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Sima Yi
Cao Wei general and regent who held off Zhuge Liang's northern campaigns and seized power in the Gaopingling coup of 249, laying the ground for his grandson's Jin dynasty
Mural of the event “Gaoping Tomb Coup”, which this person took part in.
In late Cao Wei, imperial power waned and effective authority slid into the hands of general Cao Shuang, whose despotic arrogance crowded out the founding great clans represented by the Sima.
Also known as Zi Zhongda · Jinxuan Di
Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda, came from a leading family of Wen county in Henei and was recruited by Cao Cao as a literary officer, going on to serve Cao Pi and Cao Rui. In 228 he made a lightning march on Xincheng and beheaded the defector Meng Da; in 234 he held his ground at Wuzhangyuan until Zhuge Liang died in camp, and in 238 he crossed to Liaodong and destroyed Gongsun Yuan. The dying Emperor Ming named him co-regent with Cao Shuang for the boy emperor Cao Fang. In 249, while Cao Shuang was outside the capital with the emperor visiting the Gaoping tomb, Sima Yi took the city, had Cao Shuang and his partisans executed and ruled alone. He died in 251 after putting down Wang Ling's revolt; his grandson Sima Yan, founder of the Jin, honoured him as Emperor Xuan with the temple name Gaozu. Emperor Taizong of Tang wrote the critical assessment at the end of his annals in the Book of Jin (Jinshu).
Life and times
Dates 179 CE–251 CE
- 220Three Kingdoms DivideTook partage 41
- 234Zhuge Liang Dies at Wuzhang Plainsage 55
- 249Gaoping Tomb CoupTook partage 70
- 249Gaoping Tomb Coup of Simaage 70