项

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Xiang Yu项羽

ChuHistory × Fiction

A Chu general at the end of the Qin dynasty, who declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu and was defeated by Liu Bang at Gaixia; recorded in the Basic Annals of the Records of the Grand Historian, and included in the combined biography of Chen Sheng and Xiang Ji in the Book of Han.

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DIRECT FIGURES
36
RELATION RECORDS
61
SOURCE WORKS
9

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Xiang Yu, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
MENTORSHIP

Mentorship

Teachers, disciples and transmission

1 figure · 1 record
02
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

1 figure · 2 records
03
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

9 figures · 11 records
5 more in the complete record
04
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

18 figures · 24 records
14 more in the complete record
05
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

2 figures · 2 records
Complete relationships and verbatim sources ↓Open in the civilization atlas ↗

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms · Records of the Grand Historian · History of Song · Old Book of Tang

King of Chu at the end of the Qin dynasty, who styled himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu and was later destroyed by the Han. He was executed by Emperor Gao. He enfeoffed Tian An, grandson of Tian Jian, as King of Jibei.

In fiction · Records of Myriad Things · Book of the Later Han · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era · Book of Han · The Story of Yue Fei

He had a piebald horse. Mentioned in drinking games at the Hongmen Banquet. Emperor Gaozu sealed treasures to await Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu was about to take them to the east.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Literature / legend

    Records of Myriad Things

    1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  2. Official history

    Book of Han

    30 profile notes
    25 relations40 verified quotations
    • Liu Bang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    • Xiang Yu→ battle →Liu Bang
    • Xiang Yu→ enfeoff as Han king →Liu Bang
    • Qin Shi Huang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    Verified original text · 40
    1. 项氏畔换，黜我巴、汉

      war · Book of Han, 叙传下

    2. 后二年，汉灭楚。

      灭楚 · Book of Han, 天文志

    38 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  3. Official history

    Book of the Later Han

    9 profile notes
    3 relations3 verified quotations
    • Emperor Jing of Han→ imitate →Xiang Yu
    • Xiang Yu→ want kill →Han Wang
    • Fan Kuai→ rebuke →Xiang Yu
    Verified original text · 3
    1. 汉初立诸王，因项羽所立诸王之制

      imitate · Book of the Later Han, 百官五州郡县乡亭里匈奴中郎将乌桓校尉护羌校尉王国宋卫公列侯关内侯四夷国百官奉

    2. 项羽有意杀汉王

      want kill · Book of the Later Han, 冕冠长冠委貌冠皮弁冠爵弁冠通天冠远游冠高山冠进贤冠法冠武冠建华冠方山冠巧士冠却非冠却敌冠樊哙冠术氏冠鹖冠帻佩刀印黄赤绶赤绶绿绶紫绶青绶黑绶黄绶青绀纶后夫人服

    1 more verified quotation in the relationship records below.

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  4. Official history

    Old Book of Tang

    2 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Liu Bang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 汉高祖与项籍会于鸿门

      鸿门宴 · Old Book of Tang, 音乐志二

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  5. 5 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Liu Bang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 刘、项弊之於後

      war · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·武文世王公传

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  6. 37 profile notes
    29 relations40 verified quotations
    • Liu Bang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    • Xiang Yu→ battle →Liu Bang
    • Xiang Yu→ enfeoff as Han king →Liu Bang
    • Xiang Yu→ detain →Empress Lü
    Verified original text · 40
    1. 诛籍业帝

      kill · Records of the Grand Historian, 太史公自序

    2. 东击项籍

      attack · Records of the Grand Historian, 封禅书

    38 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  7. Literature / legend

    The Story of Yue Fei

    1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  8. Official history

    History of Song

    3 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  9. 6 profile notes
    2 relations1 verified quotations
    • Liu Bang→ hostile →Xiang Yu
    • Di Renjie→ proclaim by dispatch →Xiang Yu
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 檄告西楚霸王项君将校等

      proclaim by dispatch · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 神二十五

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Where the histories differ

The Records of the Grand Historian places Xiang Yu in the Basic Annals alongside emperors, while the History of Han demotes him to a biography, yet the appraisal is almost copied unchanged.

  • histories differWhether Xiang Yu counts as an emperor in official histories

    The Records of the Grand Historian, in the 'Basic Annals of Xiang Yu,' places Xiang Yu in the Basic Annals, alongside emperors, and at the end praises him: 'Government issued from Yu, and he was styled Hegemon-King; although his position did not last, there has been none like him since ancient times.' The History of Han does not grant this status: Xiang Yu is combined with Chen Sheng into a single biography, 'The Biographies of Chen Sheng and Xiang Ji,' demoted from Basic Annals to biographies. Yet the appraisal is almost copied verbatim from the Records of the Grand Historian, even retaining the reproach 'Heaven destroyed me, not the crime of using arms.' The comment was not changed, but the status was.

Relationship network

36 figures · 237 links
Xiang YuXiang YuLiu BangLiu BangQin Shi HuangQin Shi HuangEmperor Jing of HanEmperor Jing of HanEmpress LüEmpress LüHan XinHan XinLiu XiangLiu XiangGuan YingGuan YingZhang LiangZhang LiangChen PingChen PingQing BuQing BuHan WangFan KuaiZhang HanPeng YueXiang LiangZhang ErDi RenjieLu WanChen ShengChen YuEmperor GaoZhou ChangTian HengYing BuHan Xin, King of HanTian RongWei BaoLong JuZang TuJi BuLu JiaXiang BoZhou KeFu KuanJin Xi
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Records of the Three Kingdoms, 吴书·周瑜鲁肃吕蒙传; Records of Myriad Things, 人名考·文籍考·地理考·典礼考·乐考·服饰考·器名考·物名考; Records of the Grand Historian, 东越列传; Book of the Later Han, 冕冠长冠委貌冠皮弁冠爵弁冠通天冠远游冠高山冠进贤冠法冠武冠建华冠方山冠巧士冠却非冠却敌冠樊哙冠术氏冠鹖冠帻佩刀印黄赤绶赤绶绿绶紫绶青绶黑绶黄绶青绀纶后夫人服; Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 宝四; History of Song, 列传_ch. 359; Old Book of Tang, 李乂薛登韦凑韩思复张廷珪王求礼辛替否传; Book of Han, 五行志_ch. 27上

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.