Eastern Wu
Wu (Chinese: 吳; pinyin: Wú; Middle Chinese *ŋuo < Eastern Han Chinese: *ŋuɑ), known in historiography as Eastern Wu or Sun Wu, was a dynastic state of China and one of the three major states that competed for supremacy over China in the Three Kingdoms period. It previously existed from 220 to 222 as a vassal kingdom nominally under Cao Wei, its rival state, but declared complete independence from Cao Wei in November 222. It was elevated to an empire in May 229 after its founding ruler, Sun Quan (Emperor Da), declared himself emperor.
Wu 吳 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222–280 | |||||||||
The territories of Wu (in light greenish grey), as of 262 A.D. | |||||||||
| Capital | Wuchang (222–229, 265–266) Jianye (229–265, 266–280) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Chinese | ||||||||
| Religion | Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King (222–229) Emperor (229–280) | |||||||||
• Nov 222 – May 252 | Sun Quan | ||||||||
• May 252 – Nov 258 | Sun Liang | ||||||||
• Nov 258 – Sep 264 | Sun Xiu | ||||||||
• Sep 264 – May 280 | Sun Hao | ||||||||
| Historical era | Three Kingdoms | ||||||||
• Independence from Cao Wei | 222 | ||||||||
• Sun Quan declaring himself Emperor | 229 | ||||||||
| 31 May 280 | |||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 238 | 2,567,000 (disputed) | ||||||||
• 280 | 2,535,000 (disputed) | ||||||||
| Currency | Chinese coin, Chinese cash | ||||||||
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| 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. | |||||||||
| Eastern Wu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 東吳 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 东吴 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Dōng Wú | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sun Wu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 孫吳 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 孙吴 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Sūn Wú | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The name "Wu" 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 "Dong Wu" ("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).