Cao Cao
King of Wei
Born	155 Bozhou, Anhui, China
Died	March 15, 220 (aged 65) Luoyang, Henan, China
Successor	Cao Pi
Names
Simplified Chinese	曹操
Traditional Chinese	曹操
Pinyin	Cáo Cāo
Wade-Giles	Ts'ao² Ts'ao¹
Courtesy name	Mèngdé (孟德)
Posthumous name	Wu (武)
Temple name	Wudi (武帝) Taizu (太祖)
Other names	Infant Name A-Man (阿瞞) Ji-Li (吉利)

This article contains Chinese text. A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually Administration The Prefecture-level city of Bozhou administers 4 county-level divisions, including 1 district and 3 counties. Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Events By Place Roman Empire The Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Cao Pi (曹丕 187 - June 29, 226) formally Emperor Wen of (Cao Wei (曹魏文帝 Courtesy name Zihuan (子桓 was Personal Names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name ( zì) is a given name to be used later in life A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty nobles and sometimes others in some cultures after the person's death Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean ( Goryeo and Joseon periods and Vietnamese (such dynasties as Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (

Cáo Cāo (155 – March 15, 220^[1]) was a regional warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Events By Place Roman Empire The Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans. A warlord is a person with power who has military control over a subnational area due to Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority The Chancellor ( variously translated as Prime Minister, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the Kingdom of Wei (also known as Cáo Wèi) and was posthumously titled Emperor Wu of Wei (魏武帝). The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of Cao Wei ( was one of the empires that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period Although often portrayed as a cruel and merciless tyrant, Cao Cao has also been praised as a brilliant ruler and military genius who treated his officers like his family. He was also skilled in poetry and the martial arts, and wrote many war journals.

Life

Early life

Cao Cao (曹操) was born in the county of Qiao (譙, present day Bozhou, Anhui) in 155. Administration The Prefecture-level city of Bozhou administers 4 county-level divisions, including 1 district and 3 counties. Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. His father Cao Song (曹嵩) was a foster son of Cao Teng (曹騰), who in turn was one of the favorite eunuchs of Emperor Huan. Cao Song (曹嵩 died 193 was the father of Cao Cao. Cao Cao normally began with the surname "Xiahou" but since Song fathered him he was forced under Cao Teng (? - ? was a Eunuch who served the Han Dynasty in its later years A eunuch (ˈjuːnək is a Castrated man in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences the term usually refers to those castrated in order to Family background and ascension Liu Zhi was born in 132 to Liu Yi (劉翼 the Marquess of Liwu and his Concubine Yan Ming (匽明 Some historical records, including Biography of Cao Man, claim that Cao Song was originally surnamed Xiahou (thus making Cao Cao a cousin of Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, two of his most prominent generals). Xiahou Dun (? &ndash 220 was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Xiahou Yuan (? &ndash 219 was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of In the fictionalized Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao's father was originally a Xiahou and was adopted into the Cao family.

Cao Cao was known for his craftiness as a young man. According to the Biography of Cao Man, Cao Cao's uncle often complained to Cao Song regarding Cao Cao's childhood indulgence in hunting and music with Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao (? - 202 was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. To counter this, Cao Cao one day feigned a fit before his uncle, who hurriedly informed Cao Song. Cao Song rushed out to see his son, who was by then back to normal. When asked, Cao Cao replied, "I have never had such illness, but I lost the love of my uncle, and therefore he had deceived you. " Henceforth, Cao Song ceased to believe the words of his brother regarding Cao Cao, and thus Cao Cao became even more blatant in his wayward pursuits.

At that time, there was a man living in Runan (汝南) named Xu Shao (許劭) who was famed for his ability to evaluate one's potentials and talents. Runan may refer to Runan County, in Henan China Runan Côtes-d'Armor, commune in France Xu Shao (150 - 195 was a famous commentator during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Cao Cao paid him a visit in hopes of receiving the evaluation that will earn him some reputation politically. Originally Xu Shao pondered and refused to make a statement; however, under persistent questioning, he finally said, "You would be a capable minister in peaceful times and an unscrupulous hero in chaotic times. " Cao Cao took this as a compliment and was very pleased as it was recorded that he "laughs and leaves" after receiving said comment. It is worth noting that there are two other versions of the comment in other unofficial historical records: "capable minister in peaceful times, righteous hero in chaotic times" and "sinister foe in peaceful times, great hero in chaotic times. "

At twenty, Cao Cao was recommended to be a district captain of Luoyang. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Upon taking up the post, Cao Cao placed rows of multicolored staffs outside his office and ordered his deputies to flog those who violated the law, regardless of their status. An uncle of Jian Shuo, one of the most powerful and influential eunuchs under Emperor Ling, was once caught walking in the city beyond the evening curfew hour by Cao Cao and given his fair share of flogging. Jian Shuo (寋碩 (d 189 was the leader of the Eunuch Faction of the Han imperial court in China, along with Zhang Rang. Emperor Ling of Han, trad ch 漢靈帝, sim ch 汉灵帝, py. This prompted Jian Shuo and other higher authorities to "promote" Cao Cao to another position outside the imperial capital (governor of Dunqiu County) to remove his management. Qingfeng County is under the administrative control of Puyang, Henan.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184 Cao Cao was recalled to Luoyang and promoted to a captain of the cavalry (騎都尉) and sent to Yingchuan (潁川) to put down the rebels there. The Yellow Turban Rebellion, sometimes also translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, ( was a AD 184 peasant rebellion against Emperor Ling of Han Events By place Roman Empire The Antonine Wall is permanently abandoned Yuzhou (Simplified Chinese 禹州 pinyin Yǔzhōu is a county-level city in Xuchang, central Henan province in the People's Republic of China He was successful in his military exploits and was further promoted to Governor of Dong Commandery (東郡).

Alliance against Dong Zhuo

Main article: Campaign against Dong Zhuo

In 189, Emperor Ling died and was succeeded by his eldest son, though it was the empress dowager and the eunuchs who held true power. The Campaign against Dong Zhuo (董卓討伐戰 in 190 was initiated by a coalition of regional officials hoping to end Chancellor Dong Zhuo 's influence Events By Place Asia The Prince of Hongnong succeeds Han Lingdi as Chinese emperor of the Han Dynasty. The two most powerful generals of that time, He Jin and Yuan Shao, plotted to eliminate the clan of influential eunuchs. He Jin (135 &ndash 189 was the elder half-brother of Empress He, consort to Emperor Ling of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in China. Yuan Shao (? - 202 was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He Jin summoned Dong Zhuo, governor of Liangzhou (凉州), to lead his army into the capital Luoyang to lay pressure on the empress dowager, despite numerous objections on account of Dong Zhuo's reputation and personality. Dong Zhuo (died May 22, 192) was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. This article refers to the Han-founded kingdom in what is now Gansu, whose sovereigns were ancestors of the eventual Tang Dynasty emperors Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Before Dong Zhuo arrived, however, He Jin was assassinated by the eunuchs and Luoyang fell into chaos as the supporters of Yuan Shao battled the army of Eunuchs. Dong Zhuo's elite army, assigned to him due to the importance of his position as safeguard of the border, easily rid the palace grounds of opposition and deposed the emperor and placed in the throne the puppet Emperor Xian. Emperor Xian of Han ( Traditional 漢獻帝 Simplified 汉献帝 Pinyin Hàn Xiàn dì, Wade-Giles Han Hsien-ti; While Dong Zhuo did desire personal power with this opportunity, he did want to restore the Han Dynasty and resolve the political conflicts. From a previous encounter, he deemed that Emperor Xian was more capable than the original puppet Emperor. ^[2]

After lying to Wang Yun and others about assassinating Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao left Luoyang for Chenliu (陳留, southeast of present day Kaifeng, Henan, Cao Cao's home town), where he raised his own troops. Wang Yun (137 AD &ndash 192 AD was the Minister over the Masses under Emperor Xian during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. Kaifeng ( formerly known as Bianliang ( Bianjing ( Daliang ( or simply Liang ( is a Prefecture-level city in eastern Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country The next year, regional warlords combined their forces under Yuan Shao against Dong Zhuo. Cao Cao joined their cause. China fell into civil war when Dong Zhuo's own foster son, Lü Bu, eventually killed him in 192. Lü Bu (died 198 was a military general and later minor Warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. Events By Place Roman Empire Commodus is assassinated by a wrestler named Narcissus, at the behest of Commodus' Concubine

Securing the emperor

Through short-term and regional-scale wars, Cao Cao continued to expand his power.

In 196, Cao Cao found Emperor Xian and convinced him to move the capital to Xuchang as per the suggestion from Xun Yu and other advisors (as Luoyang was ruined by war and Chang'an was not under Cao Cao's military control), and he was proclaimed Chancellor. Events By Place Roman Empire Septimus Severus 's troops capture and sack Byzantium, and retake Mesopotamia Xuchang ( is a Prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China. Xun Yu (163 - 212 styled Wenruo (文若 was a strategist and statesman who served as a key advisor to Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms era of China Cao Cao was then instated as the General-in-Chief (大將軍) and Marquis of Wuping (武平侯), though both titles had little practical implication. While some viewed the Emperor as a puppet under Cao Cao's power, Cao Cao himself adhered to a strict personal rule to his death that he would not usurp the throne. Later in his life, when he was approached by his advisors to take over the Han Dynasty and start a new rule, he replied, "If heaven bestows such fate on me, let me be the King Wen of Zhou. King Wen ( (1099–1050 BC was the founder of the Zhou Dynasty. " ^[3]

To maintain a good relationship with Yuan Shao, who had become the most powerful warlord in China when he united the northern four provinces, Cao Cao lobbied to have Yuan Shao named Chief Advisor (司空). This however had the exact opposite effect, as Yuan Shao believed that Cao Cao was trying to humiliate him after having the Emperor's support, since Chief Advisor technically ranked lower than General-in-Chief, and thus Yuan Shao refused to accept the title. To pacify Yuan Shao, Cao Cao offered his own position, General-in-Chief, to Yuan Shao, while taking Chief Advisor role himself. While this temporarily resolved the conflict, it was nevertheless the catalyst for the Battle of Guandu later. The Battle of Guandu (官渡之戰 was a Battle during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history that took place at the Yellow River

Uniting the North

See also: Cao Cao's unification of northern China

In 200, Yuan Shao amassed more than 100,000 troops and marched southwards on Xuchang in the name of rescuing the emperor. Events By Place World Human population reaches about 257 million Cao Cao gathered 20,000 men in Guandu, a strategic point on the shore of the Yellow River. The Battle of Guandu (官渡之戰 was a Battle during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history that took place at the Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the The two armies come to a standstill as neither side was able to make much progress. Cao Cao's lack of men did not allow him to make significant attacks, and the pride of Yuan Shao forced him to target Cao Cao's force head-on. Despite Yuan Shao's overwhelming advantage in terms of manpower, Cao Cao's location and his own indecisive leadership made him unable to make full use of his resources.

Besides the middle battleground of Guandu, two lines of battle were present. The eastern line with Yuan Tan of Yuan Shao's army versus Xang Ba of Cao Cao's army was a one-sided battle in favor of Cao Cao, as Yuan Tan's own questionable leadership was no match for Xang Ba's local knowledge of the landscape and hit-and-run tactics. Yuán Tán ( (173 &ndash 205 was the eldest son of the powerful warlord Yuan Shao, and served as a military commander under his father during the late Eastern Han To the western side, Yuan Shao's cousin, Gao Gan, performed much better against Cao Cao's army and forced several reinforcements from Cao Cao's main camp to maintain the western battle. Liu Bei, who was at the time a guest in Yuan Shao's army, also suggested to induce uprising in the back of Cao Cao's lands as there were many connections to the Yuan family and their subordinates. Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the The tactic was successful at first, but quickly countered by Man Chong's diplomatic skill. Man Chong (? &ndash 242 courtesy name Boning (伯寧 was an officer for the Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of China. Man Chong had been placed as an official there for this specific reason, as Cao Cao had foreseen the situation prior to the battle.

Finally, with the help of a defector from Yuan Shao's army, Xu You, who informed Cao Cao of the location of Yuan Shao's army supply, Cao Cao broke the standstill and sent a special task force to burn all the supplies of Yuan Shao's army and won a decisive and seemingly impossible victory. Yuan Shao fell ill and died shortly after returning from the defeat, leaving his legacy to two of his sons – the eldest son, Yuan Tan and the youngest son, Yuan Shang (袁尚). Yuán Tán ( (173 &ndash 205 was the eldest son of the powerful warlord Yuan Shao, and served as a military commander under his father during the late Eastern Han Yuan Shang (177 &ndash 207 AD was the third son of Yuan Shao, an influential warlord and noble who rose to power during late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three As he had designated the youngest son, Yuan Shang, as his successor, rather than the eldest as tradition dictated, the two brothers consistently feuded against each other, as they fought Cao Cao. Because of their internal divisions, Cao Cao was easily able to defeat them by using their differences to his advantage. Henceforth Cao Cao assumed effective rule over all of northern China. He sent armies further out and extended his control past the Great Wall into northern Korea, and southward to the Han River. The Great Wall of China ( or ( is a series of stone and earthen Fortifications in China, built rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia.

However, Cao Cao's attempt to extend his domination south of the Yangtze River was unsuccessful. He received an initial great success when Liu Biao, ruler of Jing Zhou, died, and his successor, Liu Zong surrendered to Cao Cao without resistance. Delighted by this turn-out (Cao Cao, a devoted follower of Sun Tzu's Art of War, also considered "defeating your enemy without battle" to be the highest form of achievement of war) he pressed on and hoped the same would happen despite the objections by his military advisors. His forces were then defeated by the first coalition of his archrivals Liu Bei and Sun Quan (who later founded the kingdoms of Shu and Wu respectively) at the Red Cliffs in 208. Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Sun Quan ( (182 - 252 son of Sun Jian, courtesy name Zhòngmóu (仲謀 formally Emperor Da of (Eastern Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu Shu Han ( Traditional Chinese: 蜀漢 Pinyin: Shǔ Hàn sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ was one of the Three Kingdoms competing Eastern Wu ( Chinese: 東吳 Pinyin: Dōng Wú also known as Sun Wu ( Traditional Chinese: 孫吳 pinyin Sūn Wú refers to a The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three

The three kingdoms

In 213, Cao Cao was titled Duke of Wei (魏公), given the nine bestowments and given a fief of ten cities under his domain, known as the State of Wei. Events By Place Roman Empire Caracalla leaves Rome never to return The nine bestowments ( were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments In 216, Cao Cao was promoted to Prince/King of Wei (魏王). Events By Place Roman Empire The Baths of Caracalla in Rome are completed Over the years, Cao Cao, as well as Liu Bei and Sun Quan, continued to consolidate their power in their respective regions. Through many wars, China became divided into three powers – Wei, Shu and Wu, which fought sporadic battles among themselves without the balance tipping significantly in anyone's favor.

In 220, Cao Cao died in Luoyang at the age of 65, failing to unify China under his rule. Events By Place Roman Empire The Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans. His will instructed that he be buried in everyday clothes and without burial artifacts, and that his subjects on duty at the frontier were to stay in their posts and not attend the funeral as, in his own words, "the country is still unstable".

His eldest surviving son Cao Pi succeeded him. Cao Pi (曹丕 187 - June 29, 226) formally Emperor Wen of (Cao Wei (曹魏文帝 Courtesy name Zihuan (子桓 was Within a year, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate and proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Kingdom of Wei. Cao Wei ( was one of the empires that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period Cao Cao was then posthumously titled Emperor Wu. Cáo Cāo ( 曹[[wikt 操|操]] 155 &ndash March 15, 220) was a regional Warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the

Major battles

Battle of Guandu

Main article: Battle of Guandu

In the spring of 200, Yuan Shao (袁紹), the most powerful warlord of the north, amassed more than 100,000 troops and marched from Ye on Xuchang. The Battle of Guandu (官渡之戰 was a Battle during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history that took place at the Yellow River Events By Place World Human population reaches about 257 million Yuan Shao (? - 202 was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. Ye ( was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County Henan. Xuchang ( is a Prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China. To defend against the invasion, Cao Cao placed 20,000 men at Guandu (官渡), a strategic landing point on the shore of the Yellow River which Yuan Shao's troops had to secure en route Xuchang (許昌). The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the

With a few diversionary tactics, Cao Cao managed to disorient Yuan Shao's troops as well as kill two of Yuan Shao's most capable generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou. Yan Liang (? &ndash 200 was a military general under the powerful warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Wen Chou (? &ndash 200 was a military general under the powerful warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of The morale of Yuan Shao's troops suffered a further blow when Cao Cao launched a stealth attack on the former's food store, Wuchao. Wuchao (烏巢 located southeast of Yanjing County, Henan was famous for being the location of the stores for Yuan Shao 's army at the Battle of Guandu Many more of Yuan Shao's men surrendered or deserted than were killed during the ensuing battle. When Yuan Shao eventually retreated back to Ye in the winter of 201, he did so with little more than 800 light cavalry. Events By Place Asia Earliest trace of the Kyrgyz. By Topic Religion In November

The Battle of Guandu shifted the balance of power in northern China. Yuan Shao (袁紹) died shortly after his retreat and his two sons were soon defeated by Cao Cao further in the northern regions of Liaodong (遼東). The Liáodōng Peninsula ( is a Peninsula in the Liáoníng province of northeastern China, historically known in the west as southern east- Manchuria Since then, Cao Cao's dominance in the entirety of northern China was never seriously challenged. The battle has also been studied by military strategists ever since as a classic example of winning against an enemy with far superior numbers.

Traditional site of the Red Cliffs, north of Wulin

Battle of Red Cliffs

Main article: Battle of Chibi

The Battle of Chibi (literally, "Red Cliffs") was another classic battle where the vastly outnumbered emerged as victor through strategy. The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three In this battle, however, Cao Cao was on the losing end.

In the winter of 208, Liu Bei and Sun Quan – two warlords who later founded the kingdoms of Shu and Wu respectively – formed their first coalition against the southward expansion of Cao Cao. For the area code see Area code 208. Events By Place Roman Empire Roman emperor Septimius Severus Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Sun Quan ( (182 - 252 son of Sun Jian, courtesy name Zhòngmóu (仲謀 formally Emperor Da of (Eastern Wu was the founder of Eastern Wu Shu Han ( Traditional Chinese: 蜀漢 Pinyin: Shǔ Hàn sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ was one of the Three Kingdoms competing Eastern Wu ( Chinese: 東吳 Pinyin: Dōng Wú also known as Sun Wu ( Traditional Chinese: 孫吳 pinyin Sūn Wú refers to a The two sides confronted at the Red Cliffs (northwest of present day Chibi City, Hubei). Chibi City ( Chinese: 赤壁市 Pinyin: Chìbì Shì) is a Chinese city of about 133000 in Xianning, Hubei province ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. Cao Cao boasted 830,000 men (historians believe the realistic number was around 220,000), while the Liu-Sun coalition at best had 50,000 troops.

However, Cao Cao's men, mostly from the north, were ill-suited to the southern climate and naval warfare, and thus entered the battle with a disadvantage. Furthermore, a plague that broke out undermined the strength of Cao Cao's army. The decision by Zhou Yu, military advisor to Sun Quan, to use fire also worked effectively against Cao Cao's vessels, which were chained together and thus allowed the fires to quickly spread. Zhou Yu (周瑜 175-210 was a famous and one of the most capable military strategists for Sun Ce and his successor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era the A majority of Cao Cao's troops were either burnt to death or drowned. Those who tried to retreat to the near bank were ambushed and annihilated by enemy skirmishers. Cao Cao himself barely escaped the encounter.

Other contributions

Agriculture and education

While waging military campaigns against his enemies, Cao Cao did not forget the basis of society – agriculture and education.

In 194, a locust plague caused a major famine across China. Events By Place Roman Empire Pescennius Niger, competitor of Septimius Severus for the Roman Empire is defeated in three successive According to the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, the people ate each other out of desperation. The Records of Three Kingdoms ( is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, Without food, many armies were defeated even without fighting. From this experience, Cao Cao saw the importance of an ample food supply in building a strong military. He began a series of agricultural programs in cities such as Xuchang and Chenliu. Xuchang ( is a Prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China. Refugees were recruited and given wastelands to cultivate. Later, encampments not faced with imminent danger of war were also made to farm. This system was continued and spread to all regions under Cao Cao as his realm expanded. Although Cao Cao's primary intention was to build a powerful army, the agricultural program also improved the living standards of the people, especially war refugees.

By 203, Cao Cao had eliminated most of Yuan Shao's force. For the grenade launcher see M203. For the US area code see Area code 203. Yuan Shao (? - 202 was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. This afforded him more attention on the constructional works within his realm. In autumn of that year, Cao Cao passed an order decreeing the promotion of education throughout the counties and cities within his jurisdiction. An official in charge of education matters was assigned to each county with at least 500 households. Youngsters with potential and talents were selected to undergo schooling. This prevented a lapse in the output of intellectuals in those warring years and, in Cao Cao's words, would benefit the people.

Poetry

Cao Cao was also an established poet. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Although few of his works remain today, his verses, unpretentious yet profound, contributed to reshaping the poetry style of his time. Together with his sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, they are collectively known as the "Three Cao" in poetry. Cao Pi (曹丕 187 - June 29, 226) formally Emperor Wen of (Cao Wei (曹魏文帝 Courtesy name Zihuan (子桓 was Cao Zhi (曹植 192 &ndash 232 was a Chinese Poet during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period Along with several other poets of the time, their poems formed the backbone of what was to be known as the jian'an style (建安风骨; jian'an is the era name for the period from 196 to 220). A Chinese era name ( is the Era name, reign period or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperor's reign and naming certain Chinese

The civil strife towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty gave the jian'an poems their characteristic solemn yet heart-stirring tone, which frequently lament over the ephemerality of life. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. In the history of Chinese literature, the jian'an poems were a transition from the early folksongs into scholarly poetry.

One of Cao Cao's most celebrated poems, written in the late years of his life, is Though the Tortoise Lives Long (龜雖壽).

Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred during the Three Kingdoms period. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese Historical novel based upon events in Luo Guanzhong ( c 1330?-1400? born Luo Ben (罗本 was a Chinese author attributed with writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义 The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of While staying true to history most of the time, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms inevitably gave Cao Cao a certain degree of dramatic make-up, in such a tone so as to suggest him as a cruel and suspicious character. On several occasions, Luo Guanzhong even made up fictional or semi-fictional events involving Cao Cao. These include:

Cao Cao in the 84-episode television serial Romance of the Three Kingdoms played by Bao Guo'an

Escape from Dong Zhuo

While in reality Cao Cao did leave Dong Zhuo (董卓), the tyrannical warlord who held the last Han emperor (漢獻帝) hostage in 190 to form his own army, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) went a step further to describe Cao Cao's attempted assassination of the latter:

Since Dong Zhuo deposed the eldest son of the late Emperor Ling and placed in the throne Emperor Xian, his tyrannical behavior had angered many court officials. In 1995, CCTV produced a television adaptation of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Dong Zhuo (died May 22, 192) was a powerful warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. Emperor Xian of Han ( Traditional 漢獻帝 Simplified 汉献帝 Pinyin Hàn Xiàn dì, Wade-Giles Han Hsien-ti; Emperor Ling of Han, trad ch 漢靈帝, sim ch 汉灵帝, py. Emperor Xian of Han ( Traditional 漢獻帝 Simplified 汉献帝 Pinyin Hàn Xiàn dì, Wade-Giles Han Hsien-ti; One of the officials, Wang Yun (王允), held a banquet one night. Wang Yun (137 AD &ndash 192 AD was the Minister over the Masses under Emperor Xian during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. Halfway through the banquet, Wang Yun began to cry at the cruel deeds of Dong Zhuo. His colleagues, feeling the same anguish, joined him.

Cao Cao, however, laughed and said, "All the officials of the court – crying from dusk till dawn and dawn till dusk – could you cry Dong Zhuo to his death?" He then borrowed from Wang Yun the Seven Gem Sword (七星劍) with the promise that he would personally assassinate Dong Zhuo.

The next day, Cao Cao brought the precious sword along to see Dong Zhuo. Having much trust in Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo received the guest in his bedroom. Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo's foster son, left the room for the stable to select a fast horse for Cao Cao, who complained about his slow ride. Lü Bu (died 198 was a military general and later minor Warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China.

When Dong Zhuo faced away, Cao Cao prepared to unsheathe the sword. However, Dong Zhuo saw the movement in the mirror and hastily turned to question Cao Cao's intention. At this time, Lü Bu had also returned. In his desperation, Cao Cao knelt and pretended that he wanted to present the sword to Dong Zhuo. He then rode away with the excuse of trying out the new horse, and headed straight out of the capital before Dong Zhuo, who grew heavily suspicious, could capture him.

Following the escape from Dong Zhuo is a legendary episode aimed at illustrating Cao Cao's near-Machiavellian tendencies for later characterizations of him as a villain. Though never exactly proven, it is said that Cao Cao escaped with one retainer, Chen Gong to the home of an old friend of his, perhaps his father's sworn brother, from whom he was able to beg shelter. Chen Gong (? &ndash 198 was an advisor to the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He promised to protect him, and then set out to gather materials for an evening feast. Cao Cao and Chen Gong hid themselves in a back room, where they chanced to overhear a discussion by some servants involving some sort of murder plot. Assuming that his father's sworn brother had deceived him and intended to hand his corpse to Dong Zhuo for a reward, Cao Cao and Chen Gong burst in on the servants and proceeded to massacre the entire household, including the wife and children of his friend, whereupon he discovered that the "murder" he overheard pertained not to him, but to a pig intended as the centerpiece of the feast.

Cao Cao and Chen Gong immediately fled but encountered his father's sworn brother returning from his errand at the house's front gate. When questioned, Cao Cao gave him the excuse of fear of having been followed as the reason for his abrupt departure, and when he turned to continue toward the house, Cao Cao again unsheathed his sword and stabbed him through the back. When questioned by Chen Gong as to the reason for such a horrible action, Cao Cao explained that if he had returned to the house and see what had been done, he would have immediately run to the authorities desiring vengeance for his family, and their plight would be even more precarious than it already was. Cao Cao then lifted high his bloody sword and made the quote that would forever secure his place as the foremost villain in Chinese popular literature: Ningjiao wo fu tianxia ren, xiujiao tianxia ren fu wo (寧教我負天下人，休教天下人負我), meaning "Better that I should wrong the world than that the world should wrong me. "

Portrait of Cao Cao from a Qing Dynasty edition of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the hunched figure clearly portraying him as a villain

Escape through Huarong Trail

After the fire started burning at the Red Cliffs, Cao Cao gathered all the men he could and escaped towards Jiangling, taking the shortcut through Huarong Trail. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese Historical novel based upon events in The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, ( was a decisive battle at the End of Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three On top of the huge defeat and humiliation Cao Cao suffered, Luo Guanzhong decided to add one more pinch of salt to the getaway:

During his perilous escape back to Jiangling, Cao Cao came to a fork in the road. Columns of smoke were seen rising from the narrower path. Cao Cao judged that the smoke was a trick by the enemy to divert him to the main road, where an ambush must have been laid. He then led his men towards the narrow path – the Huarong Trail.

The smoke was indeed a trick by Zhuge Liang, military advisor to Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang (181–234 was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Grasping Cao Cao's psychology exactly, however, Zhuge Liang actually meant to direct him to Huarong Trail, where Guan Yu with 500 troops sat waiting. Guan Yu ( Chinese: 關羽 Guān Yǔ was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Upon being cut off, Cao Cao rode forward and pled to Guan Yu to remember kindness of the former days. Seeing the plight of the defeated men and recalling the former favors he received from Cao Cao, Guan Yu then allowed the enemy to pass through without challenge, risking his own life for disobeying military orders.

However, in the official history, Cao Cao escaped through a muddy road, with a lot of shrubs around. Shortly after he escaped, Liu Bei's troops then came to the road and set fire to it. Liu Bei (161– June 21 223) styled Xuándé (玄徳 was a general warlord and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Cao Cao therefore teased him as "clever, but a little slow".

Strict Disciplinarian

Tu Mu alludes to the remarkable story of Cao Cao stating that he was such a strict disciplinarian that once, in accordance with his own severe regulations against injury to standing crops, he condemned himself to death for having allowed his horse to stray into a field of corn. However, in lieu of losing his head, he was persuaded to satisfy his sense of justice by cutting off his hair. "When you lay down a law, see that it is not disobeyed; if it is disobeyed, the offender must be put to death. " The Art of War Sun Tzu Edited by James Clavell. The Art of War ( is a Chinese military Treatise that was written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu ( ("Master Sun" also called Sun Wu ( is traditionally considered to be the author of The Art of War (also simply called the

Death of Cao Cao and Hua Tuo

In 220, Cao Cao died in Luoyang due to an unrecorded illness. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Legends had many explanations for the cause of his death, most of which were wrought with superstitions. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms included some of these legends, as well as Luo Guanzhong's own story about the involvement of Hua Tuo, a renowned Chinese physician. Hua Tuo (d 208 was a renowned physician during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health

When Cao Cao started complaining about splitting headaches during the last days of his life, his subjects recommended Hua Tuo, a physician whose skills were said to parallel the deities. Upon examination, Hua Tuo diagnosed Cao Cao's illness to be a type of rheumatism within the skull. Rheumatism or Rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the Heart, Bones Joints Kidney, Skin He suggested giving Cao Cao a dose of hashish and then splitting open his skull with a sharp axe to extract the pus within. Hashish (from Arabic: ar حشيش, lit "grass" also hash) is a preparation of cannabis composed of the compressed

However, due to an earlier incident with another physician who attempted to take Cao Cao's life, Cao Cao grew very suspicious of any physician, as Cao Cao was the target of many plots against his life, including one by Dong Cheng, a relative of the Emperor. Dong Cheng (? &ndash 200 was a government official during the late Eastern Han / Three Kingdoms era of China. Cao Cao believed Hua Tuo intended to kill him to avenge the death of Guan Yu. Guan Yu ( Chinese: 關羽 Guān Yǔ was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of He then threw Hua Tuo into jail, where the renowned physician died a few days later. Without proper treatment, Cao Cao soon died as well.

Historically, Hua Tuo had died long before Cao Cao did.

Cultural references

A mask of Cao Cao in Chinese opera

Cao Cao as he appears in Koei's Dynasty Warriors 6. This article is about the software company For the Japanese era name see Kōei (era. is a Hack and slash video game set in Ancient China, called Three Kingdoms and the sixth official installment in the Dynasty Warriors series

While historical records indicate Cao Cao as a brilliant ruler, he was represented as a cunning and deceitful man in Chinese opera, where the character of Cao Cao is given a white facial makeup to reflect his treacherous personality. Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back When writing the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong took much of his inspiration from the opera. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese Historical novel based upon events in Luo Guanzhong ( c 1330?-1400? born Luo Ben (罗本 was a Chinese author attributed with writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义 As a result, such unscrupulous depiction of Cao Cao had become much more popular among the common people than the real Cao Cao himself.

As the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been adapted to modern forms of entertainment, so has its portrayal of Cao Cao. Given the source material these adaptations are founded on, Cao Cao continues to be characterised as a prominent villain.

Through to modern times, the Chinese equivalent of the English idiom "speak of the Devil" is "說曹操，曹操到" (Pinyin: Shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo dào), which means "Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States An idiom is a Phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal Definition, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only " Speak of the Devil " is an Idiom or Phrase used in both written and spoken English. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use "

Video games have had a powerful impact on modern perception of Cao Cao as an individual, politician and warlord, providing many outside of Asia with their first introduction to Cao Cao and his milieu. In particular, video game developer Koei has capitalised on Three Kingdoms-related media, having produced many titles prominently featuring Cao Cao. This article is about the software company For the Japanese era name see Kōei (era.

Two of Koei's most popular releases featuring Cao Cao are the Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy series and the best selling Dynasty Warriors tactical-action series. is a Computer and Video game that originated from Japan. It is a series of turn-based computerized wargames by Koei. is a series of tactical action Video games created by Koei. The award-winning series Games Original game Warriors Orochi, a spin-off title based within the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors universes, also features Cao Cao. Warriors Orochi, known in Japan as, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 Hack and slash Video game developed by Koei Samurai Warriors (戦国無双 Sengoku Musou in Japan) is the first title in the series of video games created by Koei 's In it, Wei believes he is dead, until he is later discovered only to join the coalition army led by Cao Pi. He is also the main villian in the game Kessen 2

Singaporean pop musician JJ Lin released an album entitled Cao Cao in 2006. is a Strategy game loosely based on the Three Kingdoms period of China. Singapore JJ Lin (born on March 27 1981 is a Singaporean Chinese Pop - Singer. Cao Cao is the fourth album of Singaporean Singer, Lin Jun Jie. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The title track speaks of Cao Cao's life. Cao Cao is the fourth album of Singaporean Singer, Lin Jun Jie.

Cao Cao is also referred to in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

=

• Cao Ang (曹昂)
  • Cao Wan (succeeded Cao Ang but was the son of Cao Jun (曹均)) (曹琬)
    • Cao Lian (曹廉)
• Cao Shuo (曹鑠)
  • Cao Qian (曹潛)
    • Cao Yan (曹偃)

With Lady Huan

• Cao Chong (曹冲)
  • Cao Cong (succeeded Cao Chong but was the son of Cao Ju (曹据)) (曹琮)
• Cao Ju (曹据)
• Cao Yu (曹宇)

With Lady Du

• Cao Lin (曹林)
  • Cao Wei (曹緯)
• Cao Gun (曹袞)
  • Cao Fu (曹孚)

With Lady Qin

• Cao Xuan (曹玹)
  • Cao Heng (曹恒)
• Cao Jun (曹峻)
  • Cao Ao (曹澳)

With Lady Yin

• Cao Ju (曹矩)
  • Cao Min (succeeded Cao Ju but was the son of Cao Jun (曹均)) (曹敏)
    • Cao Kun (曹焜)

With other consorts

• Cao Gan (曹幹)
• Cao Shang (曹上)
• Cao Biao (曹彪)
  • Cao Jia (曹嘉)
• Cao Qin (曹勤)
• Cao Cheng (曹乘)
• Cao Zheng (曹整)
  • Cao Fan (succeeded Cao Zheng but was the son of Cao Ju (曹据)) (曹范)
  • Cao Chan (younger brother of Cao Fan by birth, succeeded Cao Fan) (曹闡)
• Cao Jing (曹京)
• Cao Jun (曹均)
  • Cao Kang (曹抗)
    • Cao Chen (曹諶)
• Cao Ji (曹棘)
• Cao Hui (曹徽)
  • Cao Xi (曹翕)
• Cao Mao (曹茂)

Extended family

• Cao Ren Younger cousin
• Cao Tai
• Cao Chu
• Cao Kai
• Cao Fan
• Cao Chun Younger cousin
• Cao Yan
• Cao Liang
  • Cao Hong Younger cousin
  • Cao Xiu Distant nephew
• Cao Zhao
  • Cao Zhen Distant nephew
  • Cao Shuang
• Cao Xi
• Cao Xun
• Cao Ze
• Cao Yan
• Xiahou Dun cousin
• Cao Ai Distant nephew
  • Cao Anmin Nephew
• Xiahou Yuan cousin

Notes

References

• Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5.  
• Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0.  
• Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C. H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.  
• Sun Tzu (1983). The Art of War. Delta. ISBN 0-440-55005-X.  

See also

• Three Kingdoms
• Han Dynasty
• End of Han Dynasty
• Personages of the Three Kingdoms
• Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• Art of War
• Kessen II
• Dynasty Warriors
• Sōten Kōro

External links

• Cao Cao and the Three Kingdoms: A George Ernest Morrison lecture in Ethnology