THREE KINGDOMS PERIOD

It was in the context of the collapse of the power and authority of the Han Dynasty, which occurred gradually over a 35-year period, that the three kingdoms began to take shape led by the three most prominent heroes of the time: Cao Cao, who established the Kingdom of Wei in the north, Liu Bei, who established the Kingdom of Shu-Han in the west and Sun Quan, who established the Kingdom of Wu in the south. With the exception of Cao Cao, whose son, Cao Pi, declared himself Emperor in 220 AD, each was later to declare himself Emperor.

The period of about 100 years of Chinese history straddling the declining years of the Han Dynasty from around 184AD to 220AD and the actual Three Kingdoms period from 220AD to 280 AD is commonly referred to as the Three Kingdoms period primarily because of the famous historical novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" attributed to Luo Guangzhong writing around 1350AD. This novel is reputedly the second most well read book after the Holy Bible and is hugely popular in Asia.

The game, which is based on the famous historical novel is set in a period of around 15 years including and after the famous Battle of Red Cliffs in 208AD. In this Battle, which is perhaps the most famous Battle in Chinese history, Cao Cao, with vastly larger forces, suffered an enormous defeat at the hands of the allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan. The Three Kingdoms period is famous in Chinese history not just for the ferocity of the never-ending wars but also for the brilliance of the military strategy employed. Even today businessmen look to the strategies adopted at this time to win commercial advantage.

This period of Chinese history was also a time of great advancement in medicine, literature, philosophy and science. In the field of medicine, Hua Tuo, who excelled in surgery, invented the first anaesthetic called "Mafei Powder Medicine".

Advancement in the literary field saw the creation of many works which are still read today. The Cao family was a prominent contributor to those works and Cao Cao himself wrote over 20 poems and some 40 pieces of prose which fall into this category. In the field of philosophy, the emergence of metaphysics was considered an outstanding accomplishment credited to He Yan and Wang Bi. In the field of science, Liu Hui, a famous mathematician, first calculated the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The Three Kingdoms period also saw an increase in navigation exploration and diplomatic activity. In 230 AD a huge ship carrying 10,000 people reached the island now known as Taiwan marking the first recorded contact between the Mainland and Taiwan. In the field of diplomacy the Kingdom of Wei maintained close contact with the country of Xiematai, now part of Japan and the Kingdom of Wu sent envoys to Linyi, now the southern part of Vietnam and Funan, now part of Cambodia.

In 263 AD the Kingdom of Shu-Han was conquered by the Kingdom of Wei after the second Emperor of Shu-Han, Liu Bei's son, Liu Shan, surrendered to Deng Ai, the Senior General of Wei. In 266 AD Sima Yan, the eldest son of Sima Zhao (the effective ruler of Wei at the time of the conquest of Shu-Han), forced the Wei Emperor to abdicate and founded the Western Jin Dynasty. Finally, in 280 AD Sima Yan conquered the Kingdom of Wu and united the entire country. Thus ended the Three Kingdoms period.