Shu - Food

A dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period in China (221-263). Officially called Han, it was commonly known as Shu or Shu Han, as its territory was centered on the region of Shu, i.e. Sichuan Province. During the chaotic period at the end of the Later Han Dynasty, Liu Yan showed signs of semi-independence as governor of Yi Province, but Liu Bei was welcomed by Yan's son Liu Zhang and entered Yi Province from Jing Province in 211, then attacked Zhang and occupied Chengdu. When Emperor Xian of the Later Han abdicated to Wei in 220, Liu Bei took the throne in Chengdu in 221 as the successor to the Han Dynasty, and appointed Zhuge Liang as his Prime Minister. Shu was a government formed by a coalition of people brought by Liu Bei from Jingzhou and local people.

Liu Bei led an army in retaliation against the state of Wu, which had killed his general Guan Yu and seized Jingzhou, but he died of an illness at Baidicheng (223) and his son Liu Shan ascended to the throne. He is known as the Later Ruler. In contrast, Liu Bei is known as the Former Ruler. Zhuge Liang continued as chancellor, allied with Wu, and launched an expedition to Nanzhong (Yunnan), and from 227 marched into several wars against Wei. After Liang died of an illness at Wuzhang Plains in 234, Jiang Wan and Fei Wei successively took charge of domestic affairs, while Jiang Wei led the military, but supplies and manpower were scarce, leading to successive internal conflicts. Furthermore, the tyranny of the eunuch Huang Hao caused the country's power to gradually decline, and in 263, Liu Shan surrendered after an attack from Wei, making Shu the first of the Three Kingdoms to be destroyed.

Of the three kingdoms, Shu had the smallest territory, with only 280,000 households, 940,000 mouths, 102,000 armored soldiers, and 40,000 officials at the time of its downfall. However, it was financially based on its territory known as the Land of Heaven and trade, probably through the South China Sea via the so-called Burma Route. As the legitimate successor to the Han Dynasty, it stood in a three-way relationship with the other two kingdoms, with the national policy of restoring the Central Plains.

[Naotsugu Kano]

"Oriental History 4: The Age of Division" by Mori Shikazo et al. (1966, Jinbutsu Oraisha) "Zhuge Liang" by Miyagawa Hisashi (1940, Tomiyama Publishing) "Zhuge Kongming" by Kano Naotsugu (1966, Jinbutsu Oraisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、三国時代の王朝（221～263）。正式には漢というが、蜀、つまり四川(しせん)省を中心とする地域を版図としたので蜀、蜀漢と通称される。後漢(ごかん)末の混乱期に劉焉(りゅうえん)が益州牧(えきしゅうぼく)として半独立の勢いを示したが、劉備(りゅうび)は焉の子劉璋(りゅうしょう)に迎えられて、211年荊州(けいしゅう)から益州に入り、ついで璋を攻めて成都を占領した。220年後漢の献帝が魏(ぎ)に禅譲すると、自ら漢室の後を継ぐものとして、221年成都で帝位につき、諸葛亮(しょかつりょう)を丞相(じょうしょう)に任じた。蜀は、劉備が荊州から連れてきた人々と土着の人士との連合の政権であった。

　劉備は、その将関羽(かんう)を殺して荊州を奪った呉(ご)に対して報復の軍を出したが、白帝城で病没し（223）、子の劉禅(りゅうぜん)が即位した。これを後主(こうしゅ)という。これに対して劉備を先主という。諸葛亮が引き続き丞相となり、呉と同盟を結び、南中（雲南）遠征を行い、227年より数次にわたって魏との戦争に出陣した。234年、五丈原(ごじょうげん)で亮が病死したのち、蒋琬(しょうえん)、費褘(ひき)が相次いで内政を担当し、姜維(きょうい)が軍事面を指導したが、物資も少なく、人材も欠乏し、内紛が相次いだ。そのうえ宦官(かんがん)の黄皓(こうこう)が専横であったため国力はしだいに衰亡し、263年、魏の攻撃を受けて劉禅は降服、蜀は三国のなかでいちばん早くに滅んだ。

　蜀は三国のなかでは領土も小さく、滅亡したときには戸28万、口94万、帯甲将士10万2000、吏4万であったという。しかし天府の国とよばれる国土と、おそらく南中を通じての、いわゆるビルマ・ルートによる交易を財政的基礎とし、漢の正統な後継者として、中原(ちゅうげん)回復を国の方針として、他の2国と鼎立(ていりつ)していた。

［狩野直禎］

『森鹿三他著『東洋の歴史4　分裂の時代』（1966・人物往来社）』▽『宮川尚志著『諸葛亮』（1940・冨山房）』▽『狩野直禎著『諸葛孔明』（1966・人物往来社）』

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