Sima Wei (271-291) was Prince of Chu under Jin China during the late 3rd century. He was the second of the princes associated with the War of the Eight Princes, and he was executed after Empress Jia Nanfeng convinced his own soldiers to turn on him.
Biography[]
Sima Wei was the fifth son of Sima Yan, and he was created Prince of Shiping during his childhood before becoming Prince of Chu and commander of Jing Province in 289. A year later, his father died and his developmentally disabled brother Sima Zhong acceded to the throne. Sima Wei and Empress Jia Nanfeng were discontented with Yang Jun's regency, which excluded the Sima clan from power, and, in 291 AD, they allied against the regency. Sima Wei led an army into the capital and had the Yang clan massacred, and Sima Liang and Wei Guan were made the new regents. When Sima Liang attempted to relieve Sima Wei from his command, however, Sima Wei and Jia Nanfeng agreed to overthrow Sima Liang as well, and they had him executed. Jia Nanfeng then grew afraid that Sima Wei would attempt to usurp her power, so she secretly ordered his armies to lay down their arms rather than support a traitor. Sima Wei's forces capitulated and turned in their general, who was then executed alongside his general Gongsun Hong.
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