kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Kingdom of Dai (206 BC)

206 BCE – 204 BCE · capital Dai

A northern kingdom of the Chu-Han war, first the place of exile for the Zhao king Zhao Xie and then the fief of Chen Yu, overrun by Han Xin.

Origins

In 206 BCE Xiang Yu moved Zhao Xie, the restored king of Zhao, north to the frontier region of Dai, with its capital at Dai near modern Yuxian, Hebei, so that Zhang Er could rule the Zhao heartland as the Kingdom of Changshan.

Rule and society

In 205 BCE Chen Yu drove out Zhang Er and brought Zhao Xie back to Zhao; in thanks, Zhao Xie made Chen Yu King of Dai. Chen Yu stayed in Zhao as chief minister and governed Dai through his deputy Xia Yue. The kingdom was a frontier zone of herding and farming facing the Xiongnu.

Decline and legacy

In 205 BCE Han Xin defeated and captured Xia Yue, and in 204 BCE he destroyed the Zhao army at Jingxing, where Chen Yu was killed. Dai passed to the Han Dynasty and later became a Han kingdom held by Liu Bang's son, the future Emperor Wen.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Dai (206 BC). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-dai-206-bc
MLA
“Kingdom of Dai (206 BC).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-dai-206-bc. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Dai (206 BC).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-dai-206-bc.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Dai (206 BC)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-dai-206-bc (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻