Early life
Cao Cao was a military dictator and poet in ancient China during the end of the Han dynasty. The early life of Cao is disputable. He was born in 155 AD as the son of Lady Ding and Cao Song, a minor officer in the Han court. Cao Song is thought to have been the adopted son of Cao Teng, an influential eunuch, who controlled much of the court bureaucracy in the late Han period. Cao Cao followed his father and spent his early years in a number of midlevel court and military appointments.
Cao Cao’s rise to power
During the 170s AD, Cao was appointed as commandant and police chief of the capital Luoyang. He established a reputation for a stickler with the law; and was not afraid to challenge the rich and powerful. His name became famous once he put down the Yellow Turban rebellion. The rebellion was so-called because the protagonists wore a turban whose colour represented earth, an element they hoped would put out the fire, selected by the Han. This was a religious movement, led by the Yellow Turban cult probably derived from Tibet and was closely associated with the religion of Taoism. Strong in eastern China, the rebels nevertheless coordinated a series of uprisings across China in 184 AD which attacked the offices of local governments. The rebellion was brutally crushed by an army sent by Cao Cao and Zhang Jue. The leader of the uprising was killed. The movement did rumble on under new leadership in eastern Sichuan Province, but was finally destroyed in 215 AD, again by Cao Cao. In 189 an attempted coup by general Dong Zhou broke the power of the Hun emperor, starting a civil war in China. In the constant warfare from 189 to 200 AD, Cao quickly emerged as one of the leading contenders for power. A skilled tactician and a natural leader, he was soon able to pull together one of the most competent armies in northern China. Cao Cao, after several setbacks, eventually established himself as the powerful governor of Yan province by 196 AD. He made his headquarters at Xu in Yingchuan (Henan province). Securing the loyalty of his officers and troops, he gained control over the young Han emperor Xian, which gave his administration legitimacy. Finally, he instituted a system of military agricultural colonies on his territories that provided him with a ready supply of soldiers.
In 200 AD, Cao’s army met Yuan Shao, the last serious rival in northern China, at the Battle of Guandu. Cao Cao won a decisive victory, making him the sole ruler of northern China. Although the puppet Han emperor still officially held the imperial throne, Cao controlled all the real power under his self-appointed title, Chengxiang or Imperial Chancellor.
In the following years, he extended his power north, past the Great Wall of China and into the northern parts of modern day Korea. He attempted to extend his control south of the Yangzi River, but was stopped in 208 AD, in the Battle of Chibi. There, he faced Liu Bei (161-223), founder of the Kingdom of Shy (221-263), and Sun Quan (182-252), founder of the Kingdom of Wu (229-280). In 213 AD, the emperor officially granted Cao control of 10 cities in a region renamed as the state of Wei. He was named the duke of Wei, and in 216 AD, he became the prince of Wei.
Death and Legacy
Cao Cao died of a brain tumor in 220 AD at Luoyang. He had between 25 and 30 sons with several different women. His official consort, Lady Bian, gave birth to four sons: Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi and Cao Xiong. Cao Zhang became one of the most popular poets in China. Chao Pi, Cao Cao’s heir, forced the last Han emperor to abdicate. Once he took the throne he then founded the Wei dynasty (221-265 CE). Taking the title of Emperor Wen, he also became an accomplished pioneering poet and literary critic.
Source: Ancient Encyclopedia (https://www.ancient.eu/Cao_Cao/)