Cao Wei
Wei 魏 | |||||||||
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| 220–266 | |||||||||
China in 262, with territories of Cao Wei in yellow | |||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||
| Common languages | Eastern Han Chinese | ||||||||
| Religion | Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Emperor | |||||||||
• Dec 220 – Jun 226 | Cao Pi | ||||||||
• Jun 226 – Jan 239 | Cao Rui | ||||||||
• Jan 239 – Oct 254 | Cao Fang | ||||||||
• Oct 254 – Jun 260 | Cao Mao | ||||||||
• Jun 260 – Feb 266 | Cao Huan | ||||||||
| Historical era | Three Kingdoms | ||||||||
• Abdication of Emperor Xian of Han | 11 December 220 | ||||||||
• Eastern Wu declaring independence from Wei | 222 | ||||||||
| 263 | |||||||||
• Abdication of Cao Huan | 4 February 266 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 260 | 4,432,881 (disputed) | ||||||||
| Currency | Chinese coin, Chinese cash (Wu Zhu) | ||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||
| Cao Wei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 曹魏 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 曹魏 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Cáo Wèi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Part of a series on the |
| History of China |
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Wei (Chinese: 魏), also known as Cao Wei (曹魏) or Former Wei, was one of the major dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dynasty. Its capital was initially located at Xuchang, and was later moved to Luoyang.
The name Wei first became associated with Cao Cao when he was named the Duke of Wei by the Eastern Han government in 213, and became the name of the state when Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor in 220. Historians often add the prefix "Cao" to distinguish it from other Chinese states known as Wei. The authority of the ruling Cao family dramatically weakened following the deposition and execution of Cao Shuang, a regent for the dynasty's third emperor Cao Fang. Beginning in 249, another regent in Sima Yi gradually consolidated state authority for himself and his relatives, with the last Wei emperors largely being puppets of the Sima family. In 266, Sima Yi's grandson Sima Yan forced Emperor Yuan to abdicate, proclaiming himself to be emperor of the newly established Jin dynasty; he would be posthumously known as Emperor Wu (of Jin).