kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Qi (206 BC)

206 BCE – 203 BCE · capital Linzi

The revived kingdom of Qi in Shandong, fought over by the Tian clan, Xiang Yu and Han Xin during the Chu-Han war, until Han Xin made himself its king in 203 BCE.

Origins

In 206 BCE Xiang Yu split the old State of Qi into three, making the Qi general Tian Du King of Qi at Linzi. Tian Rong, the clan strongman left out of the settlement, drove Tian Du out within months, killed the kings of Jiaodong and Jibei, and made himself king of a reunited Qi.

Rule and society

Qi became the main distraction that kept Xiang Yu from crushing Liu Bang. Xiang Yu invaded in 205 BCE and Tian Rong was killed, but Tian Heng rallied resistance and installed Tian Rong's son Tian Guang as king, with himself as chancellor. The kingdom rested on the loyalty of the Tian clan and the wealth of the Shandong coast.

Decline and legacy

In 203 BCE, as Liu Bang's envoy Li Yiji negotiated Qi's submission, Han Xin attacked anyway, routed the relief army of Long Ju on the Wei River and captured Tian Guang. Han Xin became King of Qi. Tian Heng later fled to an island; summoned by Liu Bang in 202 BCE, he killed himself rather than submit, and his followers on the island did the same.

Connections (3)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻