nt.
Thus the commanders, in collusion with groups of the gentry, were able
to enrich themselves and to secure regional power. The inadequate
strength of the central government of Wei was further undermined by the
rivalries among the dominant gentry. The imperial family (Ts'ao Pei, who
reigned from 220 to 226, had taken as emperor the name of Wen Ti) was
descended from one of the groups of great landowners that had formed in
the later Han period. The nucleus of that group was a family named
Ts'ui, of which there is mention from the Han period onward and which
maintained its power down to the tenth century; but it remained in the
background and at first held entirely aloof from direct intervention in
high policy. Another family belonging to this group was the Hsia-hou
family which was closely united to the family of Wen Ti by adoption; and
very soon there was also the Ssu-ma family. Quite naturally Wen Ti, as
soon as he came into power, made provision for the members of these
powerful families, for only thanks to their support had he been able to
ascend the throne and to maintain his hold on the throne. Thus we find
many members of the Hsia-hou and Ssu-ma families in government
positions. The Ssu-ma family especially showed great activity, and at
the end of Wen Ti's reign their power had so grown that a certain Ssu-ma
I was in control of the government, while the new emperor Ming Ti
(227-233) was completely powerless. This virtually sealed the fate of
the Wei dynasty, so far as the dynastic family was concerned. The next
emperor was installed and deposed by the Ssu-ma family; dissensions
arose within the ruling family, leading to members of the family
assassinating one another. In 264 a member of the Ssu-ma family declared
himself king; when he died and was succeeded by his son Ssu-ma Yen, the
latter, in 265, staged a formal act of renunciation of the throne of the
Wei dynasty and made himself the first ruler of the new Chin dynasty.
There is nothing to gain by detailing all the intrigues that led up to
this event: they all took place in the immediate environment of the
court and in no way affected the people, except that every item of
expenditure, including all the bribery, had to come out of the taxes
paid by the people.

With such a situation at court, with the bad economic situation in the
country, and with the continual fighting against the two southern
states, there could be no question of any far-reaching foreign p