Liu Yan (died 194 AD) was Governor of You Province during the 180s AD and Governor of Yi Province from 188 to 194. He was the father of Liu Zhang.
Biography[]
Liu Yan was born to a distinguished family, and he quickly rose through the ranks of the Imperial Court before becoming Minister of Ceremonies. At the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 AD, Liu Yan was the Imperial Protector of You Province in the northeastern region of Han China, and he issued a call for volunteers to fight the Yellow Turbans, leading to Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei enlisting.
In 188 AD, Liu Yan was appointed Governor of Yi Province in the west, and he gained control of the region with the help of Zhang Lu, slaying the Han governor of Hanzhong Su Gu. In 194, Liu Yan, Han Sui, and Ma Teng attacked the Imperial capital of Luoyang with the goal of seizing the Emperor from Li Jue and Guo Si, but the armies were defeated and Liu Yan's sons Liu Fu and Liu Dan were killed, while Liu Zhang barely escaped to Yi Province.
Liu Yan died of illness in Chengdu that same year, his health having deteriorated after losing his sons.