Wu Sangui

Wu Sangui
Emperor of the Wu Zhou dynasty
Reign	March 1678 – 2 October 1678
Successor	Wu Shifan
Born	(1612-06-08)8 June 1612 Suizhong, Liaoxi, Ming dynasty
Died	2 October 1678(1678-10-02) (aged 66) Hengyang, Hunan, Qing dynasty
Consorts	Empress Zhang Chen Yuanyuan
Names Wu Sangui (吳三桂) Era name and dates Zhaowu (昭武): 1678 Posthumous name Emperor Kaitian Dadao Tongren Jiyun Tongwen Shenwu Gao (開天達道同仁極運通文神武高皇帝; Roughly meaning: Master of Heaven and Dao, Humane, Extremely Fortunate, Acquainted with the Classics, Divine General, High Emperor) Temple name Taizu (太祖)
House	Wu
Dynasty	Wu Zhou
Father	Wu Xiang
Mother	Lady Zu

Wu Sangui (Chinese: 吳三桂; pinyin: Wú Sānguì; Wade–Giles: Wu San-kuei; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai (長白) or Changbo (長伯), was a Chinese military leader who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty. In Chinese folklore, Wu Sangui is regarded as a disreputable Han Chinese traitor for his defection over to the Manchu invaders, suppression of the Southern Ming resistance and execution of the Yongli Emperor. Wu eventually double-crossed both of his masters, the Ming and the Qing dynasties.

In 1644, Wu was a Ming general in charge of garrisoning Shanhai Pass, the strategic choke point between Manchuria and Beijing. After learning that Li Zicheng's rebel army had conquered Beijing and captured his family, including his father Wu Xiang and concubine Chen Yuanyuan, Wu allowed the Manchu to enter China proper through Shanhai Pass to drive Li from Beijing, where the Manchu then set up the Qing dynasty. For his aid, the Qing rulers awarded him a fiefdom consisting of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, along with the title "Prince Who Pacifies the West" (平西王).

In 1674, Wu decided to rebel against the Qing. In 1678, Wu declared himself the new Emperor of China and the ruler of Zhou, only to die within months. For a time, his grandson Wu Shifan succeeded him. The revolt was quelled in 1681.