Three Kingdoms

Period in Chinese history from 220 to 581, an era of disruptive, intermittent warfare between three powers. Sometimes the term is used to cover only the period 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty when the Wei, Shu, and Wu fought for supremacy.

From 265 the Wei established their pre-eminence and united the country under the Western Jin (Chin) dynasty until 316. Northern China fell under the control of the Sixteen Dynasties from 317 to 386, before the rise of the Northern Wei (386-535), founded by the barbarian Xianbi (Hsien-pi), a proto-Mongol people who established their capital at Luoyang (Lo-yang). The period 317 to 581, known as the era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, was characterized by political decentralization and the growing influence of Buddhism.