Emperor Xian of Han

Who was Emperor Xian of Han?

Emperor Xian of Han, personal name Liu Xie, courtesy name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han dynasty period of Chinese history. He was forced to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi and was given the title of Duke of Shanyang.

Emperor Xian was the son of Emperor Ling and was the brother of Emperor Shao. He was placed on the throne in 189 after Dong Zhuo removed his brother from the throne. This act was seen as a sign to all the other lords that Dong Zhuo was in full control of the empire. However, after Dong Zhuo was assassinated in 192, Emperor Xian became first a puppet and then was stranded in Luoyang with the warlords formally acknowledging him but giving him no aid. Eventually, Emperor Xian came under the control of Cao Cao in 196, and Cao used Emperor Xian as a nominal ruler effectively, issuing edicts beneficial to him in Emperor Xian's name, greatly helping him in his quest to reunify the empire, which appeared inevitable until Cao Cao's defeat by Sun Quan and Liu Bei at the Battle of Red Cliffs, leading to Sun and Liu's entrenchment in their territories. In 220, the Han dynasty was finally overthrown by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending more than 400 years of Han dynastic rule and ushering in the era of the Three Kingdoms.