Founding of the Shu Kingdom

Wang Jian was named military governor of western Sichuan by the Tang court in 891. As the Tang Dynasty weakened and eventually fell in 907, Wang was able to expand his holdings into eastern Sichuan and took the title of emperor as the Tang fell in 907.

Extent of the Shu Kingdom

The Shu was based in its capital of Chengdu and controlled most of present-day Sichuan, parts of southern Gansu and Shaanxi, part of western Hubei and all of contemporary Chongqing. Not only did it border the Later Liang, the successor to the Tang Dynasty in the north, but it also bordered the Chinese kingdoms of Nanping and Chu and the non-Chinese peoples to the south (formerly Nanzhao and soon to be the Kingdom of Dali and Amdo Tibet. Almost directly afterwards, it was discovered that it was pre-modern in essence.

Fall of the Shu Kingdom

Wang Jian died in 918 and was replaced by an incompetent son, Wang Zongyan. The Later Tang replaced the Later Liang in 923. Shortly after that, the Shatuo Turk-controlled northern China dynasty marched in under the leadership of Li Cunxu, and incorporated the kingdom into his domains.

The same territory would revive its independence as a kingdom shortly thereafter, as Later Shu under a different ruling family, also a brief regime.

Rulers

政制

前蜀建国后，典章制度主要由宰相韦庄制定。韦庄熟习唐代制度，因此前蜀的政制充满唐代遗风。前蜀宰相是同平章事，大多由中书侍郎门下侍郎兼领。唐代以中书令为宰相，地位崇高，前蜀的中书令则多以宗室兼任，并非专员。

前蜀枢密使亦是机要官职，自韦庄之后掌握朝廷大权。唐代内枢密使以宦官担任，前蜀起初则以士人担任，后来担心将领不受控制，也起用宦官担任枢密使，朝政渐坏。此外，大学士亦参与朝政。

宫廷中，内飞龙使一职掌握禁军，往往干预朝政。地方上掌握兵权的，有节度使、团练使、观察使等，属下有判官和掌书记。地方官制中，州有刺史，下有参军；县有县令，下有主簿，大体上和唐代相同。

君主

君主列表

君主世系图