How was Jin Dynasty founded?

Before the formation of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yi was a Minister of the Wei State (220-265). He was a brilliant military tactician during the wars against the Shu State (221-263) and the Wu State (220-280).

the two men engaged in a fierce power struggle. Initially Cao grasped the real power, but Sima Yi would ultimately prevail. Once when Cao and the Wei Emperortraveled to sweep Mingdi's tomb, Sima Yi took over Cao Shuang's compound, his arsenals and blocked access to the city of Luoyang. He then forced the Empress to abolish the official positions of Cao Shuang and his brother. At this point, Sima Yi asked the Emperor to remove Cao Shuang and his brother from power. Seeing no alternative Cao resigned. Shortly after, Cao and many of his colleagues were executed for treason. This put Sima Yi into position to begin his autocratic rule of the Wei State.

After Sima Yi's death, his family's forces in the Wei State were gradually consolidated by his sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. In 263, Sima Zhao hatched a plan to claim the throne for himself. He ordered his generals Zhong Hui and Deng Ai to attack the Shu State. This effectively drove the Shu State out of existence. Soon after, Sima Zhao died and his son Sima Yan usurped the throne of the Wei State in 265. This marked the establishment of the Jin Dynasty.  Sima Yan named himself Emperor Wu and made Luoyang the capital of his empire.

Western Jin (265-316)
The Western Jin Dynasty was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu) with its capital in Luoyang. After ascending to the throne, Sima Yan was able to unify China for a short period of time. However, he couldn't deal with the omnipresent social problems that poisoned the political atmosphere. Gradually the situation deteriorated to the point where the imperial court was in a total state of disarray.  Several factions began to contend for power.
The noted 'Eight-King Rebellion' was launched by the eight kings Sima Yan had previously named. This scramble for ruling power over the Jin Dynasty left the empire badly weakened. Nomadic tribes living to the north were constantly on the attack and seiaed the opportunity to establish their own regimes. The Huns, Di, Jie, Xianbei and Qiang Peoples successively founded a series of states historically called “the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarian Peoples”.
In 311 AD, Emperor Huai was captured by the forces of Han Zhao. The successive reign of Emperor Min lasted four years in Chang'an until its conquest by Former Zhao in 316 AD. Thus the Jin Dynasty lost its sovereignty.

Eastern Jin (317-420 AD)
In 317, the imperial family and remnants of the Jin court fled to the south. Sima Rui proclaimed himself emperor in Jiankang (today’s Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province) and re-established the Jin Dynasty.
Autocratic rulers and military crises plagued the Eastern Jin Empire throughout its 104 years' existence. Rebellions were frequent as different individuals attempted to claim the throne. Finally Sima Rui died in sorrow and indignation.
Emperor Gong was the last ruler of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and he lasted for only one year after being dethroned by General Liu Yu. This event marked the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the beginning of the Liu Song and Southern Dynasties and a series of dynasties in the south, known as the Southern Dynasties.
Meanwhile North China was ruled by the Sixteen Kingdoms, many of which were founded by the Wu Hu, the non-Han Chinese ethnicities. The conquest of the Northern Liang by the Northern Wei Dynasty in 439 ushered in the Northern Dynasties.

Who is the greatest calligrapher in Chinese history?
Wang Xizhi (303–361) was a Chinese calligrapher, traditionally referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy. He lived in Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Born in Linyi, Shandong, Wang Xizhi spent most of his life in the today’s Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He learned the art of calligraphy from Wei Shuo. He

excelled in every script but particularly in the semi-cursive script. Wang Xizhi had seven children, all of whom were notable calligraphers. The most distinguished one was his youngest son, Wang Xianzhi.

His most famous work is the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, the preface of a collection of poems written by a number of poets when gathering at the Orchid Pavilion (Lan Ting) near the town of Shaoxing for the Spring Purification Festival. The original is lost, but there are a number of fine tracing copies and rubbings.

Foreign Communication

Wang Xizhi is particularly remembered for one of his hobbies — rearing geese. Legend has it that he learnt the key of how to turn his wrist while writing by observing how the geese move their necks. There is a very pretty small porcelain cup depicting Wang Xizhi "walking geese" in the China Gallery of the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. The other side of the cup depicts a scholar "taking a zither to a friend".

Jin Dynasty reunified China after the split after Han Dynasty. However, its reunification did not last long. China sooner fell into split again, known as “Southern and Northern Dynasties”.