Founded by Liu Yuan in 304 AD, Han-Zhao was the first of the Sixteen Kingdoms established by nomadic tribes. Liu Yuan, a Xiongnu leader who was highly educated in Han classics, claimed legitimacy as a successor to the Han Dynasty.
Legend tells that his mother conceived him after dreaming of a golden deer, signifying a majestic destiny. Han-Zhao's victories over the Western Jin at Luoyang and Chang'an effectively signaled the end of unified imperial rule in northern China for over a century.