The Three Kingdoms (AD 220–280) was the tripartite division of China between the states of Wei , Shu , and Wu , following the Han dynasty and preceding the Jin dynasty. The term "Three Kingdoms" itself is something of a mistranslation, since each state was eventually headed not by a king, but by an emperor who claimed legitimate succession from the Han dynasty. Nevertheless, the term "Three Kingdoms" has become standard among sinologists. To further distinguish the three states from other historical Chinese states of similar names, historians have added a relevant character: Wei is also known as Cao Wei , Shu is also known as Shu Han , and Wu is also known as Dong (or Eastern) Wu .