Wu (kingdom)

Wu
吳
222–280
The territories of Eastern Wu (in magenta), 262.
Capital		Wuchang (222–229, 265–266) Jianye (229–265, 266–280)
Languages		Chinese
Religion		Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion
Government		Monarchy
King (222–229) Emperor (229–280)
•	222–252	Sun Quan
•	252–258	Sun Liang
•	258–264	Sun Xiu
•	264–280	Sun Hao
Historical era		Three Kingdoms
•	Independence from Cao Wei	222
•	Sun Quan declaring himself Emperor	229
•	Conquest of Wu by Jin	31 May 280
Population
•	238 est.	2,567,000 (disputed)
•	280 est.	2,535,000 (disputed)
Currency		Chinese coin, Chinese cash
Preceded by Succeeded by Cao Wei Western Jin dynasty
Today part of		China  Vietnam
Tanner (2009) estimates the Wu population to be about one-sixth of the Han population. This would be much more than the numbers given in 238 and 280, and could be because of census methods used in ancient China.

Jianye
(229–265, 266–280)

Wu (222–280), commonly known as Eastern Wu or Sun Wu, was one of the three major states that competed for supremacy over China in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). It previously existed from 220–222 as a vassal kingdom nominally under Cao Wei, its rival state, but declared independence from Wei and became a sovereign state in 222. It became an empire in 229 after its founding ruler, Sun Quan, declared himself 'Emperor'. Its name was derived from the place it was based in — the Jiangnan (Yangtze River Delta) region, which was also historically known as "Wu". It was referred to as "Eastern Wu" or "Sun Wu" by historians to distinguish it from other Chinese historical states with similar names which were also located in that region, such as the Wu state in the Spring and Autumn period and the Wuyue kingdom in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was called "Eastern Wu" because it occupied most of eastern China in the Three Kingdoms period, and "Sun Wu" because the family name of its rulers was "Sun". During its existence, Wu's capital was at Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), but at times it was also at Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei).

Towards the end of the Han dynasty, Sun Ce, the eldest son of the warlord Sun Jian, and his followers borrowed troops from the warlord Yuan Shu and embarked on a series of military conquests in the Jiangdong and Wu regions between 194 and 199, seizing several territories previously occupied by warlords such as Liu Yao, Yan Baihu and Wang Lang. Sun Ce broke off relations with Yuan Shu around 196-197 after the latter declared himself emperor — an act deemed as treason against Emperor Xian, the figurehead ruler of the Han dynasty. The warlord Cao Cao, who was the de facto head of government in the Han imperial court, asked Emperor Xian to grant Sun Ce the title of "Marquis of Wu" (吳侯).