Cause & Context
In late Cao Wei, imperial power waned and effective authority slid into the hands of general , whose despotic arrogance crowded out the founding great clans represented by the Sima.
Epochal Overview
feigned illness to disarm , then struck the moment escorted the young emperor outside Luoyang for tomb-sweeping. He shut the city gates, deceived and executed Cao Shuang's three clans, and seized total military and political power over Cao Wei.
Civilizational Impact
The coup reduced the Cao Wei regime to a Sima dependency, transferring central power from the Cao imperial line to the Sima magnate clan. It became the milestone of clan-aristocratic power transfer in medieval China.
Key Figures
was a long-patient strategist whose single decisive strike laid the foundation of the Jin state. Cao Shuang lacked decisive nerve and trusted promises naively, bringing destruction upon his entire clan.