TheKingdom of Wei (220-265) was one of the Three
Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty
(206BC-AD220).
During the decline of the Han
Dynasty, the northern part of China was under the control of Cao Cao, the
imperial secretariat to the last Han emperor. In 213, Cao Cao was named
Wei Gong (Duke of Wei) and was given 10 cities under
his domain entitled the "State of Wei." At that time, the southern part of China
was already divided into two areas (later the Kingdom of Shu and Kingdom of Wu)
controlled by two warlords. In 216, Cao Cao was promoted to Wei Wang (King of Wei).
In 220, Cao Cao died and his son,
Cao Pi, obtained the title King Wei
and the position as prime minister. Later that year, Cao Pi seized the imperial
throne and claimed to have founded the Wei
Dynasty; Liu Bei of the Shu immediately contested his claim to the
throne and Sun Quan followed suit in 222.
Wei conquered the Kingdom of Shu in 263.
Shortly afterwards, in 265, the Wei Dynasty was overthrown by its last Imperial
Secretariat Sima Yan, founder of the Jin Dynasty
(265-420).