The Han Zhao, or Former Zhao, a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty, represents two state titles, the Han state proclaimed in 304 by Liu Yuan and the Former Zhao state in 319 by Liu Yao.

(The reason it is referred to as Former Zhao is that when its powerful general Shi Le breaks away and forms his own state in 319, he names it Zhao as well, and so Shi Le's state is referred to as Later Zhao.)

Although chronologically the Han Zhao is not the first of the Sixteen kingdoms, its armies had sacked the Jin dynastic capitals of Luoyang in 311 and Chang'an in 316.

Emperor Huai and Emperor Min of the Jin had been captured, humiliated and executed.

Remnants of the Jin court have fled to Jiankang, located eastward of Luoyang and Chang'an, and founded the so-called Eastern Jin Dynasty, under Sima Rui the Prince of Langye, who later becomes Emperor Yuan.

In 318, Liu Can and the ruling family residing at Pingyang had been toppled and executed by the coup d'etat of Jin Zhun, who is in turn eliminated by Shi Le and Liu Yao, who, as an imperial prince, claims the throne and changes the name of the state to Zhao.

Shi Le, of the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity, establishes Later Zhou, a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty, in 319.

The Later Zhao, with its capital at Xiangguo (in modern Xintai, Hebei), is the second, in territorial extent, to the Former Qin that once unified Northern China under Fu Jian.

The Zhang family of the Han Chinese ethnicity establishes Former Liang, a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms, in 320.

Its territories include present-day Gansu and parts of Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai and Xinjiang.

All rulers of the Former Liang will remain largely titular under the court of the Jin dynasty as the Duke of Xiping except Zhang Zuo who proclaims himself "wang" (prince/king).

However, at times the other Former Liang rulers will also use the wang title when imposed on them when they are forced to submit to Han Zhao, Later Zhao, or, eventually, Former Qin.

Su Jun, whose rebellion against Emperor Cheng's regent Yu Liang had been successful initially, had eventually been defeated by Tao Kan and Wen Jiao's forces and killed in battle in late 328.

His forces try to coalesce behind his brother Su Yi, but collapse in early 329.

The disturbance Su Jun had created has greatly weakened the Jin regime, which for decades will have no ability to fight back against the rival Later Zhao state.

Han Zhao lasts until 329, when Shi Le defeats Liu Yao at the river Luo.

Liu Yao is captured and executed; his sons succumb to the follow-up military advance.

Shi Hu moves the capital of Later Zhao to Yecheng (in modern Handan, Hebei) in 335.

Here it will remain for the rest of the state's history (except for Shi Zhi's brief attempt to revive the state at Xiangguo).

Ran Wei is destroyed in 352 by a Xianbei invasion, which also reaches the Yangtze river in the territory of the Jin Dynasty.

Murong Jun, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory in 352, declares himself emperor, and after this point, the rulers of the Former Yan will all declare themselves "emperors.”