Editing Cheng-Han (section)

=== Cheng (304–338) ===
[[File:Cheng-Han Human Figurine.png|thumb|Cheng-Han Human [[Figurine]], excavated from the Tomb of Cheng-Han, [[Chengdu]] in 1985]]
Li Te had much success against the Jin forces and reached the outskirts of Chengdu in 303. Shortly after, he declared a new reign era, which hinted his intention of founding a new state but was suddenly killed in an ambush. Nonetheless, his brother, [[Li Liu (Cheng-Han)|Li Liu]] succeeded him, followed by Li Te’s son, [[Li Xiong]]. In 304, Li Xiong ousted Luo Shang from Chengdu, where he declared himself the King of Chengdu. His declaration is seen by most historians as the beginning of the Cheng-Han dynasty, although there is also the view that the state began with Li Te’s proclamation. Regardless, the Cheng was the first of the Sixteen Kingdoms to be founded, followed closely by the [[Xiongnu]]-led [[Han-Zhao]] dynasty in the north.

Li Xiong elevated himself to Emperor of Cheng in 306. Luo Shang, now commanding from Ba Commandery (巴郡; present-day [[Chongqing]]), continued to threaten Cheng, but after his death in 310, the Jin forces became disarray, allowing Cheng to dispatch them and consolidate their rule. Cheng became a refuge for people fleeing from the disorder in northern China, with some of them becoming officials in their administration. Notably, in 314, a group of rebelling refugees in Hanzhong surrendered the region to Cheng. Li Xiong and his family were also followers of the [[Way of the Five Pecks of Rice]], and [[Taoism]] was popular in Sichuan and Hanzhong. He appointed the Taoist hermit, [[Fan Changsheng]] as his Prime Minister, with his son, [[Fan Ben]], later succeeding him.

For most of his reign, Li Xiong maintained peace and stability within his state, but issues arose following his death in 334. Intending to pass the throne to the line of his late elder brother, [[Li Dang (Cheng-Han)|Li Dang]], Li Xiong chose his nephew [[Li Ban]] to succeed him, a decision that angered his own sons. Meanwhile, the Cheng court was also divided on the direction of the state; as Cheng had many Han Chinese officials serving under them, and with the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)|Eastern Jin dynasty]] firmly established in the east, some ministers believed that Cheng should be a vassal of Jin while others wanted to maintain its independence. In 334, shortly after ascending the throne, Li Ban was killed and usurped by Li Xiong’s son, [[Li Qi (emperor)|Li Qi]].