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

前蜀建國後，典章制度主要由宰相韋莊制定。韋莊熟習唐代制度，因此前蜀的政制充滿唐代遺風。前蜀宰相是同平章事，大多由中書侍郎門下侍郎兼領。唐代以中書令為宰相，地位崇高，前蜀的中書令則多以宗室兼任，並非專員。

前蜀樞密使亦是機要官職，自韋莊之後掌握朝廷大權。唐代內樞密使以宦官擔任，前蜀起初則以士人擔任，後來擔心將領不受控制，也起用宦官擔任樞密使，朝政漸壞。此外，大學士亦參與朝政。

宮廷中，內飛龍使一職掌握禁軍，往往幹預朝政。地方上掌握兵權的，有節度使、團練使、觀察使等，屬下有判官和掌書記。地方官制中，州有刺史，下有參軍；縣有縣令，下有主簿，大體上和唐代相同。

君主

君主列表

君主世系圖