Rebellion of the Seven States
Emperor Jing of Han's curbing of the fiefs led Wu, Chu and the other seven states to rise in revolt under the slogan "Execute Chao Cuo and purge the evil around the throne"; Emperor Jing had Chao Cuo cut in two at the waist but failed to stop the revolt, and Zhou Yafu cut their supply lines and suppressed the rebellion in three months
Belligerents
Han court
- Commanders
- Zhou Yafu, Dou Ying, King Xiao of Liang
- Strength
- Han army
Wu, Chu and the other seven states
- Commanders
- Liu Bi, King of Wu; Liu Wu, King of Chu
- Strength
- Rebels claimed to number several hundred thousand
Background
The power of the vassal kings of the imperial clan, enfeoffed in the early Han, had swollen; Liu Bi, King of Wu, controlled copper mines and sea salt, and his wealth rivaled the state's. Chao Cuo submitted his "Plan to Curb the Fiefs", and Emperor Jing began stripping the vassal kings of their lands.
Course of the battle
- The Seven States rise in revoltIn 154 BCE Liu Bi, King of Wu, allied with the six states of Chu, Zhao, Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zichuan and Jinan and rose in revolt under the slogan "Execute Chao Cuo and purge the evil around the throne"
- Execution of Chao Cuo (cut in two at the waist)Heeding Yuan Ang's advice, Emperor Jing had Chao Cuo cut in two at the waist, hoping the rebels would withdraw, but the King of Wu refused to pull back
- Holding out without foodKing Xiao of Liang held Suiyang to the death, while Zhou Yafu held his fortified camp at Changyi without giving battle and sent light cavalry to cut the supply lines of Wu and Chu
- Revolt crushed in three monthsThe armies of Wu and Chu, starving, broke up and scattered; Liu Bi, King of Wu, fled to Dongyue and was killed there, and the Rebellion of the Seven States was suppressed in three months
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 154 BCE |
|---|---|
| Place | Suiyang and Changyi in the kingdom of Liang (in present-day Henan and Shandong) |
| Result | Emperor Jing of Han's curbing of the fiefs led Wu, Chu and the other seven states to rise in revolt under the slogan "Execute Chao Cuo and purge the evil around the throne"; Emperor Jing had Chao Cuo cut in two at the waist but failed to stop the revolt, and Zhou Yafu cut their supply lines and suppressed the rebellion in three months |
| Winner | Han court |
| Casualties | Liu Bi, King of Wu, was killed, and the kings of the seven states either died or committed suicide |
| Territorial change | The power of the vassal kings was greatly weakened, and centralization was strengthened |
Impact
Suppressing the Rebellion of the Seven States was a key step toward centralization under the Han dynasty; afterward the vassal kings no longer governed their own fiefs, and by the time of Emperor Wu of Han's Edict of Grace the problem of the vassal kings had essentially been resolved.
See the world in 154 BCE on the map →