Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu
Hegemon-King of Western Chu
Image taken from "Wan Xiao Tang Zhu Zhuang Hua Zhuan（晩笑堂竹荘畫傳）" (1743).
Reign	206–202 BC
Predecessor	Emperor Yi of Chu
Born	232 BC
Died	202 BC (aged 30-31)
Concubine	Consort Yu

Xiang Ji (232–202 BC), courtesy name Yu, better known as Xiang Yu, was a prominent warlord in the late Qin dynasty. A noble of Xiaxiang (下相; present-day Suqian, Jiangsu), Xiang Yu was granted the title of "Duke of Lu" (魯公) by King Huai II of the insurgent Chu state in 208 BC. The following year, he led the rebel forces to victory at the Battle of Julu against the Qin armies led by Zhang Han. After the fall of the Qin dynasty, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself "Overlord of Western Chu" and ruled a vast area of land covering parts of present-day Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangsu, with Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu) as his capital. He engaged Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, in a long struggle for power, known as the Chu–Han Contention, which concluded with his eventual defeat at the Battle of Gaixia. He committed suicide at the bank of the Wu River.

Xiang Yu's family name was Xiang (simplified Chinese: 项; traditional Chinese: 項; pinyin: Xiàng; Wade–Giles: Hsiang; Jyutping: Hong6) while his given name was Ji (Chinese: 籍; pinyin: Jí; Wade–Giles: Chi; Jyutping: Zik6) and his courtesy name was Yu (Chinese: 羽; pinyin: Yǔ; Wade–Giles: Yü; Jyutping: Jyu5). He is best known as Xiang Yu.