出身

刘渊出身南匈奴屠各部族，是西汉冒顿单于的后代挛鞮家族的人，该家族因西汉刘邦以来，长期与汉朝王室通婚，同时兼具汉朝王室与匈奴贵族的血脉，故采取刘姓为姓氏。

东汉汉献帝年间，曹操统一华北地区后，将南匈奴分为五部，刘渊父亲刘豹原是南匈奴的左贤王，在此一时期被曹操任命为「左部帅」；而刘渊的母亲呼延氏，亦是《史记》记载下的三大匈奴贵族姓氏之一，足见刘渊身份之高贵。

生平

兼习文武

刘渊童稚时已十分聪明，七岁时母亲呼延氏逝世，刘渊伤心得捶胸顿足地号叫，旁人都被其哀伤所感染，宗族部落的人都因其表现而对他十分欣赏。连当时曹魏司空王昶听闻其行为后都赞赏他，又派人吊唁和送礼物。刘渊亦十分好学，拜崔游为师，学习《毛诗》、《京氏易》和《马氏尚书》，刘渊尤其喜欢《春秋左氏传》及《孙吴兵法》，《史记》、《汉书》等历史典籍亦一一看过。同时，刘渊自以书传中都因随何、陆贾无武迹；周勃、灌婴没文才而都遭后人看不起，认为文武兼备才能获世人欣赏，因而习武。刘渊臂力过人，善于射击，可谓文武双全。崔懿之、公师彧、王浑等都与他结交。

咸熙年间，刘渊到洛阳作任子，受到当时曹魏权臣司马昭厚待。司马炎篡魏建立西晋后，王浑向晋武帝司马炎推荐刘渊，武帝接见刘渊后亦对他十分欣赏，更打算任命他参与平灭东吴的事，但因孔恂和杨珧以「非我族类，其心必异」为由，担心一旦向刘渊委以重任并平灭东吴，他会在当地叛晋自立。武帝听后才将搁置这打算。及后秃发树机能先后击败秦州刺史胡烈及凉州刺史杨欣，李熹建议任用刘渊讨伐，但孔恂仍指刘渊可能会作乱凉州，武帝因而又否决了建议。当时在洛阳流浪的王弥正要回故乡东莱，与刘渊饯别时，刘渊泣诉被人屡进谗言中伤，恐怕将会在洛阳遇害而不能再见到他。刘渊于是纵酒长啸，同坐的都因他流泪。齐王司马攸见刘渊后，更建议武帝杀刘渊，以免日后回匈奴五部所在的并州后会祸乱当地，但王浑反对。武帝同意王浑所言，最终没有杀刘渊。

接手父众

正巧任匈奴左部帅的父亲刘豹于当时逝世，刘渊于是回到并州接替父亲左部帅之位。太康末年刘渊官拜北部都尉。刘渊在当地申明刑法，禁止奸邪恶行，而且诚心与人交往，于是匈奴五部中的俊才都投归刘渊，连幽州和冀州的名儒和寒门秀士都前来与他结交。永熙元年（290年），晋惠帝司马衷继位，由外戚杨骏辅政。杨骏为了拉拢远人，树立私恩，便任命刘渊为建威将军、五部大都督，封汉光乡侯。但至元康末年刘渊便因部下族人叛变出塞而免官。不久成都王司马颖出镇邺城（今河北临漳县西南），为拉拢刘渊而表他行宁朔将军、监五部军事，并召他至邺城。

乘乱立业

当时八王之乱战火再起，赵王司马伦、齐王司马冏及长沙王司马乂先后以军事力量上台掌权，司马伦更曾篡位称帝，天下大乱，盗贼蜂起。刘渊叔祖父刘宣见此，决心乘著西晋朝政混乱振兴匈奴，于是秘密与族人推举刘渊为大单于，又派遣呼延攸到邺城通知刘渊。刘渊向司马颖请归不果，于是派呼延攸先回并州，命刘宣召集五部匈奴和在宜阳的一众胡人，名为支持司马颖，实质上却图谋叛变。

永安元年（304年）司马颖击败司马乂，成为皇太弟，任命刘渊为屯骑校尉。不久东海王司马越和陈昣等与惠帝征讨司马颖，司马颖又任命刘渊为辅国将军、督北城守事。及至惠帝兵败荡阴（今河南汤阴县）被俘至邺城，司马颖再任命刘渊为冠军将军，封"卢奴伯"。但在荡阴之战后不久，东嬴公司马腾和安北将军王淩等就起兵讨伐司马颖，刘渊趁机向司马颖建议让他回匈奴五部领部众支援司马颖，共同抵抗司马腾和王淩的讨伐部队。司马颖同意并拜刘渊为北单于、参丞相军事。

刘渊回左国城（今山西吕梁市离石区）后，刘宣便为刘渊上大单于称号，二十日之间就聚众五万，定都离石。及后刘渊被司马腾盟友拓跋猗㐌和拓跋猗卢击败，同时司马颖亦因受不住王淩大军的进逼而弃守邺城，带惠帝逃回洛阳。刘渊在刘宣的反对下，最终决定不援救司马颖，迁至左国城（今山西吕梁市离石区东北），又吸引数万人归附。

建汉自立

永兴元年（304年）十一月，刘渊以自己祖先与汉朝宗室刘氏约为兄弟而自称「汉王」，建国号汉，改元元熙，并追尊蜀汉后主刘禅为孝怀皇帝，又设汉高祖刘邦、汉世祖刘秀、汉昭烈帝刘备、汉文帝刘恒、汉武帝刘彻、汉宣帝刘询、汉明帝刘庄和汉章帝刘炟等八位西汉、东汉和蜀汉皇帝的牌位；前三者为三祖，后五者为五宗，以汉室继承者自居。同时自置百官，正式建立一个脱离西晋朝廷的独立政权。

刘渊称王后，身为并州刺史的司马腾便派将军聂玄讨伐，但遭刘渊于大陵（今山西文水县）击败。司马腾知道聂玄兵败后十分恐惧，率并州二万多户人南下山东地区。刘渊亦派刘曜先后攻陷太原、泫氏、屯留、长子、中都等地方，扩阔领土。次年（305年），刘渊所派将领刘钦再度击败司马腾所派的讨伐军。同年并州爆发大饥荒，离石亦受影响，刘渊于是迁都黎亭。永嘉元年（307年），刘渊已攻陷并州大部份郡县，并派兵进攻新任并州刺史刘琨。但刘琨击败汉军，成功保著治所晋阳（今山西太原市）。战后刘琨努力经营并州，更离间收降刘渊部下杂虏，汉军向并州北部扩张的计划因而受阻。刘渊于是听从侍中刘殷和王育派兵进攻其他州郡，南侵进据长安（今陕西西安市未央区）和洛阳（今河南洛阳市）的建议；同时，汲桑、石勒、王弥、鲜卑陆逐延和氐酋大单于单徵数个在其他地方的军事力量都相继归降刘渊，刘渊亦一一任官封爵，令汉国力量更为壮大；亦因这些加入者起事和影响的地方在冀州、徐州、青州等地，西晋受汉国侵袭的地区大大增加。永嘉二年（308年），刘渊攻破司州河东郡的蒲阪和平阳郡的平阳城（今山西临汾市），更迁都蒲子（今山西交口县），令两郡属下各县抵抗刘渊的营垒都全部投降。同时亦派刘聪、石勒等南攻太行山、赵、魏地区。

十月甲戌日（308年11月2日），刘渊称帝，改元永凤。永嘉三年（309年），太史令宣于修之认为都城蒲子所处崎岖难以久安，建议迁都平阳。刘渊听从并立刻迁都至平阳，改元河瑞。刘渊及后派刘聪、王弥等进攻壶关，先破刘琨所派援军，后于长平击败晋东海王司马越所派的援军，成功攻陷壶关。刘渊于是先后于当年八月和十月派刘聪等领兵进攻洛阳，但都被晋军击败，刘渊唯有撤军。

次年刘渊病重，命太宰刘欢乐、太傅刘洋等宗室重臣入宫接受遗诏辅政。七月己卯日（8月19日），刘渊逝世，由太子刘和继位。九月辛未日（10月20日）下葬永光陵，諡光文皇帝，庙号高祖，后改太祖。

性格

刘渊对部众的暴行显得不能容忍，如一次派遣乔晞进攻西河郡，乔晞先杀不肯投降的介休县令贾浑，后杀哭骂他的贾浑妻宗氏。刘渊知道后大怒，将乔晞追回并降秩四等，又为贾浑收葬。又将领刘景一次进攻黎阳，在延津击败晋将王堪后在黄河将三万多人溺死，刘渊知道后大怒，更说：「刘景还有何颜面见朕！天道又怎能接受这种事！朕想消灭的只是司马氏，平民有何罪！」于是贬刘景的官位。

长相

根据《晋书》所载，刘渊膂力过人，姿仪魁伟奇特，身长超过两米，胡须长三尺有馀，其中杂有少量赤色毛发。

家庭

父母

• 刘豹，刘渊父，南匈奴左贤王。后为匈奴左部帅。

• 呼延氏，刘渊母。

• 蔡琰，刘渊庶母，刘豹从汉掳来之妾，即才女蔡文姬(蔡昭姬)，蔡邕之女

妻妾

• 呼延皇后，呼延翼女，第一任皇后，生刘和。

• 单皇后，氐酋单徵之女，为第二任皇后，庶子刘聪即位后尊其为皇太后。因与刘聪乱伦（于匈奴习俗符合，但于汉族道德中属于乱伦）而被儿子刘乂规劝，羞愧而死。

• 张夫人，妾，刘聪生母。

兄弟

• 兄：刘延年

• 弟：刘雄

• 蔡文姬所生两庶子

子嗣

• 刘和，呼延皇后所生，初封梁王，后为皇太子。刘渊死后即位，不久在舅舅呼延攸唆使下等试图削夺刘聪等人势力，反为刘聪以兵变杀害。

• 刘恭，刘聪嫡兄。刘聪即位后自以越过兄长登位，遂藉其就寝时将之杀害

• 刘聪，四子，张夫人所生，昭武帝。

• 刘裕，封齐王，刘聪兵变时被呼延攸所杀。

• 刘隆，封鲁王，刘聪兵变时被呼延攸所杀。

• 刘乂，单皇后所生，北海王。刘和被杀后让位予刘聪，并在刘聪即位后立为皇太弟，但后来被诬叛变而被杀害。

Family background

Liu Yuan was a member of Xiongnu nobility, as a descendant of Modu Chanyu, who, along with their people, had long been loyal vassals to the Han Dynasty and to its successor states Cao Wei and Jin. In late Cao Wei or early Jin times, the Xiongnu nobles claimed that they were descendend from the Han Dynasty's ruling Liu clan also — through a princess who had married the first great chanyu in Xiongnu history, Modu Shanyu - and therefore changed their family name to Liu. Liu Yuan's father, Liu Bao, was a son of one of the last chanyus, Yufuluo, and the nephew of the very last chanyu Luanti Huchuquan (before Cao Cao abolished the office in 216 and divided the Xiongnu into five tribes (bu, 部)); Liu Bao had the command of the Left Tribe (左部). Liu Yuan's mother Lady Huyan (呼延) appeared to be from a noble family, and was in probability Liu Bao's wife, not concubine, but that is not clear, wioth other sources state this was a name for Cai Wenji. As all five tribes settled down in modern southern Shanxi, that was likely where Liu Yuan was born and raised.

As Jin subject

As powerful Xiongnu nobles were usually encouraged or pressured by Cao Wei and Jin authorities to send their sons to the capital Luoyang (both to encourage them to further sinicization and as collateral for their loyalty), Liu Yuan was sent to Luoyang to reside and to study traditional Chinese literature. He became well known for his studies, particularly of the Zou version of Confucius' Spring and Autumn Annals and of the military strategies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi. The key Jin official Wang Hun (王浑) (one of the lead generals who later participated in conquering Eastern Wu) became impressed with him, and Wang Hun's son Wang Ji (王济) became a close friend of Liu Yuan's. Wang Hun believed Liu to be general material and repeatedly recommended Liu Yuan to Emperor Wu, but Kong Xun (孔恂) and Empress Yang Zhi's uncle Yang Ji (杨济) suspected Liu for his Xiongnu ancestry and persuaded Emperor Wu against giving Liu military commands during campaigns against Eastern Wu and the Xianbei rebel Tufa Shujineng. Eventually, even Emperor Wu's brother Sima You the Prince of Qi, impressed and fearful of Liu's abilities, encouraged Emperor Wu to have Liu executed, but Wang Hun persuaded Emperor Wu that it would be wrong. When Liu Bao died, Emperor Wu permitted Liu Yuan to take over command of the Left Tribe.

As the commander of the Left Tribe, Liu became known for his fair administration of laws and willingness to listen to ideas, and also for his willingness to spread his wealth. Therefore, the ambitious people in his region, not only of the five Xiongnu tribes but of many Han clans, flocked to him. After Emperor Wu's death and succession by Emperor Hui, the regent Yang Jun made Liu the commander of all five tribes, but toward the end of the subsequent regency of Emperor Hui's wife Empress Jia Nanfeng, Liu was removed from that position due to his inability to stop one of his countrymen's rebellions. Later, when Sima Ying the Prince of Chengdu became the military commander at Yecheng, he invited Liu to be one of his subordinate military commanders, and Liu accepted the invitation.

Independence from Jin

In the midst of the War of the Eight Princes, in 304, Xiongnu nobles, led by the commander of the North Tribe, Liu Xuan (刘宣), tired of the Jin misrule and secretly plotted reindependence from Jin. They sent a messenger to secretly offer Liu Yuan the title of Grand Chanyu. Liu Yuan then told Sima Ying, who was then concerned about an attack from Wang Jun (王浚), whose troops were reinforced with Xianbei and Wuhuan soldiers, that he would be willing to mobilize Xiongnu soldiers to support Sima Ying's cause. Sima Ying agreed and allowed Liu Yuan to return to the Xiongnu tribes.

Once Liu Yuan returned to his people, he gathered 50,000 men quickly and was readying himself to rush to Sima Ying's aid, but he also publicly accepted the title of Grand Chanyu. (Previously, Sima Ying had bestowed the title of North Chanyu on him.) However, he then heard that Sima Ying's forces had collapsed in fear of Wang's troops and that Sima Ying had, against his prior advice, fled to Luoyang. He then declared his people independent from Jin and further declared that, as a Han descendant, he would succeed to the Han throne, and therefore claimed the title of the King of Han—deliberately choosing a title that had been previously held by Han Dynasty's founder, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao). He reestablished the worship of eight Han emperors—Emperor Gao, Emperor Wen, Emperor Wu, Emperor Xuan, Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Ming, Emperor Zhang, and Liu Bei (Emperor Zhaolie). He created his wife Lady Huyan (likely a relative of his mother) princess. (The name of Liu's state was therefore "Han," but is often referred to as "Han Zhao" or "Former Zhao" because his nephew Liu Yao, who took the throne in 318, changed the name of the state to Zhao in 319.)

Reign

For those impressed with Liu's abilities previously, however, his reign was somewhat of a let down. He spent great energy on trying to restore the Han system of government, but he himself was unable to quickly expand his sphere of influence. He set his capital at Lishi (离石, in modern Lüliang, Shanxi), but his control of territory became limited to that local region. His forces were often able to achieve victories over Jin forces but unable to hold cities. In 305, after a famine, he relocated to Liting (黎亭, in modern Changzhi, Shanxi).

As years went by, however, the various agrarian rebel generals who were resisting Jin rule, whether ethnically Wu Hu or Han, often chose to come under Liu Yuan's Han banner. Chief among these were the Chinese general Wang Mi (王弥) and the Jie general Shi Le (both of whom declared loyalty to Han Zhao in 307), who generally only nominally submitted to Liu's orders while maintaining separate power structures but who also did appear to genuinely respect and fear Liu. As for troops under his own control, Liu largely entrusted them to his son Liu Cong the Prince of Chu and his nephew Liu Yao the Prince of Shi'an. The four generals, while not being able to hold cities, were generally able to rove throughout northern and central China unimpeded by Jin forces, defeating most Jin generals who opposed them.

In 308, Wang's troops advanced on the Jin capital Luoyang, but was repelled. That year, after capturing more territory, Liu Yuan moved his capital to Puzi (蒲子, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and declared himself emperor, signifying an even more complete break from Jin. In 309, he moved the capital once more to Pingyang (平阳, also in modern Linfen). By this time, Liu Cong and Wang Mi had eventually been able to control all of southern Shanxi for Han Zhao, and they again attacked Luoyang, but were again repelled.

In 310, Liu Yuan grew ill, and he created his second wife Lady Dan empress and his oldest son Liu He (by his first wife Empress Huyan—who appeared to have died by this point, although her death was not mentioned in history) crown prince. When he died later that year, Liu He became emperor. However, only a week later, he was overthrown and killed by Liu Cong, who then became emperor.

Era names

• Yuanxi (元熙 yuán xī) 304–308

• Yongfeng (永凤 yǒng fèng) 308–309

• Herui (河瑞 hé ruì) 309–310

Physical appearance

In the Book of Wei, Chinese author Wei Shou notes that Liu Yuan was over six feet tall and that he had strands of red hair in his long beard.

Personal information

• Great Grandfather

　• Qiangqui

• Grandfather

　• Chizhishizhuhou Chanyu (150-196)

• Father

　• Liu Bao, leader of Xiongnu's left tribe (左部), son of the Xiongnu chanyu Yufuluo (于扶罗)

• Mother

　• Lady Huyan

• Wives

　• Empress Huyan (created princess in 304, creation date as empress and death date unknown)

　• Empress Dan (created and d. 310), mother of Prince Ai

• Major Concubines

　• Consort Zhang, mother of Prince Cong

• Children

　• Liu He (刘和), initially created the Prince of Liang (created 308), later the Crown Prince (created 310), later emperor

　• Liu Yu (刘裕), the Prince of Qi (created 309, killed 310)

　• Liu Long (刘隆), the Prince of Lu (created 309, killed 310)

　• Liu Cong (刘聪), the Prince of Chu, later Emperor Zhaowu

　• Liu Ai (刘乂), initially the Prince of Beihai (created 310), later the Crown Prince (created 310), later demoted to the Prince of Beibu (created and assassinated 317)

　• Liu Gong (刘恭, assassinated 310)