Cao Huang

Cao Huang ( Chinese  曹 璜 , Pinyin Caó Huáng ), later Cao Huan ( Chinese  曹 奐 , Pinyin Cáo Huàn , W.-G. Ts'ao-Huan ; * 246 ; † 303 ) was a grandson of Cao Cao and ruled fifth and the last emperor of the Wei Dynasty under the name of Emperor Yuan von Wei ( Chinese  魏元帝 , Pinyin Wèi Yuándì , W.-G. Wei Yüan-ti ) during the Three Kingdoms .

After being deposed by Sima Yan , he received the title of Prince of Chenliu ( Chinese  陳留 王 , Pinyin Chénliú Wáng ).

Family background and accession to the throne

The future emperor was born Cao Huang in 246. His father Cao Yu ( Chinese  曹 宇 ) was Prince of Yan and one of the youngest sons of Cao Cao, was originally supposed to be regent of Emperor Cao Fang , but was rejected by Cao Rui in 238 . Cao Huang was appointed prince of Changdaoxiang in 258 as the son of a prince after the settlement of the Wei Dynasty.

After the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Cao Mao 260 and his death, Cao Huang was chosen as successor by Sima Zhao for unclear reasons, although Cao Pi (the first emperor) still had living male descendants.

government

When Cao Huang became emperor, his name was changed to Cao Huan to make the naming taboo easier to apply; because huang meant yellow like emperor u. a. Under Cao Huan's reign, the Sima clan held real power, and they were straw men even more than his ancestors .

In the early years of his rule, the Shu Han commander in chief , Jiang Wei , repeatedly attacked the Wei empire. Even if the attacks could be repulsed with ease each time, Sima Zhao decided to destroy Shu Han once and for all. In 263 he went out with Generals Zhong Hui and Deng Ai . At the beginning the attack was repulsed until Deng Ai bypassed the main Shu forces and killed General Zhuge Zhan . As a result, Jiang Wei was trapped between two armies of the Wei, and Deng Ai was able to move to the capital Chengdu to force Liu Shan , the emperor of the Shu, to surrender.

After Shu Han was destroyed, Deng Ai became arrogant, which Zhong Hui used to falsely accuse him of treason (including through forged letters). Sima Zhao put Deng Ai under arrest and turned his troops over to Zhong Hui, which was entirely on his mind. Jiang Wei, who surrendered, wanted to take the chance to win Shu back, and incited Zhong Hui to rebel against Wei. His plan was to subsequently kill Zhong Hui and reinstate Liu Shan as Emperor of Shu. Zhong Hui hesitated, while his generals reacted and killed him and Jiang Wei. In the turmoil that followed, Deng Ai was also killed. The former Shu territory (today's Sichuan , Chongqing , Yunnan , southern Shaanxi and southeastern Gansu ) was annexed by Wei.

Abdication and Later Life

Wei hardly existed much longer. In 263, Sima Zhao Cao Huan forced him to offer him the Nine Badges, and this time he finally accepted. In 264 he was promoted to Prince of Jin - the last step before seizing power. After his death in 265, his son Sima Yan inherited his position and shortly thereafter forced Cao Huan to abdicate in his favor, creating the Jin Dynasty . He made Cao Huan Prince of Chengliu, and this title was retained by Cao Huan until the end of his life.

Little is known of his life as a prince under the Jin rule. Sima Yan allowed him to continue to wield the imperial banners and chariots and to honor his ancestors with imperial ceremonies. He also exempted him from considering himself a subject of the Jin. Cao Huan died in 303 during the reign of Sima Yan's son Jin Huidi . He was buried with imperial honors and given a posthumous imperial name ( Yuan , the discerning ).

Era names

• Jingyuan (景 元 jĭng yuán) 260–264
• Xianxi (咸熙 xián xī) 264–265

Web links

• Family Trees Cao and Xiahou (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Cao Mao	Emperor of China (North) 260–263	Wu from Jin

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Cao is the family name here, Huang is the first name.