The Hanzhong Campaign (汉中之战) was Liu Bei’s campaign to take Hanzhong from Cao Cao between 217 and 219 CE. Hanzhong was the gateway between the Sichuan basin and the north; control of it was essential for Shu’s defence and for any future northern offensive.
The campaign
Liu Bei sent Huang Zhong, Fa Zheng, and others to contest Hanzhong. Huang Zhong killed Xiahou Yuan at the Battle of Dingjunshan (219). Cao Cao personally led reinforcements but could not retake the region and withdrew. Liu Bei secured Hanzhong and in 219 declared himself King of Hanzhong (汉中王), formalising his royal status.
Consequences
Hanzhong remained under Shu control until the Fall of Shu in 263. It served as the forward base for Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expeditions and later Jiang Wei’s campaigns. The campaign also drew in Huang Quan, who later defected to Wei when cut off during the Battle of Yiling.