Cheng Han (; 303 or 304 – 347) was a dynastic state of China listed as one of the

Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded by ...

in Chinese historiography. Ruled by the Di people, its territory was based in what is modern-day

Sichuan Province Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

, China.

Cheng and Han

It represented two states, the Cheng state (成 Chéng) and the Han state (漢 Hàn). Cheng was proclaimed in 304 by

Li Xiong Li Xiong (李雄) (274–334), courtesy name Zhongjuan (仲雋), formally Emperor Wu of Cheng (Han) (成(漢)武帝), was the first emperor of the Di-led Chinese Cheng Han dynasty and commonly regarded as its founder (although some historians ...

, while Han was proclaimed in 338 by

Li Shou Li Shou (; 300–343), courtesy name Wukao (武考), formally Emperor Zhaowen of (Cheng) Han ((成)漢昭文帝), was an emperor of the Di-led Chinese Cheng Han dynasty. He was the cousin of Cheng Han's founding emperor Li Xiong, but after he ...

. Since they were both ruled by the Li family of the Ba ethnicity, scholars often combine them into a single Cheng Han state in historiography. The Li family has also been described as being of Ba- Di ethnicity, they were originally Ba from modern Sichuan who had settled among the Di in modern

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...

.Holcombe, Charles (2001). The Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907. University of Hawaii Press. p. 24. . Western texts frequently referred to the two states separately. Whether the treatment is correct is debatable. When Li Shou claimed the throne in 338, he did not acknowledge his throne as having been inherited from Li Xiong's line. While he continued to worship Li Xiong, it was done in a separate temple. However, Li Shou's son

Li Shi Li Shi or Lishi may refer to: * Lishi (理事; "Noumenon and Phenomenon"), a Zen Buddhist concept, see Five Ranks#Interplay of Absolute and Relative People * Li Shi (emperor) (died 361), emperor of Cheng Han * Lishi (Three Kingdoms) (李氏, ...

, acknowledged the prior emperors including Li Xiong as his predecessors. Cheng Han's was the earliest establishment of the Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Cheng Han declared themselves "

emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

". The commonly accepted founding year of Cheng has been 304. Nevertheless,

Li Te Li Te (李特, died 303), courtesy name Xuanxiu (玄休), posthumously King Jing of Chengdu (成都景王) and later Emperor Jing (景皇帝), was the spiritual founder of Cheng Han during the Sixteen Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a ...

declared a new

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

in 303. Some scholars consider this self-declaration of era name to be a symbol of a new government. However, at that time, Li Te claimed no imperial or other special titles for himself. The Cheng Han was eventually conquered by the Jin when

Huan Wen Huan Wen (桓溫) (312 – 18 August 373), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery (南郡宣武公), was a general and regent of the Jin Dynasty (266–420), as well as the leader of Huan clan of Qiaoguo (谯国桓� ...

attacked

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

Rulers of Cheng Han

Family tree

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