother Sima Ai the Prince of Changsha, who provided support, was demoted to the lesser title of Prince of Changshan as punishment. For the next nine years, Empress Jia ruled Jin in the emperor's name while entrusting power to her closest family members, most notably Jia Mi , and Guo Zhang . From now on,

2856-413: The emperor's final decree appointing him and Sima Liang as co-regents while his daughter, the empress Yang Zhi , issued another edict making her father the sole regent. Emperor Wu was aware of Yang Jun's manipulations, but was too ill to stop him. On 16 May 290, Emperor Wu died, and Sima Zhong, posthumously known as Emperor Hui of Jin, ascended the throne. Yang Jun was instated as his regent while Yang Zhi

2940-645: The empire left Jin vulnerable to rebellions. In 304, the Ba-Di -led Cheng-Han and the Xiongnu -led Han-Zhao broke away from Jin, beginning the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In the south, there were also the rebellions of the Man leader, Zhang Chang , between 303 and 304 and Han Chinese general, Chen Min between 305 and 307. However, unlike their Ba-Di and Xiongnu contemporaries, they were eventually suppressed in

3024-533: The empire. In the southwest, Li Te 's rebellion raged on despite his death. Along the Changjiang , rebels consisting of refugees and draft evaders led by the Man leader, Zhang Chang took up arms. When the court ordered Sima Yong to campaign against Zhang Chang, he refused to move his troops. Later, when the Prince of Xinye, Sima Xin (son of Sima Jun , Prince Wu of Fufeng), asked for permission to send his troops out, Ai rejected his request, believing that Xin

3108-520: The empress, Yang Xianrong , and depose his nephew, Sima Tan from the position of Crown Prince . On 1 May, Ying was installed as Crown Prince and his power was described as being equal to that of Cao Cao during the end of the Han dynasty . Sima Yong was also appointed the Grand Governor and Grand Commander. As Crown Prince, Ying was said to have become more brazen and extravagant in his actions and

3192-603: The empress, Lun's actions would only lead to the accession of Yu, who would then exact revenge on Lun himself. With Lun's encouragement, the empress had Yu assassinated. Lun then produced an edict allegedly from Emperor Hui calling for her removal. On 7 May 300, he arrested Empress Jia and put her under house arrest, and later forced her to commit suicide by drinking gold powered wine. He also executed many of her partisans, including Jia Mi, Zhang Hua and Pei Wei. Sima Lun assumed regency over Emperor Hui , but delegated most of his power over to Sun Xiu . Lun and Sun Xiu plotted to take

3276-432: The end. In late 289, Emperor Wu developed a deadly illness and considered appointing his father-in-law, Yang Jun , and his uncle, the Prince of Ru'nan, Sima Liang , as Sima Zhong's regent. As the emperor's health declined, Yang Jun sought to monopolize his control over Zhong as consort kin , first by sending away Sima Liang to Xuchang and then by forcing his court rival, Wei Guan , into retirement. Yang Jun also hid

3360-483: The enemy forces. However seeing how few of the opposing army remained, the capital troops regretted surrendering and secretly plotted to free Ai. Fearing the consequences should Ai escape, Yue sent Ai to Zhang Fang, who put Ai to the torch. Although Ai was defeated, Yong was still threatened by Liu Chen, while Huangfu Zhong continued to resist in his city of Jicheng (冀城; in present-day Gangu County , Gansu ). Yong recalled Zhang Fang to deal with Liu Chen, who had defeated

3444-406: The government system was such that first all matters are reported to the empress, then all important or minor decisions are made by the empress's appointees, and then they are given to her to accept or reject the decisions, and she issued decrees in the name of the emperor. Despite the efforts of ministers like Zhang Hua and Pei Wei to uphold the government's functionality, the imperial court under

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3528-496: The imperial capital of Luoyang and its surroundings, the scope of the war expanded with each new prince who entered the struggle. The civil wars opened the empire to rebellions, most notably by tribal subjects that had resettled into the Central Plains . At its conclusion, the war devastated the Jin heartlands in northern China, and ushered in the Sixteen Kingdoms era in northern China, causing centuries of warfare between

3612-565: The interests of their dynasty. However, after Zhong took the throne and became a mere figurehead, the princes later proved themselves self-serving and willing to undermine one another for real control over the empire. The War of the Eight Princes coincided with the upheaval of the " Five Barbarians "; tribal people who had been resettling into the Chinese interior since the Eastern Han dynasty . The princes' infighting and mismanagement of

3696-625: The last of Sima Yu 's lineage died, throwing the line of succession into confusion. Sima Jiong designated the Emperor's nephew, Sima Tan (司马覃), as crown prince. At the same time, Sima Yue , Prince of Donghai, was appointed to direct the Central Secretariat. Throughout his regency, Jiong alienated many of his ministers due to his arrogant and extravagant personality. He rarely visited the emperor and attended court meetings, and despite multiple attempts to get him to change his ways, he

3780-463: The military. Immediately following the deaths of Sima Liang and Wei Guan , he was advised to utilize his military authority to execute Empress Jia's powerful relatives, Jia Mi and Guo Zhang . However, Wei was hesitant in accepting this plan. In Empress Jia's camp, the minister, Zhang Hua urged her to punish Wei for killing the emperor's regents. Just one day after Liang's death, Empress Jia deployed her troops against Wei and spread doubt regarding

3864-480: The night. Ai thought that Zhang Fang had been dealt with, but after realizing that the ramparts had been completed, he attacked them unsuccessfully. Ai's officials attempted to negotiate peace with Ying, seeing that the two were brothers. However, when offered to split the empire between him and Ai, he rejected it. Ai personally wrote a letter to Ying to persuade him, but Ying would only accept it if Ai executed Huangfu Shang, which Ai refused to do. Zhang Fang severed

3948-463: The numerous short-lived dynasties in the north and the Eastern Jin dynasty in the south. While many princes participated in the conflict, the eight major players in this conflict were: Other people of note included Emperor Hui of Jin , co-regent Yang Jun , Empress Dowager Yang , Empress Jia Nanfeng , and the senior minister Wei Guan . It is also important to note that the fiefdom titles of

4032-477: The others attempted to relive Jin forces at Huai County (懷縣; in present-day Wuzhi County , Henan), but was routed by the Han. When Sima Yue departed from Luoyang with the imperial army in 310, Li Yun, serving as his Dragon Soaring General, was one of his confidants who he left behind to monitor the near-defenseless capital and Emperor Huai of Jin . After relations broke down between Sima Yue and his general, Gou Xi, who

4116-430: The palace and arrested Lun. Sun Xiu and many of Lun's supporters were also captured and executed. Lun spent the next few days denouncing his own conduct before he was forced to commit suicide. Emperor Hui was reinstated and celebrated the occasion with a five-day non-stop drinking binge. Ying was the first to reach the capital on 1 June, followed by Yong on 7 June. Jiong was still fighting Zhang Hong's forces at Yangdi at

4200-487: The power to levy taxes and employ central officials. Emperor Wu’s reign was troubled by a succession crisis due to his heir, Sima Zhong, being developmentally disabled. Some ministers wanted Wu’s brother, the abled Sima You , to replace Zhong as the Crown Prince, but Wu was adamant in upholding the traditional succession law. Zhong was the son of Wu’s first empress, Yang Yan , and married to Jia Nanfeng , so he had

4284-472: The prince's vanguard and killing 10,000. Ying planned to retreat back to Zhaoge , but Lu Zhi advised him to carry out a surprise attack during the early morning. Sun Hui and his contemporaries were complacent by their recent victory and did not prepare any defense. Ying rallied his troops and returned with a counterattack, smashing Hui's forces north of the Yellow River . Ying's army was the first to make

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4368-508: The prince. In 308, Sima Yue moved to Xingyang where he summoned Tian Zhen and the others. When they refused to respond, he sent his general Liu Wang (劉望) to campaign against them. Tian Zhen fled after Liu Wang's forces crossed the Yellow River , while Tian Lan was beheaded by Li Yun and Bo Sheng who then surrendered. Tian Zhen, Ren Zhi and Qi Ji all abandoned their armies and fled to Shangdang Commandery . The surrendered Qihuo largely kept their autonomy, but were willing to lend their military to

4452-555: The princes do not reflect their base of operation. For example, although Sima Ying was the Prince of Chengdu , he mostly operated in Ye throughout the war and was never near his fief. Sima Yi , an official, general, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, effectively seized control of Wei in early 249 after instigating a successful coup against his co-regent, Cao Shuang . Sima Yi and two of his sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao , came to serve as

4536-475: The remaining Qihuo. Not long after the defeat at Weicang, Luoyang and Emperor Huai were lost to Han forces in the Disaster of Yongjia . The Jin Inspector of You Province , Wang Jun installed a new crown prince of Jin and began handing out appointments. Among them, Li Yun was appointed the Inspector of Qing province despite having little real power over the region. In 312, Shi Le attacked and killed Li Yun at

4620-459: The river. Lu Ji managed to escape but was arrested and executed on Ying's orders. Meng Jiu (孟玖) replaced him as head of military operations. Ai then moved west to face Zhang Fang. The emperor's presence caused panic within Zhang Fang's army, so he was badly defeated and lost 5,000 soldiers. Zhang Fang rejected his subordinates' advice to retreat and instead secretly constructed ramparts during

4704-403: The self-abdication of Emperor Hui and usurped the throne on 3 February 301. During Lun's regency, the Inspector of Yi Province , Zhao Xin , a relative of Empress Jia, rebelled in his province. In early 301, his rebellion was quelled after his subordinate, the Ba-Di refugee leader, Li Te , betrayed and ousted him from Chengdu . Not long after his usurpation, Sima Jiong rebelled and sent out

4788-431: The situation by recalling Li Han to Luoyang and ordering Zhong to disperse his troops, but Zhong refused. Finally, Yong secretly ordered Li Han to have Ai assassinated. Huangfu Shang discovered their plot and informed Ai, and so the prince had Li Han executed. After the failed assassination attempt, Yong prepared his troops for war. At the time, Sima Ying was setting out to quell Zhang Chang's rebellion, but hearing about

4872-508: The situation in Luoyang and Guanzhong, he took his troops to join Yong instead, once again ignoring Lu Zhi's advice. In fall 303, Yong sent an army of 70,000 under Zhang Fang to attack the capital. Ying also sent an army 200,000 strong under Lu Ji against the capital. Uncharacteristically, Emperor Hui commanded his own troops to help Sima Ai defend Luoyang. On 21 September 303, Ai sent 10,000 men under Huangfu Shang to oppose Zhang Fang, but he

4956-474: The situation was more stable or opted to remain in the north by occupying fortified settlements (塢堡; wubao ) and other strategic locations. Bing province in modern-day Shanxi during this period was especially affected by the famine, and also by a Xiongnu rebellion which saw the formation of the Han-Zhao dynasty in 304. In 306, the provincial inspector, Sima Teng was transferred to Ji province to serve as

5040-513: The strong backing of the influential Yang and Jia clans. Another factor for choosing Zhong was that Wu saw great potential in his grandson, Sima Yu , should he succeed Zhong. By empowering the princes, Emperor Wu intended for them to act as a safeguard for his successors against the gentry clans should they overstep their boundaries, even more so considering Sima Zhong's disability. Wu had likely hoped that his family members, by virtue of their familial ties, would cooperate with each other to protect

5124-461: The throne by following the precedent of the Jin dynasty's foundation. They awarded their family members and allies with high-ranking positions and noble titles, while also posthumously honoring Sima Yu and recruiting famed individuals into their administration to win the people's support. Yang Xianrong , a distant relative of Sun Xiu, was installed as the new empress of Emperor Hui. In autumn 300, after Lun attempted to take his military authority away,

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5208-471: The time, so Ying had to send his soldiers to assist him. After Zhang Hong and his peers surrendered, Jiong entered the capital with "several hundred thousand armored soldiers, before whom the capital trembled in awe" on 23 July. On 11 August 301, Sima Jiong received the Nine Bestowments and was made regent of Emperor Hui . Jiong had intention to share his regency with Sima Ying , but through

5292-664: The watch of the Prince of Zhao, Sima Lun . Due to his failure to quell the uprising, Lun was recalled back to Luoyang . Later on, the Prince of Chengdu, Sima Ying was assigned away to Ye following a heated argument he had with Jia Mi over the latter's treatment of the Crown Prince , Sima Yu . The Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong , was garrisoned in Guanzhong through the endorsement of the gentry families. The rebellion in Qin and Yong coincided with famines and plagues, and although it

5376-599: The whole conflict were all of the eight princes on one side of the fighting (as opposed to, for example, the Rebellion of the Seven States ). The initial conflicts prior to the coalition against Sima Lun in 301 also cannot be considered as wars, but rather a series of political intrigues and coups d'état . The literal Chinese translation, Disorder of the Eight Kings , may be more appropriate in this regard. While initial conflicts were relatively minor and confined to

5460-634: Was attacked by the Zhao's imperial army. Ran Min , the founder of the Ran Wei who brought upon Later Zhao's demise, was a descendant of the Qihuo, as his father, Ran Zhan was once a subordinate under Chen Chuan. In 354, Guo Chang (郭敞) and other Qihuo generals north of the Yangzi river rebelled against Jin, capturing the Interior Minister of Chenliu, Liu Shi (劉仕) and surrendering the commandery to

5544-460: Was captured and killed. Sima Ai seized control of the capital but deferred authority to his half-brother, Sima Ying . The outcome of the conflict put a halt to Sima Yong and Ying's plans, which frustrated the two princes. Ying in particular was unhappy with his restricted control over the state as he shared power with Ai, and the relationship between the brothers deteriorated over time. Ai's administration failed to deal with rebel movements in

5628-459: Was captured and killed. Ai held out in Luoyang until March 304, and by this point, Zhang Fang had given up hope of taking Luoyang and was planning to withdraw. Despite this fact, the Minister of Works , Sima Yue feared that Ai would not succeed in the long run. On March 17, he and a group of officials kidnapped and put Ai under house arrest. The next day, they opened the gates and surrendered to

5712-447: Was caught by surprise and was unable to decide on his next move. Empress Dowager Yang Zhi tried to get the soldiers to turn on Empress Jia, but failed and implicated herself in the process. Soon, the soldiers advanced and set fire to the residence. Yang Jun's soldiers were routed, and he was killed while trying to escape. His families, supporters were all rounded up and executed as the extermination of all third degree relatives . Yang Zhi

5796-557: Was colluding with Ying, who he had good relations with, and plotting to rebel. Xin was killed in battle by the rebels, and Zhang Chang's rebellion spread throughout the southern provinces. Ai also employed Huangfu Shang as an advisor, putting Li Han at unease. Shang had a brother, Huangfu Zhong , who was the Inspector of Qin province , which placed him in a position to threaten Sima Yong's rear in Guanzhong . Yong and Li Han conspired to have him arrested, but he saw through their plans and led his troops to attack Li Han. Ai tried to defuse

5880-552: Was conspiring with the emperor to depose the prince, Chen Wu was one of the Qihuo who sided with the latter. In 311, Sima Yue died while he was camping at Xiang County (項縣; in present-day Shenqiu County , Henan), and the Jin imperial army was annihilated by Shi Le at the Battle of Ningping . When news of Yue's death reached Luoyang, Li Yun and the rest of Yue's allies panicked. They brought with them Yue's concubine, Lady Pei and his son, Sima Pi (司馬毗) to flee east out of Luoyang. Many of

5964-404: Was defeated in a surprise attack. Zhang Fang momentarily broke through the city walls and carried out a mass plundering before withdrawing. Meanwhile, Emperor Hui was constantly on the move and shifting his base before he defeated Ying's troops at Goushi (緱氏; in present-day Yanshi District , Henan ) on 22 October. However, when Shi Chao threatened his position at Goushi, he returned to the palace

6048-545: Was established during the Western Han dynasty in the year 201 BC. In 2014, six men in Yanling County were fined 2,000 yuan each for their roles in catching 1,689 wild geckos in Zhangqiao. The county is made up of twelve towns : Towns: The county's primary agricultural products include wheat, beans, sweet potatoes, cotton and tobacco among others. The county is known for growing flowers which began during

6132-545: Was eventually defeated by Shi Le in 314. South of the Yellow River at Chenliu Commandery (陳留郡, roughly modern Kaifeng , Henan), Chen Wu acted as a subordinate to Gou Xi's ally, Wang Zan (王讚), but by 311, both Gou Xi and Wang Zan were captured and executed by Shi Le. Chen Wu continued to hold out at Pengguan (蓬關; south of present-day Kaifeng, Henan) and Feize (肥澤; in Kaifeng). Although he briefly surrendered to Shi Le, he soon rebelled against him at Junyi County (浚儀, in Kaifeng) in 313. In 316, Shi Le sent his general, Shi Hu to attack

6216-421: Was inclined towards favoritism, which lost him some of the goodwill from his supporters. Yanling County, Henan Yanling County ( simplified Chinese : 鄢陵 县 ; traditional Chinese : 鄢陵 縣 ; pinyin : Yānlíng Xiàn ) is a county in the central part of Henan province, China. It is the easternmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Xuchang . Human habitation of

6300-400: Was known to be "avaricious and false" as well as "simple and stupid," heeding only the advice of Sun Xiu . Yu's arrest sparked outrage among many officials, and a few of them approached Lun for his military strength to overthrow Empress Jia. Lun had long wished to betray the empress, but Sun Xiu convinced him to wait until Yu was out of the way, arguing that because of Lun's reputed loyalty to

6384-401: Was promoted to Empress Dowager . However, Yang Jun was not well-received by his ministers due to his apparent attempts at consolidating power and refusal to take advice. He also tried to assassinate Sima Liang without success and rejected suggestions to cooperate with him. Meanwhile, the new empress, Jia Nanfeng , was unhappy with the little control she has over state affairs due to Yang Jun and

6468-482: Was relocated to Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xingtai , Hebei) with 5,000 households, though another sources states they were relocated to Guangzong. From hereafter, the Qihuo became less active but continued to make sporadic appearances in history as they maintained their presence in Hebei and Henan for roughly a century. In 349, the Qihuo in Guangzong gave protection to the Later Zhao dynasty's Minister of Works, Li Nong who

6552-432: Was reluctant to follow through his supporters' advices. The minister, Wang Bao , was concerned about the various princes' military power, believing that they would one day use it against Jiong just as they did with his predecessors. In a letter to Jiong, Wang Bao urged him to send the princes back to their respective fiefs and to divide control over the state between him and Sima Ying. Jiong was initially convinced, but when

6636-492: Was spared but confined inside the palace, where she remained until her death in 292. On 4 May 291, Sima Liang and Wei Guan were installed as the new regents of Emperor Hui . Now that he was in power, Liang asserted his authority by freely handing out new appointments and titles to around 1,081 people to garner support. At the same time, Empress Jia began placing her relatives and allies into positions of power. Liang and Wei Guan were wary of Sima Wei . Despite his role in

6720-481: Was tempted to join him. Yong sent Li Han and Zhang Fang to campaign against Jiong, and they sent a proclamation to ordering Ai to attack Jiong. Believing that Ai was involved, Jiong sent troops to kill him, who fled to the imperial palace for protection. There, using both imperial guards and his own personal forces, Ai defended the palace against Jiong within Luoyang for three days, bringing Emperor Hui along with him. On 27 January, Jiong's own officers betrayed him and he

6804-561: Was the paramountcy over the empire in light of the developmentally disabled Emperor Hui of Jin . The name of the conflict is derived from the biographies of the eight princes collected in Chapter 59 of the Book of Jin . The "War of the Eight Princes" is somewhat of a misnomer : rather than one continuous conflict, the War of the Eight Princes saw intervals of peace interposed with short and intense periods of internecine conflict. At no point in

6888-425: Was ultimately put down in 299, it sparked an influx of refugees fleeing south to Yi province . It also allowed a Di leader, Yang Maosou to set up the state of Chouchi south of Tianshui in 296. Empress Jia deemed the Crown Prince , Sima Yu as a threat to her power should he ascend the throne, since he was not her biological son. In early 300, she orchestrated his arrest by convincing him while drunk to copy

6972-466: Was unhappy with the positions he received under Lun's administration. Sensing his discontent, Lun had Jiong assigned away to Xuchang . After Yun's rebellion, Lun was granted the Nine Bestowments . The following year, he claimed in a report that the spirit of his father, Sima Yi , had ordered him to move into the Western Palace (西宮), the residence of Emperor Hui. He then forged an edict stating

7056-503: Was unsatisfied with the content of the original edict, as he was not included among the princes who had to raise their troops. Without the empress's knowledge, Wei forged an edict which made him Commander over all military forces and granted himself full control over the operation. On 26 July 291, he sent his subordinates and soldiers to arrest Liang and Wei Guan in Luoyang . Both men gave no resistance and were put to death. The forged edict meant that Sima Wei held significant control over

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