Map Introduction

I. Foundation of Former Shu and the Rule of Wang Jian (907–918 AD)

The Former Shu state was established in 907 AD by Wang Jian, the former Military Governor of Xichuan in the late Tang Dynasty. He established its capital at Chengdu, and its territory encompassed Sichuan, southeastern Gansu, southern Shaanxi, and western Hubei. Wang Jian, originally a salt merchant, gradually seized control of Xichuan after participating in suppressing the Huang Chao Rebellion. He implemented policies of "recuperation and rest for the people," reducing taxes and constructing water conservancy projects, which transformed the Chengdu Plain into an economic hub. His regime's legitimacy stemmed from his title "Prince of Shu," conferred by Emperor Zhaozong of Tang in 903 AD; he later declared independence following Zhu Wen's usurpation of the Tang throne.

II. Political Instability and Strategic Conservatism

The Former Shu ruling clique was markedly conservative: policies were dominated by the desire of powerful Sichuanese families to "maintain their own troops for self-preservation," causing the regime to miss prime opportunities for expansion eastward through the Three Gorges. In 917 AD, Wang Jian's change of the state's name to "Han" provoked a diplomatic crisis. The following year, he restored the name "Shu," but internal strife erupted, leading to the successive executions of his Chief Minister Wang Zongji and Crown Prince Wang Zongyi. This conservatism originated from the geographical isolation of the Ba-Shu region and the ruling elite's complacent mentality.

III. Economic/Cultural Development and Military Defense

During Wang Jian's rule, agriculture was vigorously developed. The produce from the Chengdu Plain, described as "a thousand li of fertile fields," supported a robust state capacity. Militarily, the regime relied on a defensive system utilizing natural strongholds like the Jianmen Pass and Qutang Gorge. However, the lack of an expansionist strategy led to passivity in its later years. Culturally, it absorbed scholar-officials from the late Tang, forming a distinctive Ba-Shu cultural sphere.

IV. Succession of Wang Yan and the Fall of the Regime (918–925 AD)

After Wang Jian's death, his son Wang Yan succeeded him. Wang Yan's indulgence in pleasure led to national decline. In 925 AD, Li Cunxu of the Later Tang sent Guo Chongtao leading a southern expedition. The Former Shu defensive lines collapsed rapidly, and the state fell after just 70 days. This defeat exposed the fragility of the Former Shu military system.