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Politics229

Sun Quan Becomes Emperor of Wu

Also called: Founding of Eastern Wu

Sun Quan, ruler of the lower Yangtze, declared himself emperor of Wu, so that all three kingdoms now had emperors.

Sun Quan, Emperor Da of Wu — Yan Liben, Thirteen Emperors Scroll
Sun Quan, Emperor Da of Wu — Yan Liben, Thirteen Emperors Scroll

Yan Liben · Public domain · Source

Succeeding Sun Jian and Sun Ce as ruler of the lower Yangtze, Sun Quan was enfeoffed as King of Wu by Wei in 222 but soon broke with it. He declared himself emperor in the fourth month of 229 and moved his capital to Jianye (modern Nanjing). Wu developed the lands south of the Yangtze, laying the ground for the south’s later rise as China’s heartland, and exchanged envoys by sea with Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong and with Goguryeo.

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States at the time
Eastern Wu · founded
Places
Nanjing

People

  • Sun QuanAD 182 – AD 252

    monarch · Founding emperor of Wu (Emperor Da), who allied with Liu Bei to stop Cao Cao at Red Cliffs and became emperor in 229

Before and after

Earlier
AD 228 Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expeditions
Later
AD 244 Invasion by Guanqiu Jian of Wei

Themes that include this event

  • The Three KingdomsAD 184 – AD 280

    From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Jin reunification — a century of Wei, Shu and Wu, the age of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan