Kings of the Han dynasty
The kings from other dynasties (, "yìxìng wáng") were mostly remnants of the rebellion against the Qin dynasty. Following the Dazexiang Uprising, many noblemen rose in rebellion. Heirs, pretenders, and warlords called themselves "kings" and claimed sovereignty as continuations of the six states previously suppressed by Qin. Among these, Chu was the most powerful. However, its rightful ruler Huai II was assassinated on the orders of the warlord Xiang Yu and the 18 Kingdoms Xiang had formed rose in rebellion against him. Liu Bang, king of Han, ultimately defeated Chu and established the new Han dynasty. The kings who had sided with him were then permitted to maintain their titles and lands. A few other kingdoms were also formed by Liu Bang for generals and favorites.
Cheng, King of Han
In 209 BC, when uprisings occurred throughout China to overthrow the Qin Dynasty, Han Cheng went to join Xiang Liang's rebel force in the hope of reviving his native state. Along the way, he met Zhang Liang, a descendant of a bureaucrat family from his state. Zhang Liang succeeded in persuading Xiang Liang to restore the Hán kingdom and Han Cheng was appointed as its ruler, with Zhang serving as his chancellor. Xiang Liang also provided some troops to Han Cheng and allowed him to attack the Qin garrisons based at Yingchuan (穎川; in present-day Henan).