e honours and tributes that the succeeding Emperors of the
various Dynasties conferred upon him marked him as the great-
est military hero that ever lived. Kuan Yu earned the rank of
‘T’ meaning “God” or “Emperor” and has ever since received
worship as Kuan Ti or Wu Ti. Here are the other main awards
which he had subsequently earned, elevating him to the ranks of
Duke, Prince and then Emperor:
- In 1120 the Sung Emperor ennobled him as the “Faithful and
Loyal Duke”. Eight years later he again conferred him an-
other title, that of “e Magnificent Prince and Pacificator”. - In 1330 Emperor Wen of the Yuan Dynasty honoured him
with the title of “Warrior Prince and Civilizer”. - In 1594 Emperor Wan Li of the Ming Dynasty conferred on
him the title of “Faithful and Loyal Great Ti, Supporter of
Heaven and Protector of the Kingdom”. In his honour thou-
sands of temples were built across the land so that people
could honour and worship him, thus making him one of the
most popular Gods of China. - In 1813 the Ching Emperor added the appellation “Military
Emperor” and Kuan Ti was regarded as the Patron of the
Manchu Dynasty. - In 1856 during the battle between the Imperialists and the
rebels, Kuan Ti was said to have appeared in the heavens which
helped to turn the tide of the battle in the Emperor’s favour.
After the victory, Emperor Hsein Feng quickly elevated him