Chinese warlord and founding Emperor of Shu Han (161–223)
Emperor Zhaolie of Han 漢昭烈帝
Tang dynasty portrait of Liu Bei by Yan Liben
Emperor of Shu Han
Reign
15 May 221[1] – 10 June 223
Successor
Liu Shan
King of Hanzhong (漢中王) (under the Eastern Han)
Tenure
July or August 219[2] – 15 May 221
Born
161 Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery, Han Empire (present-day Zhuozhou, Baoding, Hebei)
Died
10 June 223 (aged 62)[a] Baidicheng, Shu Han
Burial
Hui Mausoleum, Chengdu, Sichuan
Spouse
Empress Zhaolie Lady Mi Lady Sun Empress Mu
Issue (among others)
Liu Shan, Emperor Huai of Han Liu Yong, Prince of Ganling Liu Li, Prince Dao of Anping at least two daughters
Names
Family name: Liu (劉) Given name: Bei (備) Courtesy name: Xuande (玄德)
Era name and dates
Zhangwu (章武): 221–223
Posthumous name
Emperor Zhaolie (昭烈皇帝)
Temple name
Liezu (烈祖)
House
House of Liu
Dynasty
Shu Han
Father
Liu Hong
Military career
Allegiance
Eastern Han Shu Han
Battles/wars
Yellow Turban Rebellion Campaign against Dong Zhuo Invasion of Xu Province Campaign against Yuan Shu Battle of Xiapi Battle of Guandu Battle of Bowang Battle of Changban Battle of Red Cliffs Battle of Jiangling Invasion of Yi Province Territorial dispute in Jing Province Hanzhong Campaign Battle of Xiaoting
Liu Bei
"Liu Bei" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese
劉備
Simplified Chinese
刘备
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
Liú Bèi
Wade–Giles
Liu2 Pei4
IPA
[ljǒʊ pêɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
Làuh Beih
Jyutping
Lau4 Bei6
IPA
[lɐu˩ pei˨]
Southern Min
Tâi-lô
Lâu Pī
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese
玄德
Literal meaning
(courtesy name)
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
Xuándé
Wade–Giles
Hsüan2-te2
IPA
[ɕɥɛ̌ntɤ̌]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
Yùhn-dāk
Southern Min
Tâi-lô
Hiân-tik
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
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v
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e
Liu Bei (Chinese: 劉備, pronunciationⓘ; Mandarin pronunciation: [ljǒʊ pêɪ]; 161 – 10 June 223),[3] courtesy name Xuande (玄德), was a Chinese warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of China.
Despite early failings and lacking both the material resources and social status his rivals commanded, he gathered support among disheartened Han loyalists who opposed Cao Cao, the warlord who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian and led a popular movement to restore the Han dynasty. Liu Bei overcame a number of setbacks to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned present-day Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, and parts of Hubei and Gansu.
Culturally, due to the popularity of the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei is widely regarded as the ideal benevolent and humane ruler who cared for his people and selected good advisers for his government. His fictional counterpart in the novel was a salutary example of a ruler who adhered to the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion. Historically, Liu Bei, like many Han rulers, was greatly influenced by Laozi. He was a brilliant politician and leader whose skill was a remarkable demonstration of "Confucian in appearance but Legalist in substance".[b][4]
^Volume 69 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Liu Bei crowned himself on the bingwu day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Cao Pi's reign. ([魏文帝二年]夏,四月,丙午,汉中王即皇帝位于武担之南,大赦,改元章武.) The date corresponds to 15 May 221 in the Julian calendar.
^According to Liu Xie's biography in Book of the Later Han, Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong on the gengzi day of the 7th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era. However, there is no gengzi day in the month; the month corresponds to 30 Jul to 27 Aug 219 on the Julian calendar. [(建安二十四年)秋七月庚子,刘备自称汉中王] Houhanshu, vol.09
^de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Brill. pp. 478–483. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
^Throughout Chinese history, no successful emperor had ruled purely based on Confucianism (though some did purely use Legalism). Numerous studies such as Political Reality of Transforming Legalism by Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty as Seen from Selection System by Wang Baoding, or Aspects of Legalist Philosophy and the Law in Ancient China: The Chi'an and Han Dynasties and Rediscovered Manuscript of Mawangdui and Shuihudi by Matthew August LeFande, have pointed out most ancient Chinese dynasties after Qin had ruled by a mix of Legalism and Confucianism.
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LiuBei (Chinese: 劉備, pronunciation; Mandarin pronunciation: [ljǒʊ pêɪ]; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (玄德), was a Chinese warlord in the late...
and successor Cao Pi. In the meantime, Liu Biao had put LiuBei in charge of Xinye. During this time, LiuBei visited Zhuge Liang thrice and recruited...
situation demanded, replace Liu Shan with other of LiuBei's living sons such as Liu Yong and Liu Li. Following LiuBei's death, Liu Shan ascended the throne...
the warlord LiuBei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with LiuBei and accompanied...
May 229 to May 252 as the Emperor of Wu. Unlike his rivals Cao Cao and LiuBei, Sun Quan was much younger than they were and governed his state mostly...
China, but was defeated by the allied forces of the warlords Sun Quan, LiuBei, and Liu Qi at the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs. His subsequent attempts over...
territory also coincided with Liu Bang's Kingdom of Han, the precursor of the Han dynasty. Shu Han's founder, LiuBei (Emperor Zhaolie), had named his...
warlord LiuBei and served under Liu for about a year. He also recommended Zhuge Liang to LiuBei during this period of time. In late 208, LiuBei was defeated...
to "lend"(give) Liu Bei Nan Commandery. In 211 Liu Zhang invited LiuBei to Yi Province as an ally. In 212 LiuBei betrayed Liu Zhang and attacked him...
208-209, when his armies were defeated by the allied forces of Sun Quan and LiuBei. The Han dynasty formally ended in 220 when Cao Cao's son and heir, Cao...
to LiuBei that he wants a bribe, but LiuBei does not understand the inspector's point. Later, even after his assistant explains to him, LiuBei still...
northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came to serve another warlord, LiuBei, and had since accompanied him on most of his military exploits, from the...
The Hanzhong Campaign was a military campaign launched by the warlord LiuBei to seize control of Hanzhong Commandery from his rival, Cao Cao. The campaign...
The Battle of Changban was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and LiuBei in October 208 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. The battle took place...
fought between the forces of Lü Bu against the allied armies of Cao Cao and LiuBei from the winter of 198 to 7 February 199 towards the end of the Eastern...
heavily fantasized version of the novel. The last of the Han dynasty family, LiuBei, begins a rebellion against the kingdom of Wei led by Cao Cao, with much...
Quan, LiuBei, and Liu Qi based south of the Yangtze defeated the numerically superior forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao. In so doing, LiuBei and...
later sent LiuBei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "LiuBei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, LiuBei had already...
but LiuBei must continue wandering. In 208 AD, LiuBei finds talent in a strategist known as Zhuge Liang, who agreed to follow him after LiuBei visited...
married the warlord LiuBei to strengthen an alliance between LiuBei and Sun Quan. Around 211, she returned to Sun Quan's domain when LiuBei left Jing Province...
maintained the Sun–Liu alliance. Fourthly, in 215, he represented Sun Quan at the negotiations with LiuBei's general Guan Yu during the Sun–Liu territorial...
banquet for LiuBei. After the feast, the others left while only LiuBei and Sun Quan remained behind. When they spoke of Zhou Yu, LiuBei said: "Gongjin's...