kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Western Shu

405 CE – 413 CE · capital Chengdu

A brief breakaway state in Sichuan, ruled by Qiao Zong after a mutiny of 405, which the Eastern Jin reconquered in 413.

Origins

In 405 Eastern Jin troops in Sichuan, unwilling to campaign against Huan Xuan's surviving relatives, mutinied and killed their commander Mao Qu. They chose the officer Qiao Zong as leader, and he proclaimed himself Prince of Chengdu.

Rule and society

Western Shu held the Chengdu plain and sought protection by accepting the overlordship of Later Qin, which recognised Qiao Zong as King of Shu. It also sheltered Huan clan fugitives and joined attacks on Eastern Jin territory along the Yangtze.

Decline and legacy

In 412 Liu Yu sent Zhu Lingshi, who advanced by an unexpected route and captured Chengdu in 413. Qiao Zong fled and hanged himself, and Sichuan returned to the Eastern Jin.

Connections (2)

  • Western Shu was a vassal of Later Qin407 CE – 413 CE
  • Western Shu was conquered by Eastern Jin413 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻