Knowra Romance of the Three Kingdoms Romance of the Three Kingdoms A Chinese historical novel depicting the fall of the Han dynasty and the rival states of Wei, Shu, and Wu. Traditionally attributed to Luo Guanzhong, it blends historical events with legend and literary invention.
Battle of Red Cliffs : A 208 CE naval battle in which the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao’s army. The novel’s account makes this battle the decisive check on Cao Cao’s ambition to reunify China.
Luo Guanzhong : A Chinese writer traditionally credited with composing Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His authorship is customary, though the novel’s formation and textual history remain complex.
Records of the Three Kingdoms : A third-century historical text by Chen Shou documenting the late Han and Three Kingdoms period. It provides a major historical source for events and figures the novel dramatizes.
Han dynasty : A Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 206 BCE to 220 CE, with an interruption by the Xin dynasty. The novel begins amid the dynasty’s weakening authority and the struggle to preserve or replace it.
Guan Yu worship : The veneration of Guan Yu as a deity associated with loyalty, righteousness, and protection. The novel helped popularize the heroic character behind one of China’s most prominent cults.
Oath of the Peach Garden : A legendary sworn brotherhood among Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei in Chinese literary tradition. The novel opens its heroic world with a bond of loyalty that shapes the trio’s later actions.
Liu Bei : A warlord who founded the state of Shu Han and claimed descent from the Han imperial house. The novel casts him as a virtuous claimant whose legitimacy contrasts with his rivals’ power.
Pei Songzhi's annotations : A fifth-century collection of annotations and supplementary sources added to Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms. Its additional anecdotes helped transmit material later used in Three Kingdoms storytelling.
Three Kingdoms : A period of Chinese history from 220 to 280 CE, when Wei, Shu, and Wu competed for control. The novel takes its name and central political setting from this era.
Chinese opera : A family of theatrical traditions in China combining music, acting, acrobatics, and stylized performance. Three Kingdoms episodes became a major source of characters and plots for stage performance.
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