After

Liu Bang Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

defeated

Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynas ...

and proclaimed himself emperor of the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

, he followed the practice of Xiang Yu and enfeoffed many generals, noblemen, and imperial relatives as kings (), the same title borne by the sovereigns of the

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and f ...

and Zhou dynasties and by the rulers of the

Warring States The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

. Each king had his own semi-autonomous kingdom. This was a departure from the policy of the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...

, which divided China into commanderies governed by non-hereditary governors. The kings were divided into two groups: ''yìxìng wáng'', literally "kings of different surnames", and ''tóngxìng wáng'', literally "kings of the same surname", i.e., the imperial surname

Liu / ( or ) is an East Asian surname. pinyin: in Mandarin Chinese, in Cantonese. It is the family name of the Han dynasty emperors. The character originally meant 'kill', but is now used only as a surname. It is listed 252nd in the classic text ...

. The ''yixing wang'' represented an obvious threat to the Han empire, and Liu Bang and his successors suppressed them as quickly as was practical: they had disappeared by 157 BC. The ''tongxing wang'' were originally left to their own devices but, after the

Rebellion of the Seven States The Rebellion of the Seven States or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms () took place in 154 BC against the Han dynasty of China by its regional semi-autonomous kings, to resist the emperor's attempt to centralize the government further. Background ...

in 154 BC, their independence was curtailed. Eventually they lost most of their autonomy. For this reason, the title is also translated as "prince" when referring to later kings of the dynasty, to reflect both their link to the ruling house and the vestigial nature of the former vassal kingdoms.

Yixing Kingdoms

The kings from other dynasties () were mostly remnants of the

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against the

. Following the

Dazexiang Uprising The Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising (), July–December 209 B.C., was the first uprising against the Qin dynasty following the death of Qin Shi Huang. Led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, the uprising helped overthrow the Qin and paved the way for the ...

, many noblemen rose in rebellion. Heirs, pretenders, and warlords called themselves "kings" and claimed sovereignty as continuations of the six states previously suppressed by

Qin Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...

. Among these, Chu was the most powerful. However, its rightful ruler Huai II was assassinated on the orders of the warlord

and the 18 Kingdoms Xiang had formed rose in rebellion against him.

, king of

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, ultimately defeated Chu and established the new Han dynasty. The kings who had sided with him were then permitted to maintain their titles and lands. A few other kingdoms were also formed by Liu Bang for generals and favorites. Although nominally under the rule of the Han, these kings were ''de facto'' independent and held considerable power within their territories, which could span several

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

s. As these kingdoms proved unruly, Liu Bang gradually subdued them through conspiracies, wars, and political maneuvering. Many were thus deposed and their kingdoms annexed by Han. As he was dying, the emperor ordered his ministers to swear an oath that only members of the royal house of

would be created as kings thenceforth. This injunction was violated by his widow,

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

, who established several kingdoms with her own relatives as kings. They were destroyed after her death. The last king of the Western Han was Wu Zhu,

King Jing of Changsha King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, who died without an heir in 157 BC. After that, there were no kings outside the royal clan until the

end of the Han dynasty The end of the Han dynasty was the period of Chinese history from 189 to 220 CE, roughly coinciding with the tumultuous reign of the Han dynasty's last ruler, Emperor Xian. During this period, the country was thrown into turmoil by the Yellow ...

, when

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

styled himself King of Wei in AD 216.

Original kingdoms

Yan Yan may refer to: Chinese states * Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC * Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...

–

Zang Tu Zang Tu (died 202 BC) was a warlord who lived during the late Qin dynasty and early Han dynasty of China. Biography Zang Tu was originally a military general serving under Han Guang, the king of the Yan state. Around 207 BC, when rebellions bro ...

(rebelled in 202 BC but was defeated and replaced by

Lu Wan Lu Wan (died 194 BC) was an official and vassal king of the early Han dynasty. He served under Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu), the founding emperor of the Han dynasty. Early life Lu Wan was from Feng Town (), which is in present-day Feng County, ...

, a Han general, who also plotted rebellion and was replaced in 195 BC by Liu Jian, son of Gaozu) * Chu –

Han Xin Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ear ...

(removed in 201 BC and replaced by Liu Jiao, brother of Gaozu) * Zhao –

Zhang Ao Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ''Z ...

(demoted to marquis in 199 BC and replaced by

Liu Ruyi Liu Ruyi (208 – January 194BCAccording to volume 12 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'', Liu Ruyi was poisoned in the 12th month of the 1st year of Emperor Hui's reign. This corresponds to 31 Dec 195 BCE - 28 Jan 194 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.), ...

, son of Gaozu) *

Huainan Huainan () is a prefecture-level city with 3,033,528 inhabitants as of the 2020 census in north-central Anhui province, China. It is named for the Han-era Principality of Huainan. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu'an ...

–

Ying Bu Ying Bu (died 195 BC) was a warlord and vassal king who lived in the early Han dynasty. He was a native of Lu County (六縣; present-day Lu'an, Anhui). In his early life under the Qin dynasty, Ying Bu was convicted and sentenced to ''qing'' (黥 ...

(rebelled in 197 BC but was defeated and replaced by Liu Chang, son of Gaozu)

Established by Liu Bang

Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...

* Dai * Liang

Established by the Empress Dowager Lü

* Lu * Huaiyang *

Changshan (; ), also known as (), and (), is a form of , Chinese robe, which was derived from the Qing dynasty , the traditional dress of the Manchu people, which were worn by Manchu men. The was actually developed by the Han Chinese through the mod ...

* Lü

Tongxing Kingdoms

The "kings of the same surname" () were members of the

House of Liu The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a war ...

, sons, brothers, or descendants of the Han emperors. The tradition of creating royal sons as kings continued until the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

, during which sons of emperors could also be created as lower nobles. The Han emperors initially felt that creating these kingdoms would strengthen the house, particularly against the other kings. However, these princes became even more dangerous, as they were eligible to succeed the throne. Several rebellions were attempted by these powerful princes during the reigns of the emperors Jing and Wu. After the

Rebellion of the Seven Princes The Rebellion of the Seven States or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms () took place in 154 BC against the Han dynasty of China by its Kings of the Han dynasty, regional semi-autonomous kings, to resist the emperor's attempt to centralize the governm ...

, Emperor Wu reformed the principalities, reducing them to single prefectures and granting superior authority to prime ministers appointed by the central government. The institution continued until the very end of the dynasty, however.

Established by Liu Bang

* Prince of Chu * Prince of Dai ( Liu Zhong,

and Liu Heng) * Prince of Qi *

Prince of Jing A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Prince of Huainan Huainan Kingdom was a kingdom of China's Han dynasty, located in what is now parts of Anhui, Jiangxi and Hubei provinces. History The title "King (or Prince) of Huainan" was first created in 202BC by Liu Bang, King of Han, for Ying Bu, the forme ...

* Prince of Zhao *

Prince of Yan Prince or King of Yan () was a Chinese feudal title referring to the ancient Chinese State of Yan and to its fiefs including the capital Yanjing (located within modern Beijing). Typically, the title is translated as "King of Yan" for rulers prio ...

Prince of Wu The King of Wu or Prince of Wu was a title referring to Chinese rulers of the area originally controlled by the Gou Wu tribes around Wuxi on the lower Yangtze, generally known as the Wu region. The title ''wang'' is written identically in Chines ...

Established by Emperor Wen

* Prince of Liang * Prince of Chengyang *

Prince of Jibei Jibei Kingdom ( zh, 濟北國) was a kingdom of Han dynasty, in present-day northern Shandong and southern Hebei. The kingdom was first established on the lands of Qi in 178 BC for Liu Xingju, son of Liu Fei, Prince of Qi, King of Qi. In 177 B ...

* Prince of Zichuan * Prince of Jinan * Prince of Jiaodong *

Prince of Jiaoxi Jiaoxi Commandery ( zh, 膠西郡) was a historical commandery (China), commandery of China, located in what is now eastern Shandong. The commandery was established in the Qin dynasty. In early Han dynasty, it constituted part of the Qi Kingdom (H ...

Prince of Hengshan A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Prince of Lujiang A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

* Prince of Hejian

Established by Emperor Jing

Prince of Linjiang A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Prince of Jiangdu A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

Prince of Changsha The Changsha Kingdom was a kingdom within the Han Empire of China, located in present-day Hunan and some surrounding areas. The kingdom was founded when Emperor Gaozu granted the territory to his follower Wu Rui in 203 or 202 BC, around the sam ...

Prince of Zhongshan Zhongshan Kingdom or Zhongshan Principality ( zh, 中山國) was a kingdom of the Han dynasty, located in present-day southern Hebei province. The kingdom was carved out of Changshan Commandery in 154 BC and granted to Liu Sheng, son of the rei ...

Prince of Guangchuan A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Prince of Qinghe A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Prince of Changshan A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in some Euro ...

* Prince of Jichuan *

Prince of Jidong A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Prince of Shanyang Liu Ding (, ''Liú Dìng''), Prince of Shanyang (, ''Shānyángwàng''), was a prince of the Han dynasty. He was the fourth son and heir of Liu Wu, prince of Liang Liu Wu (刘武) (–144 BC), posthumously named Prince Xiao of Liang, ...

Prince of Jiyin Jiyin Commandery ( zh, 濟陰郡) was a commandery (China), commandery in historical China from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in what is now southwestern Shandong province. In 144 BC, the Liang Kingdom was divided into five states. Jiyin, on ...

Established by Emperor Wu

* Prince of Guangling *

Prince of Changyi Liu He (; 92–59 BC) was an emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty with the era name Yuanping (). Originally King (or Prince) of Changyi (), he was installed by the powerful minister Huo Guang as emperor in 74 BC, but deposed only 27 days later, and ...

Prince of Lu'an A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

Prince of Zhending A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

Prince of Sishui Sishui Kingdom ( zh, 泗水國) was a kingdom of China's Han dynasty, located in what is now northern Jiangsu province. The kingdom was established in 113 BC. Its territories consisted of several counties formerly belonging to the Donghai Command ...

Prince of Pinggan A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Established by Emperor Xuan

Prince of Huaiyang Huaiyang (淮陽國), was a kingdom/principality that existed intermittently during the Han dynasty. Its territories was located in modern eastern Henan and northwestern Anhui. Huaiyang initially covered the later Chen, Yingchuan and Runan com ...

* Prince of Dongping *

Prince of Gaomi A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

Established by Emperor Yuan

* Prince of Dingtao

Established by Emperor Cheng

Prince of Guangde A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Established by Emperor Ai

Prince of Guangping A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

Established by Emperor Ping

Prince of Guangshi A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Prince of Guangzong A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Crown Prince

The Crown Prince in the Han dynasty was the heir apparent to the throne. The Crown Prince was normally the eldest son of the Emperor and the Empress, but not always. The power to nominate the Crown Prince lay with the throne, although the Emperor generally had to obtain the advice or consent of his high ministers. The Crown Prince would not be given a princedom but instead lived with the Emperor in the capital. When a prince became heir apparent, his principality merged with the realm and became extinct. The Crown Prince could be dismissed and this did indeed happen several times in the Han dynasty.

List of Crown Princes

Crown Prince Ying Emperor Hui of Han (Liu Ying 劉盈; 210 BC – 26 September 188 BC) was the second emperor of China, emperor of the History of China, Chinese Han dynasty. He is also known as Han Huidi (Chinese: 漢惠帝 ''Hàn Huìdì''). He was the second son ...

, son of

Emperor Gao of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

, later Emperor Hui *

Crown Prince Qi Emperor Jing of Han (Liu Qi (劉啟); 188 BC – 9 March 141 BC) was the sixth emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty from 157 to 141 BC. His reign saw the limiting of the power of the feudal kings/princes which resulted in the Rebellion of the Sev ...

, son of

Emperor Wen of Han Emperor Wen of Han (; 203/202 – 6 July 157 BCE), born Liu Heng (), was the fifth emperor of the Western Han dynasty in China from 180 to his death in 157 BCE. The son of Emperor Gao and Consort Bo, his reign provided a much needed stability a ...

, later Emperor Jing *

Crown Prince Rong Liu Rong (Chinese: ) (died 148 BC) was the eldest son of Emperor Jing of the Han dynasty. His mother was Lady Li (栗姬). He was made crown prince of the empire under the formal title Crown Prince Li () in 153 BC, but demoted three years later to ...

, son of

Emperor Jing of Han Emperor Jing of Han (Liu Qi (劉啟); 188 BC – 9 March 141 BC) was the sixth emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty from 157 to 141 BC. His reign saw the limiting of the power of the feudal kings/princes which resulted in the Rebellion of the Sev ...

, later demoted to Prince of Linjiang *

Crown Prince Che Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), formally posthumous name, enshrined as Emperor Wu the filial piety, Filial (), born Liu Che (劉徹) and courtesy name Tong (通), was the seventh emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty of imperi ...

, son of

, originally Prince of Jiaodong, later Emperor Wu *

Crown Prince Li Liu Ju (; 128–91 BC), formally known as Crown Prince Wei (衛太子) and posthumously as Crown Prince Li (戾太子, literally "the Unrepentant Crown Prince", where Li is an unflattering name) was a Western Han Dynasty crown prince. He was the ...

, son of

Emperor Wu of Han Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), formally enshrined as Emperor Wu the Filial (), born Liu Che (劉徹) and courtesy name Tong (通), was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of ancient China, ruling from 141 to 87 BC. His reign la ...

, rebelled and killed *

Crown Prince Fuling Emperor Zhao of Han (Liu Fuling 劉弗陵; 94 BC – 5 June 74 BC) was the emperor of the Western Han dynasty from 87 to 74 BC. Emperor Zhao was the youngest son of Emperor Wu of Han. By the time he was born, Emperor Wu was already 62. Prince Fu ...

, son of

, later Emperor Zhao * Crown Prince Shi, son of

Emperor Xuan of Han Emperor Xuan of Han (Liu Xun 劉詢, né Liu Bingyi 劉病已; born 91 BC – 10 January 48 BC) was the tenth emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty, reigning from 74 to 48 BC, and was one of the only four Western Han emperors to receive a temple na ...

, later Emperor Yuan *

Crown Prince Ao Emperor Cheng of Han (51 BC – 17 April 7 BC) was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty ruling from 33 until 7 BC. He succeeded his father Emperor Yuan of Han. Under Emperor Cheng, the Han dynasty continued its growing disinte ...

, son of

Emperor Yuan of Han Emperor Yuan of Han (Liu Shi 劉奭; 75 BC – 8 July 33 BC) was an emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty. He reigned from 48 BC to 33 BC. Emperor Yuan promoted Confucianism as the official creed of the Chinese government. He appointed Confucius a ...

, later Emperor Cheng * Crown Prince Xin, grandson of

, originally Prince of Dingtao, adopted by

Emperor Cheng of Han Emperor Cheng of Han (51 BC – 17 April 7 BC) was an emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty ruling from 33 until 7 BC. He succeeded his father Emperor Yuan of Han. Under Emperor Cheng, the Han dynasty continued its growing disintegration as the emp ...

and later Emperor Ai

Yixing Kingdoms

Original kingdoms

Established by Liu Bang

Established by the Empress Dowager Lü

Tongxing Kingdoms

Established by Liu Bang

Established by Emperor Wen

Established by Emperor Jing

Established by Emperor Wu

Established by Emperor Xuan

Established by Emperor Yuan

Established by Emperor Cheng

Established by Emperor Ai

Established by Emperor Ping

Crown Prince

List of Crown Princes

See also