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In the year 209 BC, several leaders rose against the suppressive government of Qin. But only two of them, Xiang Yu 項羽 (Xiang Ji 項籍), a descendant of the Chu general Xiang Yan 項燕, and a local official named Liu Bang 劉邦 "Duke of Pei" 沛公 were able to gain substantive power. Between the years 206 and 202, a war of decision took place and left the way free for Liu Bang, the founder of Han Dynasty.
The events of these years were recorded in an often cited, but lost annal book with the title "Spring and Autumn of Chu and Han" Chu Han Chunqiu 楚漢春秋.
The first table gives an overview of the rebels against Qin 209 to 206:Chu 楚 | Chen She, Chu Yinwang 楚隱王陳涉, and his opponent Xiang Qiang 襄彊 as kings of Chu, later Jing Gou 景駒 and Xin, Chu Huaiwang 楚懷王心 called Yidi 義帝 "Righteous Emperor", a grandson of the last king of Chu (enthroned by Xiang Liang). Xiang Yu divides Chu into four kingdoms: West Chu 西楚, Hengshan 衡山, Linjiang 臨江, and Jiujiang 九江. 吳廣 | Xiang 項 | Xiang Liang, Lord Wuxin 武信君項梁; his son Xiang Yu 項羽 becomes ruler of Lu 魯 | Zhao 趙 | Wu Chen 武臣 king of Zhao; later Xie 趙王歇; Xiang Yu divides Zhao into Zhao and Dai 代. | Qi 齊 | Tian Dan 田儋 king of Qi; later Tian Jia 田假 and his opponent Tian Shi 田市; other oppenents are Tian An 田安 and Tian Rong 田榮. Xiang Yu divides Qi into the kingdoms of Linzi 臨淄, Jibei 濟北 and Jiaodong 膠東. | Han 漢 | Liu Bang, Duke of Pei 沛公, becomes Marquis Wuan 武安侯. Xiang Yu divides this area into the kingdoms of Han 漢, Yong 雍, Sai 塞 and Di 翟. | Yan 燕 | Han Guang 韓廣 king of Yan, then of Liaodong 遼東; killed by Zang Tu 臧荼; Xiang Yu divided this area into the kingdoms of Yan and Liaodong. | Wei 魏 | Wei Jiu 魏咎 king of Wei, followed by his brother Wei Bao 魏豹; this territory is divided into the kingdoms of Wei and Yin 殷. | Hann 韓 | Cheng, King of Hann 韓王成; Xiang Yu divided his territory into Hann and Henan 河南. |
  Xiang Yu kills the last king of Qin, sacks the capital Xianyang 咸陽 and installs new kingdoms under his rule as Hegemonial King of West-Chu (Xi-Chu Bawang) 西楚霸王. The following table covers the years 206 to 202. There are two persons of the same name: King Hann Xinn 韓王信 and the general Hann Xin 韓信 (called Marquis Huaiyin 淮陰侯).
Chu 楚 | Xiang Yu kills Chu Huaiwang 楚懷王. | Xi-Chu 西楚 | Hegemonial King Xiang Yu; at Gaixia 垓下 defeated by Liu Bang; Xiang Yu kills himself. For a short time in 202, general Hann Xin 韓信 is King of Chu (degraded to the rank of Marquis Huaiyin 淮陰侯 in 201; rebelled and executed in 197). | Hengshan 衡山 | King Wu Rui 吳芮; surrenders to Han; installed as King of Changsha 長沙 in 202. | Xiang 項 (Linjiang 臨江) | King Gong Ao 共敖, later his son Gong Xiang 共驩 (Wei 尉) in 204; dethroned by Han in 202. | Jiujiang 九江 | King Ying Bu 英布; surrenders to Han in 204; reinstalled in 203. | Zhao 趙 (Changshan 常山) | King Zhang Er 張耳; surrenders to Han in 206. Zhao Xie 趙歇 King of Zhao; destroyed by Han in 204. In 203, Zhang Er 張耳 is reinstalled as king, followed by his son Zhang Ao 張敖 in 201. | Dai 代 | King Zhao Xie 趙歇; destroyed by Han. Zhao Xie becomes King of Zhao in 206 Chen Yu 陳餘 King of Dai, destroyed by Han in 204. | Qi 齊 (Linzi 臨菑) | King Tian Du 田都, later Tian Rong 田榮; Tian Jia 田假 is reinstalled by Xiang Yu, followed by his son Tian Guang 田廣; destroyed by Han in 203. | Jibei 濟北 | King Tian An 田安; destroyed by Qi. | Jiaodong 膠東 | King Tian Shi 田市; destroyed by Qi. | Han 漢 | King Liu Bang 劉邦; after his victory over Xiang Yu Emperor of Han in 202. | Yong 雍 | King Zhang Han 章邯; destroyed by Han in 205. | Sai 塞 | King Sima Xin 司馬欣; surrenders to Han in 206. | Di 翟 | King Dong Yi 董翳; surrenders to Han in 206. | Yan 燕 | King Zang Tu 臧荼; rebels against Han, is destroyed in 203; his follower is Lu Wan 盧綰 in 202. | Liaodong 遼東 | King Hann Guang 韓廣; destroyed by Yan. | Wei 魏 (Xi-Wei 西魏) | King Wei Bao 魏豹; surrenders to Han in 205 and is reinstalled as King of Wei; destroyed by Han in 205. | Yin 殷 | King Sima Ang 司馬卬; surrenders to Han in 205. | Hann 韓 | King Hann Cheng 韓成; later Zheng Chang 鄭昌. Liu Bang installs Hann Xinn 韓信 as king. Hann Xinn becomes King of Taiyuan 太原 in 201. | Henan 河南 | King Shen Yang 申陽; surrenders to Han 206. |
Green are the kingdoms surrendering to Han, the red kingdoms were destroyed by Han. Qi has conquered Jiaodong and Jibei, Yan conquered Liaodong. The decisive battle was in Gaixia 垓下 (near modern Huaiyang 淮陽/Henan).
The third table shows the fate of the few non-relative kings (yixing wang 異姓王) that were installed by Han Gaozu (Liu Bang) in 202 when he became Emperor of Han.
Jiujiang 九江 (Huainan 淮南) | King Ying Bu 英布, installed in 203; rebelled and killed in 196. | Chu 楚 | Hann Xin (1) 韓信, installed in 203 as King of Qi 齊, in 202 transferred to Chu; rebelled and executed in 196. | Zhao 趙 | King Zhang Er 張耳, installed in 203; followed by his son Zhang Ao 張敖 in 201; Ao is dethroned in 199. | Taiyuan 太原 (Hann 韓) | King Hann Xin 韓信 (2, King Xin of Hann), installed in 201; rebelled and escaped in the same year. | Yan 燕 | Zang Tu 臧荼, replaced by King Lu Wan 盧綰, installed in 202; rebelled and escaped in 196. | Liang 梁 | King Peng Yue 彭越, installed in 202; rebelled and killed in 197. | Changsha 長沙 | King Wu Rui 吳芮, installed in 202; followed by son Wu Chen 吳臣 (Changsha Chengwang 長沙成王) in 201; followed by son Wu Hui 吳回 (Changsha Aiwang 長沙哀王) in 193; followed by son Wu Ruo 吳若 (Changsha Gongwang 長沙共王) in 186; followed by son Wu Chan 吳產 (Changsha Jingwang 長沙靖王) in 178; died without heir in 157. |
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period before (Qin)