Li Qi

Who was Li Qi?

Li Qi, courtesy name Shiyun, posthumous name Duke You of Qiongdu, was an emperor of the Chinese/Ba-Di state Cheng Han. He seized the throne after his brother Li Yue assassinated their father Li Xiong's designated heir, their cousin Li Ban, in 334. His reign was viewed as one of decadence and deterioration from his father's reign of simplicity. He was subsequently overthrown by his father's cousin Li Shou the Prince of Han in 338, and committed suicide after being demoted to a duke. Li Shou seized the throne and changed the name of the state from Cheng to Han, although traditional historians treat the Li Qi to Li Shou transition as within a single state.