Sima Zhao
Encyclopedia
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent
of the state of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
He maintained control of Cao Wei, seized by his father Sima Yi
and maintained by his older brother Sima Shi
, and had himself created the Duke of Jin—the penultimate step before usurpation of the throne, although he would never actually take the throne. He took advantage of weakness in Shu Han
to the west and attacked it, forcing the surrender of Shu's people. His military credit helped to set up the plot of overthrowing Cao Wei by his son, Sima Yan, who usurped the Cao Wei throne proclaimed the Jin Dynasty
. After the establishment of Jin, Sima Yan posthumously honored him as Emperor Wen of Jin (晉文帝), with the temple name of Taizu (太祖).
A Chinese idiom involving and inspired by Sima Zhao is one that states, "Everyone on the street knows what's in Sima Zhao's mind." (司馬昭之心, 路人皆知) meaning that a person's supposed hidden intention (in this case, usurping the throne) is so well known that it is not really hidden any more. It came from a quote by Cao Mao
, fourth emperor of Cao Wei, who launched an unsuccessful uprising against Sima Zhao to try to take back imperial power.
, he was created a marquess in 238.
Sima Zhao's involvement in his father's coup d'état
against the regent Cao Shuang
in 249 is unclear. According to Jin Shu, he was not told about the plan, hatched by his father and his older brother, until the last minute—a view disagreed with by other historians, who believed that he was intimately involved in the planning. In the aftermaths of the successful coup, however, his father became regent, and he himself became important in status. In 251, when his father suppressed the failed rebellion of Wang Ling, Sima Zhao served as deputy commander. During the next few years, he was involved in commanding forces in repelling invasions by Shu Han's commander of the armed forces, Jiang Wei
.
In 254, while Sima Zhao was at the capital Luoyang
, advisors to the Wei emperor Cao Fang
suggested that the emperor surprise Sima Zhao and kill him to seize his troops, and then use those troops against Sima Shi. Cao Fang, apprehensive, did not act on the suggestion, but the plot was still discovered, and Sima Zhao assisted his brother in deposing the emperor and replacing him with Cao Mao. In the aftermaths of the removal of the emperor, the generals Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin
rebelled in 255 but were defeated by Sima Shi.
Sima Shi, however, had a serious eye illness that was aggravated by the campaign, and he died less than a month later. At that time, Sima Zhao was with his brother at Xuchang
(in modern Xuchang, Henan
). The 14-year-old emperor Cao Mao made an effort to regain imperial power. He issued an edict which, under the rationale that Sima Shi had just defeated Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion and that the southeastern empire was still not complete pacified, ordered Sima Zhao to remain at Xuchang and that Sima Shi's assistant Fu Jia
return to Luoyang with the main troops. Under Fu Jia and Zhong Hui
's advice, however, Sima Zhao returned to Luoyang anyway against edict, and was able to maintain control of the government. Indeed, from that point on, he would not let Cao Mao or Empress Dowager Guo
to be out of his control.
to probe Zhuge Dan
's intentions, Zhuge rebuked Jia Chong severely—leading Sima Zhao to summon Zhuge Dan back to the capital under guise of a promotion. Zhuge Dan refused and started a rebellion, submitting himself to Eastern Wu
for protection. Sima Zhao advanced quickly on Zhuge Dan's stronghold of Shouchun (壽春, in modern Lu'an
, Anhui
) and surrounded it, eventually capturing the city in 258 after cutting off any hope of an Eastern Wu rescue, killing Zhuge Dan and his family. After Zhuge Dan's death, there was no one who dared to oppose Sima Zhao further for the next few years. In 258, he would force the emperor to offer him the Nine Bestowments
-- a step that put him closer to usurpation—and then publicly declined them.
(王經), and Wang Ye
and told them that, while he knew the chances of success were slight, he was going to act against Sima Zhao. He took lead of the imperial guards, armed himself with a sword, and set out toward Sima Zhao's mansion. Sima Zhao's brother Sima Zhou
tried to resist, but after Cao Mao's attendants yelled loudly, Sima Zhou's forces deserted. Jia Chong
then arrived and intercepted the imperial guards. Cao Mao fought personally, and Jia Chong's troops, not daring to attack the emperor, were also deserting. One of the officers under Jia Chong's command, Cheng Ji (成濟), after asking Jia what to do and was told by Jia to defend the Sima power regardless of the consequences, took a spear and killed Cao Mao with it.
After Cao Mao's death, public sentiments called for Jia Chong's death, but what Sima Zhao did first was to force Empress Dowager Guo to posthumously demote Cao Mao to common citizen status and order that he be buried as such. He also executed Wang Jing and his family. The next day, after pleas from his uncle Sima Fu
, Sima Zhao instead had Empress Dowager Guo order that Cao Mao be demoted back to duke but buried with the ceremonies of an imperial prince. Sima Zhao then summoned Cao Huan
, the Duke of Changdaoxiang and a grandson of Cao Cao
, to the capital to become the emperor; by now, Empress Dowager Guo was powerless to speak further. Nineteen days later, however, Sima Zhao publicly accused Cheng Ji and his brothers of treason and had them and their family executed to appease public sentiment while sparing Jia Chong. No one dared to act against Sima Zhao even in the aftermaths of the emperor's death, however, for Sima was effectively the imperial authority by this point.
in charge of the invasion forces (even though Deng Ai initially opposed the campaign), and they set out in spring 263.
Zhong Hui and Deng Ai faced little opposition from Shu Han's forces, whose strategy was to draw the Cao Wei forces in and then close on them—a strategy that backfired, as the Cao Wei forces, much quicker than expected, lept past Shu Han border cities and immediately onto the important Yang'an Pass (陽安關, in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
), capturing it. Still, Jiang Wei was able to regroup and block off the Wei forces from further advances—until Deng Ai led his troops over a treacherous mountain pass, descending on Jiangyou
(in modern Mianyang
, Sichuan
), defeating Zhuge Zhan
and heading directly for the Shu capital, Chengdu
. Surprised by Deng Ai's quick advances and believing that Jiang Wei would be unable to return fast enough to defend the capital against Deng Ai, the Shu Han emperor Liu Shan
surrendered to Cao Wei. During the campaign, in light of the successes, Sima Zhao had the emperor Cao Huan bestow on him the title of the Duke of Jin and accepted the Nine Bestowments.
Another turmoil quickly came after Shu Han's destruction, however. Deng Ai, proud of his achievements, became arrogant in his correspondence with Sima Zhao, drawing Sima's suspicion. Zhong Hui, who had plans to rebel himself, quickly forged letters that further damaged the relations between Sima Zhao and Deng Ai beyond repair, and Sima ordered Deng to be arrested. Zhong Hui did so, seizing Deng Ai's troops and merging them with his own, and then, with Jiang Wei as his assistant (but with Jiang's actual intentions to eventually kill Zhong and restore Shu Han), declared rebellion in 264, but his troops rebelled against him and killed both him and Jiang Wei.
Later that year, Sima Zhao considered whom to make his heir. He considered his talented younger son Sima You
, who had been adopted by Sima Shi because Sima Shi did not have sons of his own—under the rationale that because Sima Shi had great achievement in the Simas' obtaining and retaining power, the succession should go back to his son. The majority of his advisors, however, recommended his oldest son Sima Yan instead, and Sima Zhao finally resolved to make Sima Yan his designated heir.
In the autumn of 265, Sima Zhao died, before he could receive actual imperial authority—although he was buried with imperial honors. Four months later, however, Sima Yan would have the Cao Wei emperor Cao Huan abdicate in favor of him, ending Cao Wei and establishing the Jin Dynasty. After he did so, he posthumously honored Sima Zhao as Emperor Wen.
of Koei's Dynasty Warriors
video game series, in which he's depicted as having a lazy and carefree atmosphere, but underneath it actually being a talented leader and strategist.
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
He maintained control of Cao Wei, seized by his father Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
and maintained by his older brother Sima Shi
Sima Shi
Sima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
, and had himself created the Duke of Jin—the penultimate step before usurpation of the throne, although he would never actually take the throne. He took advantage of weakness in Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
to the west and attacked it, forcing the surrender of Shu's people. His military credit helped to set up the plot of overthrowing Cao Wei by his son, Sima Yan, who usurped the Cao Wei throne proclaimed the Jin Dynasty
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
. After the establishment of Jin, Sima Yan posthumously honored him as Emperor Wen of Jin (晉文帝), with the temple name of Taizu (太祖).
A Chinese idiom involving and inspired by Sima Zhao is one that states, "Everyone on the street knows what's in Sima Zhao's mind." (司馬昭之心, 路人皆知) meaning that a person's supposed hidden intention (in this case, usurping the throne) is so well known that it is not really hidden any more. It came from a quote by Cao Mao
Cao Mao
Cao Mao , formally known as the Duke of Gaogui, was the fourth emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a grandson of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi. Described as intelligent and studious, Cao Mao made repeated attempts to seize back state power...
, fourth emperor of Cao Wei, who launched an unsuccessful uprising against Sima Zhao to try to take back imperial power.
Career up to 255
Sima Zhao was born in 211, as the second-born son of Sima Yi and his wife Lady Zhang Chunhua (張春華), younger only to Sima Shi. As his father was an important Cao Wei official, Sima Shi himself climbed up the ranks of officials fairly rapidly. Due to his father's achievements (not his own) in destroying the warlord Gongsun YuanGongsun Yuan
Gongsun Yuan , style name Wenyi , was a warlord and vassal of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, he was created a marquess in 238.
Sima Zhao's involvement in his father's coup d'état
Incident at Gaoping Tombs
The Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 was a coup d'etat that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The parties involved were Cao Shuang and Sima Yi. Sima Yi seized power during the coup and had Cao Shuang killed...
against the regent Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang , style name Zhaobo , was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Cao Zhen...
in 249 is unclear. According to Jin Shu, he was not told about the plan, hatched by his father and his older brother, until the last minute—a view disagreed with by other historians, who believed that he was intimately involved in the planning. In the aftermaths of the successful coup, however, his father became regent, and he himself became important in status. In 251, when his father suppressed the failed rebellion of Wang Ling, Sima Zhao served as deputy commander. During the next few years, he was involved in commanding forces in repelling invasions by Shu Han's commander of the armed forces, Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
.
In 254, while Sima Zhao was at the capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, advisors to the Wei emperor Cao Fang
Cao Fang
Cao Fang , formally known as Duke Li of Shaoling, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He retained the title Prince of Qi after he was deposed by the regent Sima Shi...
suggested that the emperor surprise Sima Zhao and kill him to seize his troops, and then use those troops against Sima Shi. Cao Fang, apprehensive, did not act on the suggestion, but the plot was still discovered, and Sima Zhao assisted his brother in deposing the emperor and replacing him with Cao Mao. In the aftermaths of the removal of the emperor, the generals Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
rebelled in 255 but were defeated by Sima Shi.
Sima Shi, however, had a serious eye illness that was aggravated by the campaign, and he died less than a month later. At that time, Sima Zhao was with his brother at Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
(in modern Xuchang, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). The 14-year-old emperor Cao Mao made an effort to regain imperial power. He issued an edict which, under the rationale that Sima Shi had just defeated Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion and that the southeastern empire was still not complete pacified, ordered Sima Zhao to remain at Xuchang and that Sima Shi's assistant Fu Jia
Fu Jia
Fu Jia , style name Lanshi , was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. At one time Fu Jia advised Sima Shi that it was not the time to invade Shu Han because Sun Quan of Eastern Wu had just died...
return to Luoyang with the main troops. Under Fu Jia and Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
's advice, however, Sima Zhao returned to Luoyang anyway against edict, and was able to maintain control of the government. Indeed, from that point on, he would not let Cao Mao or Empress Dowager Guo
Empress Guo (Ming)
Empress Guo , personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Mingyuan , was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was married to Cao Rui , the second emperor of Cao Wei; she was his third wife and second empress...
to be out of his control.
Consolidation of authority
During the next few years, Sima Zhao consolidated his authority further, leaving the emperor and empress dowager with little power. He further built up a series of events that were viewed as precipitations to usurpation of the Cao Wei throne. In 256, he had the emperor grant him the privilege of wearing imperial robes, crowns, and boots. He further tested waters by having his close aides hinting to the generals around the empire as to his intentions. In 257, when he sent Jia ChongJia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
to probe Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan , style named Gongxiu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. When he held military positions during his middle to late career, he got involved in all Three Rebellions in Shouchun, which aimed to drive the de facto ruler of Cao Wei, Sima...
's intentions, Zhuge rebuked Jia Chong severely—leading Sima Zhao to summon Zhuge Dan back to the capital under guise of a promotion. Zhuge Dan refused and started a rebellion, submitting himself to Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
for protection. Sima Zhao advanced quickly on Zhuge Dan's stronghold of Shouchun (壽春, in modern Lu'an
Lu'an
Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) and surrounded it, eventually capturing the city in 258 after cutting off any hope of an Eastern Wu rescue, killing Zhuge Dan and his family. After Zhuge Dan's death, there was no one who dared to oppose Sima Zhao further for the next few years. In 258, he would force the emperor to offer him the Nine Bestowments
Nine bestowments
The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine...
-- a step that put him closer to usurpation—and then publicly declined them.
Death of Cao Mao and complete control of Cao Wei's government
In 260, Sima Zhao again forced Cao Mao to issue an edict granting Sima Zhao the Nine Bestowments, which Sima Zhao declined again, but which drew Cao Mao's ire. He gathered his associates Wang Chen (王沈), Wang JingWang Jing
Wang Jing may refer to:*Wang Jing , female Chinese athletics sprinter*Wang Jing , female Chinese sprint canoer...
(王經), and Wang Ye
Wang Ye
Wang Ye was a politician of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms. Wang Ye, along with Wang Shen and Wang Jing were consulted by Cao Mao on the assassination of Sima Zhao...
and told them that, while he knew the chances of success were slight, he was going to act against Sima Zhao. He took lead of the imperial guards, armed himself with a sword, and set out toward Sima Zhao's mansion. Sima Zhao's brother Sima Zhou
Sima Zhou
Sima Zhou was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the sixth son of Sima Yi. Sima Zhou was known in Cao Wei as the "Fire General"...
tried to resist, but after Cao Mao's attendants yelled loudly, Sima Zhou's forces deserted. Jia Chong
Jia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
then arrived and intercepted the imperial guards. Cao Mao fought personally, and Jia Chong's troops, not daring to attack the emperor, were also deserting. One of the officers under Jia Chong's command, Cheng Ji (成濟), after asking Jia what to do and was told by Jia to defend the Sima power regardless of the consequences, took a spear and killed Cao Mao with it.
After Cao Mao's death, public sentiments called for Jia Chong's death, but what Sima Zhao did first was to force Empress Dowager Guo to posthumously demote Cao Mao to common citizen status and order that he be buried as such. He also executed Wang Jing and his family. The next day, after pleas from his uncle Sima Fu
Sima Fu
Sima Fu was a politician of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Sima Fu was a younger brother of Sima Yi, and for this reason he served the state of Cao Wei. It was said that although he did not have the extraordinary abilities of his older brother, he was well...
, Sima Zhao instead had Empress Dowager Guo order that Cao Mao be demoted back to duke but buried with the ceremonies of an imperial prince. Sima Zhao then summoned Cao Huan
Cáo Huàn
Cao Huan , formally known as Emperor Yuan of Wei, was the fifth and last emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
, the Duke of Changdaoxiang and a grandson of Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
, to the capital to become the emperor; by now, Empress Dowager Guo was powerless to speak further. Nineteen days later, however, Sima Zhao publicly accused Cheng Ji and his brothers of treason and had them and their family executed to appease public sentiment while sparing Jia Chong. No one dared to act against Sima Zhao even in the aftermaths of the emperor's death, however, for Sima was effectively the imperial authority by this point.
Campaign to destroy Shu Han
In 262, aggravated by Jiang Wei's incessant border attacks, Sima Zhao considered hiring assassins to murder Jiang Wei, but this plan was opposed by his two advisors, Zhong Hui and Xun Xu (荀勗). Zhong Hui and Xun Xu believed that Jiang Wei had worn out his troops and that it would be an appropriate time to try to destroy Shu Han once and for all. Sima Zhao put Zhong Hui and Deng AiDeng Ai
Deng Ai was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. It was said that whenever he saw a hill or wide valley, he would immediately size up the best places to store grain and position troops. His talent was recognized by Sima Yi, who recommended him to take up...
in charge of the invasion forces (even though Deng Ai initially opposed the campaign), and they set out in spring 263.
Zhong Hui and Deng Ai faced little opposition from Shu Han's forces, whose strategy was to draw the Cao Wei forces in and then close on them—a strategy that backfired, as the Cao Wei forces, much quicker than expected, lept past Shu Han border cities and immediately onto the important Yang'an Pass (陽安關, in modern Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), capturing it. Still, Jiang Wei was able to regroup and block off the Wei forces from further advances—until Deng Ai led his troops over a treacherous mountain pass, descending on Jiangyou
Jiangyou
Jiangyou is a Chinese county-level city located in Mianyang, Sichuan. The city proper is subdivided into four urban districts and has jurisdiction over 21 towns, and 19 rural townships...
(in modern Mianyang
Mianyang
Mianyang is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Its administrative area includes the city proper of Mianyang, with 985,586 inhabitants in the built up area , the county-level city of Jiangyou, and six counties, covering an area of over and a population...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
), defeating Zhuge Zhan
Zhuge Zhan
Zhuge Zhan , style name Siyuan , was a politician and military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
and heading directly for the Shu capital, Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Surprised by Deng Ai's quick advances and believing that Jiang Wei would be unable to return fast enough to defend the capital against Deng Ai, the Shu Han emperor Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
surrendered to Cao Wei. During the campaign, in light of the successes, Sima Zhao had the emperor Cao Huan bestow on him the title of the Duke of Jin and accepted the Nine Bestowments.
Another turmoil quickly came after Shu Han's destruction, however. Deng Ai, proud of his achievements, became arrogant in his correspondence with Sima Zhao, drawing Sima's suspicion. Zhong Hui, who had plans to rebel himself, quickly forged letters that further damaged the relations between Sima Zhao and Deng Ai beyond repair, and Sima ordered Deng to be arrested. Zhong Hui did so, seizing Deng Ai's troops and merging them with his own, and then, with Jiang Wei as his assistant (but with Jiang's actual intentions to eventually kill Zhong and restore Shu Han), declared rebellion in 264, but his troops rebelled against him and killed both him and Jiang Wei.
Death
After Zhong Hui's rebellion was defeated, Sima Zhao was granted the title King of Jin -- the penultimate step to usurpation. He set out to revise the laws and the civil service system in accordance of how he would want his own empire to be. He further sought peace with Eastern Wu, to prevent further complications for his planned takeover—a gesture that was not reciprocated.Later that year, Sima Zhao considered whom to make his heir. He considered his talented younger son Sima You
Sima You
Sima You , style name Taiyou , was the second son of the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Sima You became the heir to his uncle, Sima Shi, who at the time was childless...
, who had been adopted by Sima Shi because Sima Shi did not have sons of his own—under the rationale that because Sima Shi had great achievement in the Simas' obtaining and retaining power, the succession should go back to his son. The majority of his advisors, however, recommended his oldest son Sima Yan instead, and Sima Zhao finally resolved to make Sima Yan his designated heir.
In the autumn of 265, Sima Zhao died, before he could receive actual imperial authority—although he was buried with imperial honors. Four months later, however, Sima Yan would have the Cao Wei emperor Cao Huan abdicate in favor of him, ending Cao Wei and establishing the Jin Dynasty. After he did so, he posthumously honored Sima Zhao as Emperor Wen.
Family
- Father: Sima YiSima YiSima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
- Mother: Zhang ChunhuaZhang ChunhuaZhang Chunhua was the wife of the Cao Wei general Sima Yi during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was known to be wise and capable, but also ruthless at times.-Biography:...
- Spouse: Wang YuanjiEmpress Dowager Wang YuanjiWang Yuanji , formally Empress Wenming was an empress dowager during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. She was the wife of Sima Zhao, regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period...
- Children:
- Sima YanEmperor Wu of JìnEmperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
, usurped the Cao WeiCao WeiCao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
throne and founded the Jin DynastyJìn Dynasty (265-420)The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin... - Sima YouSima YouSima You , style name Taiyou , was the second son of the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Sima You became the heir to his uncle, Sima Shi, who at the time was childless...
, Prince Xian of Qi, continued Sima ShiSima ShiSima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
's family line - Sima Zhao (司馬兆), died at the age of 10, posthumously granted title Prince Ai of Chengyang
- Sima Dingguo (司馬定國), died at the age of 3, posthumously granted title Prince Daohui of Liaodong
- Sima Guangde (司馬廣德), died at the age of 2, posthumously granted title Prince Shang of Guanghan
- Sima Jian (司馬鑒), instated as Prince Ping of Le'an in 265, died in 297
- Sima Ji (司馬機), instated as Prince of Yan in 265
- Sima Yongzuo (司馬永祚), Prince of Leping
- Sima Yanzuo (司馬延祚), Prince of Liang, continued Sima Tong (司馬彤)'s family line
- Princess Jingzhao (京兆長公主), personal name unknown
- Sima Yan
Modern references
Sima Zhao is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh installmentDynasty Warriors 7
is a hack and slash video game and the seventh official installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. It is developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game has been confirmed to be PS3 exclusive in Japan. The story is based on Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms....
of Koei's Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
video game series, in which he's depicted as having a lazy and carefree atmosphere, but underneath it actually being a talented leader and strategist.
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms
- List of Dynasty Warriors characters