Liu Bei

**Liu Bei**
Liu Bei
	"Liu Bei" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	劉備
Simplified Chinese	刘备
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Liú Bèi
Wade–Giles	Liu2 Pei4
IPA	[ljǒʊ pêɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Làuh Beih
Jyutping	Lau4 Bei6
IPA	[lɐu˩ pei˨]
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	Lâu Pī
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	玄德
Literal meaning	(courtesy name)
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xuándé
Wade–Giles	Hsüan2-te2
IPA	[ɕɥɛ̌ntɤ̌]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Yùhn-dāk
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	Hiân-tik

Names
	Family name: Liu (劉); Given name: Bei (備); Courtesy name: Xuande (玄德)
Era name and dates
	Zhangwu (章武): 221–223
Posthumous name
	Emperor Zhaolie (昭烈皇帝)
Temple name
	Liezu (烈祖)

Emperor Zhaolie of Han
漢昭烈帝
Emperor Zhaolie of Han; 漢昭烈帝
	Tang dynasty portrait of Liu Bei by Yan Liben
Emperor of Shu Han
Reign	15 May 221 – 10 June 223
Successor	Liu Shan
King of Hanzhong (漢中王); (under the Eastern Han)
Tenure	July or August 219 – 15 May 221
Born	161; Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery, Han Empire (present-day Zhuozhou, Baoding, Hebei)
Died	10 June 223 (aged 62); Baidicheng, Shu Han
Burial	Hui Mausoleum, Chengdu, Sichuan
Spouse	Empress Zhaolie; Lady Mi; Lady Sun; Empress Mu;
Issue; (among others)	Liu Shan, Emperor Huai of Han; Liu Yong, Prince of Ganling; Liu Li, Prince Dao of Anping; at least two daughters;
Names
Names
	Family name: Liu (劉); Given name: Bei (備); Courtesy name: Xuande (玄德)
Era name and dates
	Zhangwu (章武): 221–223
Posthumous name
	Emperor Zhaolie (昭烈皇帝)
Temple name
	Liezu (烈祖)
House	House of Liu
Dynasty	Shu Han
Father	Liu Hong
Military career
Allegiance	Eastern Han; Shu Han
Battles/wars	Yellow Turban Rebellion; Campaign against Dong Zhuo; Invasion of Xu Province; Campaign against Yuan Shu; Battle of Xiapi; Battle of Guandu; Battle of Bowang; Battle of Changban; Battle of Red Cliffs; Battle of Jiangling; Invasion of Yi Province; Territorial dispute in Jing Province; Hanzhong Campaign; Battle of Xiaoting

Liu Bei (Chinese: 劉備, pronunciation^ⓘ; Mandarin pronunciation: [ljǒʊ pêɪ]; 161 – 10 June 223),^[3] courtesy name Xuande (玄德), was a Chinese warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of China.

Despite early failings and lacking both the material resources and social status his rivals commanded, he gathered support among disheartened Han loyalists who opposed Cao Cao, the warlord who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian and led a popular movement to restore the Han dynasty. Liu Bei overcame a number of setbacks to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned present-day Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, and parts of Hubei and Gansu.

Culturally, due to the popularity of the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei is widely regarded as the ideal benevolent and humane ruler who cared for his people and selected good advisers for his government. His fictional counterpart in the novel was a salutary example of a ruler who adhered to the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion. Historically, Liu Bei, like many Han rulers, was greatly influenced by Laozi. He was a brilliant politician and leader whose skill was a remarkable demonstration of "Confucian in appearance but Legalist in substance".^[b]^[4]

^ Volume 69 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Liu Bei crowned himself on the bingwu day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Cao Pi's reign. ([魏文帝二年]夏，四月，丙午，汉中王即皇帝位于武担之南，大赦，改元章武.) The date corresponds to 15 May 221 in the Julian calendar.
^ According to Liu Xie's biography in Book of the Later Han, Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong on the gengzi day of the 7th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era. However, there is no gengzi day in the month; the month corresponds to 30 Jul to 27 Aug 219 on the Julian calendar. [(建安二十四年)秋七月庚子，刘备自称汉中王] Houhanshu, vol.09
^ de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Brill. pp. 478–483. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
^ Throughout Chinese history, no successful emperor had ruled purely based on Confucianism (though some did purely use Legalism). Numerous studies such as Political Reality of Transforming Legalism by Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty as Seen from Selection System by Wang Baoding, or Aspects of Legalist Philosophy and the Law in Ancient China: The Chi'an and Han Dynasties and Rediscovered Manuscript of Mawangdui and Shuihudi by Matthew August LeFande, have pointed out most ancient Chinese dynasties after Qin had ruled by a mix of Legalism and Confucianism.

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[1] Volume 69 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Liu Bei crowned himself on the bingwu day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Cao Pi's reign. ([魏文帝二年]夏，四月，丙午，汉中王即皇帝位于武担之南，大赦，改元章武.) The date corresponds to 15 May 221 in the Julian calendar.

[2] According to Liu Xie's biography in Book of the Later Han, Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong on the gengzi day of the 7th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era. However, there is no gengzi day in the month; the month corresponds to 30 Jul to 27 Aug 219 on the Julian calendar. [(建安二十四年)秋七月庚子，刘备自称汉中王] Houhanshu, vol.09

[4] Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Brill. pp. 478–483. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.

[6] Throughout Chinese history, no successful emperor had ruled purely based on Confucianism (though some did purely use Legalism). Numerous studies such as Political Reality of Transforming Legalism by Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty as Seen from Selection System by Wang Baoding, or Aspects of Legalist Philosophy and the Law in Ancient China: The Chi'an and Han Dynasties and Rediscovered Manuscript of Mawangdui and Shuihudi by Matthew August LeFande, have pointed out most ancient Chinese dynasties after Qin had ruled by a mix of Legalism and Confucianism.

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