Editing Han-Zhao (section)

=== Former Zhao (319–329) ===
With the rebellion crushed, tension arose between Liu Yao and Shi Le. As Shi Le had cultivated a powerful base on the North China Plain, Liu Yao was convinced that he would take advantage of Han's vulnerability to launch a surprise rebellion. When Shi Le sent his envoy to congratulate him, Liu Yao had the envoy executed, which prompted Shi Le to declare independence. The empire was thus divided into two, with Liu Yao controlling the west and Shi Le controlling the east. As Pingyang had been devastated by the rebellion, Liu Yao shifted the capital to his base in Chang'an.

Unlike his predecessors, Liu Yao distanced the state away from the framing of Han restoration and appealed more to his Xiongnu ancestry. He renamed the state to Zhao (since one of Liu Yao's previous title was Prince of [[Zhongshan Kingdom (Han dynasty)|Zhongshan]], and Zhongshan was in the ancient state of [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]]), and honoured his ancestor, [[Modu Chanyu]], but still saw his state as a continuation of Liu Yuan's Han. Soon after, Shi Le also named his state Zhao, leading to historiographers to distinguish the two states as Former Zhao and Later Zhao.

During his early reign, Liu Yao expanded westwards while Shi Le dealt with his own matters in the east. In [[Longxi Commandery|Longxi]], he defeated the forces of [[Sima Bao]], the last claimant to the Jin throne in the north, and later survived a major tribal rebellion by the [[Di (Five Barbarians)|Di]] and [[Qiang (historical people)|Qiang]], leading to the relocation of nearly 200,000 of their people to Chang'an. Liu Yao then defeated [[Chen An]], a warlord in Longxi who nominally submitted to Former Zhao, before going on to force the [[Former Liang]] into submission and invading [[Chouchi]] by 323. At its prime, the Former Zhao's army reportedly numbered at around 285,000 strong. Despite the state's new positioning, Liu Yao maintained interest in integrating with Chinese culture, as evident by his opening of an [[Taixue|Imperial University]] in Chang'an taught by [[Confucianism|Confucian]] scholars.

War between the two Zhaos eventually broke out in 324, and in 328, Liu Yao led his forces to secure the [[Henan]] region from Later Zhao. Liu Yao and Shi Le's forces came head to head at the Battle of Luoyang, and during the battle, Liu Yao, supposedly drunk, fell off his horse during a retreat and was captured by Later Zhao soldiers. He was then executed as his crown prince, [[Liu Xi (Han-Zhao)|Liu Xi]], hastily succeeded him in Chang'an. In 329, Liu Xi was driven out of his capital and finally killed at [[Shanggui]] by Later Zhao forces. The Han-Zhao dynasty ended, and the Later Zhao would rule most of northern China for the next 20 years.