In the seventh year of Guanghe (184), the huge Yellow Turban Uprising broke out, and the already corrupt Eastern Han court was unable to suppress it. In desperation, the Eastern Han Dynasty court allowed the local governors and prefects of various counties (prime ministers) to recruit troops to fight against the Yellow Turban Rebel Army. Many governors and prefects evolved into warlords who dominated the separatist side after the Yellow Turban Uprising. The lowest official position that separatist warlords can hold is the first level of prefects in .
Zhongping Sixth year (189), Dong Zhuo became the first separatist warlord to control the court. In November of that year, Dong Zhuo was appointed as the prime minister. In the second year of Chuping (191), Dong Zhuo, who moved the capital to Chang'an , proclaimed himself the Grand Tutor, but his prime minister and Grand Tutor were later not recognized by the Eastern Han Dynasty. In addition, Emperor Ling of Han appointed Youzhou Mu Liu Yu as the Grand Marshal. Liu Yu later gave the Grand Marshal to Dong Zhuo, and was praised by Dong Zhuo as the Grand Sima and the Grand Tutor.
After Dong Zhuo's death, the warlords who controlled the court were his old subordinates Li Jue , Guo Si , Fan Chou , Zhang Ji . In the third year of Chuping (192), Li Jue served as the general of chariots and cavalry, and also the commander of the Sili School, Guo Si was appointed as the general of , Fan Chou was appointed as the right general, and Zhang Ji was appointed as the general of Zhendong. Zhang Ji later left the court and stationed in Hongnong County. Fan Chou was killed by Li Jue and Guo Si, but a full-scale conflict broke out between Li Jue and Guo Si.
In the second year of Xingping (195), Emperor Xian of Han took advantage of the dispute between Li Guo and took the court to leave Chang'an and return to the east Luoyang . The separatist warlords who helped Emperor Xian of Han return to the east were appointed as high-ranking officials. Among them, Zhang Ji was appointed as the General of the Cavalry, Zhang Yang was appointed as the General of Anguo and Sima. In order to provoke Li Guo and the other two, he appointed Guo Si as the General of the Cavalry. In the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang .
In order to better "handle the emperor to command the princes", Cao Cao once served as the general because the general was the highest official position in the Eastern Han Dynasty, even higher than the three dukes. But Yuan Shao was very dissatisfied with Cao Cao as the general, so Cao Cao had to give up the general to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao also became the last separatist warlord with a higher official position than Cao Cao. After Yuan Shao, there was no separatist warlord with a higher official position than Cao Cao.
In summary, the warlords at the end of the Han Dynasty whose official positions reached the level of three or above were: Prime Minister and Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo, Grand Sima and Grand Tutor Liu Yu, General Cheqi and General Cheqi and General Cheqi Li Jue, General Cheqi and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry chariot and Cavalry Excluding the Prime Minister and Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo, who was later unrecognized, the warlord with the highest official position in the late Han Dynasty was General Yuan Shao.
