The Marquis (侯 hóu) was a noble title in Han and Three Kingdoms China. Holders were enfeoffed with an estate—usually named after a place—and enjoyed rank and income below duke (公) and king (王).
Enfeoffment and rank
Enfeoffment as marquis was a standard reward for military victories, administrative service, or political loyalty. The estate might be nominal (no real control of the place) or carry real revenue and sometimes territorial authority. Titles such as Marquis of Duting (都亭侯) or Marquis of Wen (温侯) appear frequently in the sources for figures such as Lü Bu (Marquis of Wen), Cao Cao (various marquisates before becoming King of Wei), and countless other officers.
In the Three Kingdoms
As the Han court lost control, powerful figures often recommended their officers for marquisates to bind them to their regime. The kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu all used marquisates to reward loyalty and to signal legitimacy by continuing Han-style enfeoffment.