Liu Shan

Liu Shan (pronunciation) (207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan. His reign of 40 years was the longest of all emperors in the Three Kingdoms era. During Liu Shan's reign, many campaigns were led against the rival state of Cao Wei, primarily by Zhuge Liang and his successor Jiang Wei, but to little avail, due to their drastic mismatch in terms of population and geographic extent. Liu Shan eventually surrendered to Wei in 263 after Deng Ai led a surprise attack on the Shu capital Chengdu. He was quickly relocated to the Wei capital at Luoyang, and enfeoffed as "Duke Anle". There he enjoyed his last years peacefully before dying in 271, most probably of natural causes.

Emperor Huai of Shu Han
漢懷帝
A Qing dynasty illustration of Liu Shan
Emperor of Shu Han
ReignJune 223 – December 263
PredecessorLiu Bei
Regent
Crown Prince of Shu Han
Tenure19 June 221 – June 223
SuccessorLiu Xuan
Duke of Anle (安樂公)
Tenure264–271
Born207
Xinye County, Henan
Died271 (aged 64)
Luoyang, Henan
Spouse
Issue
Detail
Names
Family name: Liu (劉)
Given name: Shan (禪)
Courtesy name: Gongsi (公嗣)
Era dates
  • Jianxing (建興; 223–237)
  • Yanxi (延熙; 238–257)
  • Jingyao (景耀; 258–263)
  • Yanxing (炎興; 263)
Posthumous name
  • Duke Si of Anle (安樂思公)
  • Emperor Xiaohuai (孝懷皇帝)
HouseHouse of Liu
DynastyShu Han
FatherLiu Bei
MotherEmpress Zhaolie
Liu Shan
Traditional Chinese劉禪
Simplified Chinese刘禅

Widely known to later generations by his infant name "Adou / Edou" (阿斗), Liu Shan was commonly perceived as an incapable ruler. He was also accused of indulging in pleasures while neglecting state affairs, allowing corrupt officials to take power. Some modern scholars have taken a more positive view towards Liu Shan's capability, as Liu Shan's long reign in Shu Han was free of bloody court coups unlike its rivals. Nevertheless, the name "Adou" is today still commonly used in Chinese as an epithet for someone so incompetent at a task that no amount of assistance will help them succeed.:59 n. 2

The main source of historical information about Liu Shan and his contemporaries is Records of the Three Kingdoms. Its author Chen Shou noted in his postface that Zhuge Liang did not employ scribes at Liu Shan's court, contrary to tradition. This custom would never be established in Shu Han, so details of Liu Shan's rule are hazy in comparison to the richness of information available for Shu's rival states of Wei and Wu. Much of his reign is recorded in spare, terse synopsis.

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