kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Former Shu

907 CE – 925 CE · capital Chengdu

The kingdom founded in Sichuan by the soldier Wang Jian, a wealthy refuge for Tang scholars and poets in the turmoil after the Tang collapse.

Origins

Wang Jian, a soldier from Henan who had served in the palace army, seized Chengdu in 891 and became military governor of the region. The Tang made him Prince of Shu in 903. When Zhu Wen deposed the Tang in 907, Wang Jian refused to recognise the Later Liang and proclaimed himself emperor.

Rule and society

Protected by mountains, the fertile Sichuan basin escaped the wars of the north and prospered from rice, silk, salt and tea. Many Tang officials and literati took refuge at Chengdu, among them the poet Wei Zhuang, who served as chief minister. The Huajian anthology of song lyrics was compiled there in 940, after the dynasty, but reflects the court culture it fostered.

Decline and legacy

Wang Jian's son Wang Yan, who succeeded in 918, was extravagant and neglected government. In 925 a Later Tang army marched in and met little resistance; Wang Yan surrendered and was killed with his family in 926 on the way to Luoyang. Sichuan soon became independent again as Later Shu.

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Former Shu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/former-shu
MLA
“Former Shu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/former-shu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Former Shu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/former-shu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Former Shu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/former-shu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻