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Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
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Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960) was an era of political upheaval in China, beginning in the Tang Dynasty and ending in the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were established, mainly in the south. However, only ten are traditionally listed, hence the era's name, "Ten Kingdoms." Some historians, such as Bo Yang, count 11, including Yan and Qi, but not Northern Han, viewing it as simply a continuation of Later Han.
The Five Dynasties:
The Ten Kingdoms: Wu, Wuyue, Min, Chu, Southern Han, Former Shu, Later Shu, Jingnan, Southern Tang, Northern Han.
Other regimes: Yan, Qi, Chengde Jiedushi (also known as Zhao), Yiwu Jiedushi, Dingnan Jiedushi, Wuping Jiedushi, Qingyuan Jiedushi, Yin, Ganzhou, Shazhou, Liangzhou.
rds the end of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial government granted increased powers to the jiedushi, the regional military governors.
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Encyclopedia
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960) was an era of political upheaval in China, beginning in the Tang Dynasty and ending in the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were established, mainly in the south. However, only ten are traditionally listed, hence the era's name, "Ten Kingdoms." Some historians, such as Bo Yang, count 11, including Yan and Qi, but not Northern Han, viewing it as simply a continuation of Later Han.
The Five Dynasties:
The Ten Kingdoms: Wu, Wuyue, Min, Chu, Southern Han, Former Shu, Later Shu, Jingnan, Southern Tang, Northern Han.
Other regimes: Yan, Qi, Chengde Jiedushi (also known as Zhao), Yiwu Jiedushi, Dingnan Jiedushi, Wuping Jiedushi, Qingyuan Jiedushi, Yin, Ganzhou, Shazhou, Liangzhou.
Background
Towards the end of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial government granted increased powers to the jiedushi, the regional military governors. The Huang Chao Rebellion weakened the imperial government's authority, and by the early 10th century the jiedushi, who commanded de facto independence, were not subject to the authority of the imperial government. Thus, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ensued.
The following were important jiedushi:
North China
- Zhu Wen at Bianzhou (modern Kaifeng, Henan province), precursor to Later Liang Dynasty
- Li Keyong and Li Cunxu at Taiyuan (modern Taiyuan, Shanxi province), precursor to Later Tang Dynasty
- Liu Rengong and Liu Shouguang at Youzhou (modern Beijing), precursor to Yan
- Li Maozhen at Fengxiang (modern Fengxiang County, Shaanxi province), precursor to Qi
- Luo Shaowei at Weibo (modern Daming County, Hebei province)
- Wang Rong at Zhenzhou (modern Zhengding County, Hebei province)
- Wang Chuzhi at Dingzhou (modern Ding County, Hebei province)
South China
- Yang Xingmi at Yangzhou (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu province), precursor to Wu
- Qian Liu at Hangzhou (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province), precursor to Wuyue
- Ma Yin at Tanzhou (modern Changsha, Hunan province), precursor to Chu
- Wang Shenzhi at Fuzhou (modern Fuzhou, Fujian province), precursor to Min
- Liu Yin at Guangzhou (modern Guangzhou, Guangdong province), precursor to Southern Han
- Wang Jian at Chengdu (modern Chengdu, Sichuan province), precursor to Former Shu
Northern China
Later Liang Dynasty
During the Liang Dynasty, the warlord Zhu Wen held the most power in northern China. Although he was originally a member of Huang Chao's rebel army, he took on a crucial role in suppressing the Huang Chao Rebellion. For this function, he was awarded the Xuanwu Jiedushi title. Within a few years, he had consolidated his power by destroying neighbours and forcing the move of the imperial capital to Luoyang (in modern Henan province), which was within his region of influence. In 904, he executed Emperor Zhaozong and made his 13-year-old son a subordinate ruler. Three years later, he induced the boy emperor to abdicate in his favour. He then proclaimed himself emperor, thus beginning the Later Liang Dynasty.
Later Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, rival warlords declared independence in their governing provinces — not all of whom recognized the emperor's authority. Li Cunxu and Liu Shouguang fiercely fought the regime forces to conquer northern China; Li Cunxu succeeded. He defeated Liu Shouguang (who had proclaimed a Yan Empire in 911) in 915, and declared himself emperor in 923; within a few months, he brought down the Later Liang regime. Thus began the Later Tang Dynasty—the first in a long line of conquest dynasties. After reuniting much of northern China, Cunxu conquered Former Shu in 925, a regime that had been set up in Sichuan.
Later Jin Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty had a few years of relative calm, followed by unrest. In 934, Sichuan again asserted independence. In 936, Shi Jingtang, a Shatuo Turk jiedushi from Taiyuan, was aided by the Manchurian Khitan Empire in a rebellion against the dynasty. In return for their aid, Shi Jingtang promised annual tribute and 16 prefectures in the Youyun area (modern northern Hebei province and Beijing) to the Khitans. The rebellion succeeded; Shi Jingtang became emperor in this same year.
Not long after the Jin Dynasty's founding, the Khitans regarded the emperor as a proxy ruler for China proper. In 943, they declared war on this kingdom, and within three years seized the capital, Kaifeng—thus marking the end of Later Jin Dynasty. But, although they had conquered vast regions of China, they were unable or unwilling to control those regions and retreated from them early in the next year.
Later Han Dynasty
To fill the power vacuum, the jiedushi Liu Zhiyuan entered the imperial capital in 947, and proclaimed the advent of the Later Han Dynasty, establishing a third successive Shatuo Turk dynasty. This was the shortest of the five dynasties; following a coup in 951, General Guo Wei, a Han Chinese, was enthroned, thus beginning the Later Zhou Dynasty. However, Liu Chong, a member of the Later Han imperial family, established a rival Northern Han regime in Taiyuan, and requested Khitan aid to defeat Later Han.
Later Zhou Dynasty
After the death of Guo Wei in 951, his adopted son Chai Rong succeeded the throne and began a policy of expansion and reunification. In 954, his army defeated combined Khitan and Northern Han forces, ending their ambition of toppling the Later Zhou dynasty. Between 956 and 958, forces of Later Zhou conquered much of Southern Tang, the most powerful regime in southern China, which ceded all the territory north of the Yangtze River in defeat. In 959, Chai Rong attacked the Khitan Empire in an attempt to recover territories ceded during the Later Jin Dynasty. After many victories, he succumbed to illness.
In 960, the general Zhao Kuangyin staged a coup and took the throne for himself, founding the Northern Song Dynasty. This is the official end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During the next two decades, Zhao Kuangyin and his successor Zhao Kuangyi defeated the other remaining regimes in China proper, conquering Northern Han in 979, and reunifying China completely in 982.
Northern Han
Though considered one of the ten kingdoms, the Northern Han was based in the traditional Shatuo Turk stronghold of Shanxi. It was created after the last of three dynasties created by Shatuo Turks fell to the Han-governed Later Zhou Dynasty in 951. With the protection of the powerful Khitan Liao empire, the Northern Han maintained nominal independence until the Song Dynasty wrested it from the Khitan in 979.
Southern China: The Ten Kingdoms
Unlike the dynasties of northern China, which succeeded one other in rapid succession, the regimes of southern China were generally concurrent, each controlling a specific geographical area. These were known as "The Ten Kingdoms".
Wu
The Kingdom of Wu (902-937) was established in modern-day Jiangsu, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces. It was founded by Yang Xingmi, who became a Tang Dynasty military governor in 892. The capital was initially at Guangling (present-day Yangzhou) and later moved to Jinling (present-day Nanjing). The kingdom fell in 937 when it was taken from within by the founder of the Southern Tang.
Wuyue
The Kingdom of Wuyue was the longest-lived (907-978) and among the most powerful of the southern states. Wuyue was known for its learning and culture. It was founded by Qian Liu, who set up his capital at Xifu (modern-day Hangzhou). It was based mostly in modern Zhejiang province but also held parts of southern Jiangsu. Qian Liu was named the Prince of Yue by the Tang emperor in 902; the Prince of Wu was added in 904. After the fall of the Tang Dynasty in 907, he declared himself king of Wuyue. Wuyue survived until the eighteenth year of the Song Dynasty, when Qian Shu surrendered to the expanding dynasty.
Min
The Kingdom of Min (909-945) was founded by Wang Shenzhi, who named himself the Prince of Min with its capital at Changle (present-day Fuzhou). One of Shenzhi’s sons proclaimed the independent state of Yin in the northeast of Min territory. The Southern Tang took that territory after the Min asked for help. Despite declaring loyalty to the neighboring Wuyue, the Southern Tang finished its conquest of Min in 945.
Southern Han
The Southern Han (917-971) was founded in Guangzhou (also known as Canton) by Liu Yan. His father, Liu Yin, was named regional governor by the Tang court. The kingdom included Guangdong and most of Guangxi.
Chu
The Chu (927-951) was founded by Ma Yin with the capital at Changsha. The kingdom held Hunan and northeastern Guangxi. Ma was named regional military governor by the Tang court in 896, and named himself the Prince of Chu with the fall of the Tang Dynasty in 907. This status as the Prince of Chu was confirmed by the Later Tang Dynasty in 927. The Southern Tang absorbed the state in 951 and moved the royal family to its capital in Nanjing, although Southern Tang rule of the region was temporary, as the next year former Chu military officers under the leadership of Liu Yan seized the territory. In the waning years of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the region was ruled by Zhou Xingfeng.
Jingnan (also known as Nanping)
The smallest of the southern states, Jingnan (924-963), was founded by Gao Jichang. It was based in Jiangling and held two other districts southwest of present-day Wuhan in Hubei. Gao was in the service of the Later Liang Dynasty (the successor of the Tang Dynasty in northern China). Gao’s successors claimed the title of King of Nanping after the fall of the Later Liang in 924. It was a small and weak kingdom, and thus tried to maintain good relations with each of the Five Dynasties. The kingdom fell to advancing armies of the Song Dynasty in 963.
Former Shu
The Kingdom of Shu (907-925) was founded after the fall of the Tang Dynasty by Wang Jian, who held his court in Chengdu. The kingdom held most of present-day Sichuan, western Hubei, and parts of southern Gansu and Shaanxi. Wang was named military governor of western Sichuan by the Tang court in 891. The kingdom fell when his incompetent son surrendered in the face of an advance by the Later Tang Dynasty in 925.
Later Shu
The Later Shu (935-965) is essentially a resurrection of the previous Shu state that had fallen a decade earlier to the Later Tang Dynasty. Because the Later Tang was in decline, Meng Zhixiang found the opportunity to reassert Shu’s independence. Like the Former Shu, the capital was at Chengdu and it basically controlled the same territory as its predecessor. The kingdom was ruled well until forced to succumb to Northern Song armies in 965.
Southern Tang
The Southern Tang (937-975) was the successor state of Wu as Li Bian (Emperor Liezu) took the state over from within in 937. Expanding from the original domains of Wu, it eventually took over Yin, Min, and Chu, holding present-day southern Anhui, southern Jiangsu, much of Jiangxi, Hunan, and eastern Hubei at its height. The kingdom became nominally subordinate to the expanding Song Dynasty in 961 and was invaded outright in 975, when it was formally absorbed into the Song Dynasty.
Transitions between kingdoms
Although more stable than northern China as a whole, southern China was also torn apart by warfare. Wu quarrelled with its neighbours, a trend that continued as Wu was replaced with Southern Tang. In the 940s Min and Chu underwent internal crises which Southern Tang handily took advantage of, destroying Min in 945 and Chu in 951. Remnants of Min and Chu, however, survived in the form of Qingyuan Jiedushi and Wuping Jiedushi for many years after. With this, Southern Tang became the undisputedly most powerful regime in southern China. However, it was unable to defeat incursions by the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded all of its land north of the Yangtze River.
The Northern Song Dynasty, established in 960, was determined to reunify China. Jingnan and Wuping were swept away in 963, Later Shu in 965, Southern Han in 971, and Southern Tang in 975. Finally, Wuyue and Qingyuan gave up their land to Northern Song in 978, bringing all of southern China under the control of the central government.
List of Sovereigns
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Sovereigns in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-960)
Temple Names
(?? miào hào) |
Posthumous Names
(?? shì hào) |
Personal Names |
Period of Reign |
Era Names (?? nián hào) and their according range of years |
|---|
Five Dynasties |
* note the naming convention: name of dynasty (e.g. ??) + temple name or posthumous name (e.g. ??), which makes ???? |
Later Liang Dynasty ?? Hòu Liáng 907-923 |
Tài Zu ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
|Zhu Wen ?? |
907-912 |
Kaipíng ?? (907-911)
Qiánhuà ?? (911-912)
|
Did not exist |
Mò Dì ?? |
Zhu Zhèn ?? |
913-923 |
Qiánhuà ?? (913-915)
Zhenmíng ?? (915-921)
Lóngdé ?? (921-923)
|
Later Tang Dynasty ?? Hòu Táng 923-936 |
Zhuang Zong ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Li Cúnxù ??? |
923-926 |
Tóngguang ?? (923-926)
|
Míng Zong ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Li Sìyuán ???
or
Li Dan ?? |
926-933 |
Tianchéng ?? (926-930)
Chángxing ?? (930-933)
|
Did not exist |
Min Dì ??? |
Li Cónghòu ??? |
933-934 |
Yìngshùn ?? (913-915)
|
Did not exist |
Mò Dì ?? |
Li Cóngke ??? |
934-936 |
Qingtài ?? (934-936)
|
Later Jin Dynasty ?? Hòu Jìn 936-947 |
Gao Zu ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Shí Jìngtáng ??? |
936-942 |
Tianfú ?? (936-942)
|
Did not exist |
Chu Dì ?? |
Shí Chóngguì ??? |
942-947 |
Tianfú ?? (942-944)
Kaiyùn ?? (944-947)
|
Later Han Dynasty ?? Hòu Hàn 936-947 |
Gao Zu ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Liú Zhiyuan ??? |
947-948 |
Tianfú ?? (947)
Qiányòu ?? (948)
|
Did not exist |
Yin Dì ?? |
Liú Chéngyòu ??? |
948-950 |
Qiányòu ?? (948-950)
|
Later Zhou Dynasty ?? Hòu Zhou 951-960 |
Tài Zu ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Guo Wei ?? |
951-954 |
Guangshùn ?? (951-954)
Xiandé ?? (954)
|
Shì Zong ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Chái Róng ?? |
954-959 |
Xiandé ?? (954-959)
|
Did not exist |
Gong Dì ?? |
Chái Zongxùn ??? |
959-960 |
Xiandé ?? (959-960)
|
Ten Kingdoms |
note the naming convention: use the personal names unless otherwise stated |
Wuyue Kingdom ?? 904-978 |
Tài Zu ?? |
Wusù Wáng ??? |
Qián Liú ?? |
904-932 |
Tianbao 908-923
Baodà 923-925
Baozhèng 925-932
|
Shìzong |
Wénmù Wáng ??? |
Qián Yuánquàn ??? |
932-941 |
Did not exist |
Chéngzong ?? |
Zhongxiàn Wáng ??? |
Qián Zuo ?? |
941-947 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Zhongxùn Wáng ??? |
Qián Zong ?? |
947 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Zhongyì Wáng ??? |
Qián Chù ?? |
947-978 |
Did not exist |
Min Kingdom ? 909-945 including Yin Kingdom ? 943-945 |
Tàizu ?? |
Zhongyì Wáng ??? |
Wáng Shenzhi ??? |
909-925 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Wáng Yánhàn ??? |
925-926 |
Did not exist
|
Tàizong ?? |
Huìdì ?? |
Wáng Yánjun ??? |
926-935 |
Lóngqi 933-935
Yonghé 935
|
Kangzong |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Wáng Jìpéng ??? |
935-939 |
Tongwén 936-939
|
Jingzong |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Wáng Yánxi ??? |
939-944 |
Yonglóng 939-944
|
Did not exist |
Tiandé Dì (as Emperor of Yin) |
Wáng Yánzhèng ??? |
943-945 |
Tiandé 943-945
|
Jingnan ?? or Nanping ?? Kingdom 906-963 |
Did not exist |
Wuxìn Wáng ??? |
Gao Jìxing ??? |
909-928 |
Did not exist
|
Did not exist |
Wénxiàn Wáng ??? |
Gao Cónghuì ??? |
928-948 |
Did not exist
|
Did not exist |
Zhenyì Wáng ??? |
Gao Baoróng ??? |
948-960 |
Did not exist
|
Did not exist |
Shìzhong ?? |
Gao Baoxù ??? |
960-962 |
Did not exist
|
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Gao Jìchong ??? |
962-963 |
Did not exist
|
Chu Kingdom ? 897-951 |
Did not exist |
Wumù Wáng ??? |
Ma Yin ?? |
897-930 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Héngyáng Wáng ??? |
Ma Xisheng ??? |
930-932 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Wénzhao Wáng ??? |
Ma Xifàn ??? |
932-947 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Fèi Wáng ?? |
Ma Xiguang ??? |
947-950 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Gongxiào Wáng ??? |
Ma Xi'è ??? |
950 |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Did not exist |
Ma Xichong ??? |
950-951 |
Did not exist |
Wu Kingdom ? 904-937 |
Tài Zu ?? |
Xiàowu Dì ??? |
Yáng Xíngmì ??? |
904-905 |
Tianyòu 904-905
|
Liè Zong ?? |
Jing Dì ?? |
Yáng Wò ?? |
905-908 |
Tianyòu 905-908
|
Gao Zu ?? |
Xuan Dì ?? |
Yáng Lóngyan ??? |
908-921 |
Tianyòu 908-919
Wuyì 919-921 |
Did not exist |
Ruì Dì ?? |
Yáng Pu ?? |
921-937 |
Shùnyì 921-927
Qiánzhen 927-929
Dàhé 929-935
Tianzuò 935-937
|
Southern Tang Kingdom ?? 937-975 |
Convention for this kingdom only : Nan (Southern) Tang + posthumous names. Hòu Zhu was referred to as Li Hòuzhu ???. |
Xian Zhu ??
or
Liè Zu ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Li Biàn ?? |
937-943 |
Shengyuán 937-943
|
Zhong Zhu ??
or
Yuán Zong ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Li Jing ?? |
943-961 |
Baodà 943-958
Jiaotài 958
Zhongxing 958
|
Hòu Zhu ?? |
Wu Wáng ?? |
Li Yù ?? |
961-975 |
Did not exist
|
Southern Han Kingdom ?? 917-971 |
Gao Zu ?? |
Tian Huáng Dà Dì ???? |
Liú Yán ?? |
917-925 |
Qiánheng 917-925
Báilóng 925-928
Dàyou 928-941
|
Did not exist |
Shang Dì ?? |
Liú Fen ?? |
941-943 |
Guangtian 941-943
|
Zhong Zong ?? |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Liú Chéng ?? |
943-958 |
Yìngqián 943
Qiánhé 943-958
|
Hòu Zhu ?? |
Did not exist |
Liú Cháng ?? |
958-971 |
Dàbao 958-971
|
Bei (Northern) Han Kingdom 951-979 |
Shi Zu|?? shi4 zu3 |
Shen Wu Di|??? shen2 wu3 di4 |
Liu Min|?? liu3 min2 |
951-954 |
Qianyou (?? qian2 you4) 951-954
|
Rui Zong|?? rui4 zong1 |
Xiao He Di|??? xiao4 he2 di4 |
Liu Cheng Jun|??? liu3 cheng2 jun1 |
954-970 |
Qianyou (?? qian2 you4) 954-957
Tianhui (?? tian1 hui4) 957-970
|
Shao Zhu|?? shao4 zhu3 |
Did not exist |
Liu Ji En|??? liu3 ji4 en1 |
970 |
Did not exist
|
Did not exist
| Ying Wu Di|??? ying1 wu3 di4 |
Liu Ji Yuan|??? liu3 ji4 yuan2 |
970-982 |
Guangyun (?? guang3 yun4) 970-982
|
Qian (Former) Shu Kingdom 907 - 925 |
Gao Zu|?? gao1 zu3 |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Wang Jian|?? wang2 jian4 |
907-918 |
Tianfu (?? tian1 fu4) 907
Wucheng (?? wu3 cheng22) 908-910
Yongping (?? yong3 ping2) 911-915
Tongzheng (?? tong1 zheng4) 916
Tianhan (?? tian1 han4) 917
Guangtian (?? guang1 tian1) 918
|
Hou Zhu|?? hou4 zhu3 |
Did not exist |
Wang Yan|?? wang2 yan3 |
918-925 |
Qiande (?? qian2 de2) 918-925
Xiankang (?? xian2 kang1) 925
|
Hou (Later) Shu Kingdom 934 - 965 |
Gao Zu|?? gao1 zu3 |
Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign |
Meng Zhi Xiang|??? meng4 zhi1 xiang2 |
934 |
Mingde (?? ming2 de2) 934
|
Hou Zhu|?? hou4 zhu3 |
Did not exist |
Meng Chang|?? meng4 chang3 |
938-965 |
Mingde (?? ming2 de2) 934-938
Guangzheng (?? guang3 zheng4) 938-965
|
Other regimes
Local independent regimes during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period but traditionally not counted in the Ten Kingdoms
Name of Posts |
Personal Names |
Period on post |
|---|
Wuping jiedu|?? (similar to thema of the Byzantine Empire) 950-963 |
Wuping jiedushi|????? Wupíng jíedùshi |
Liú Yán|?? |
950-953 |
Wuping jiedushi|????? Wupíng jíedùshi |
Wáng Kuí|?? or Wáng Jìnkuí|??? |
953-956 |
Wuping jiedushi|????? Wupíng jíedùshi |
Zhou Xíngféng|??? |
956-962 |
Wuping jiedushi|????? Wupíng jíedùshi |
Zhou Baoquán|??? |
962-963 |
Qingyuan jiedu|?? (similar to thema of the Byzantine Empire) 945-978 |
Qingyuan jiedushi|????? Qingyuán jíedùshi |
Liú Cóngxiào|??? |
945-962 |
Qingyuan jiedushi|????? Qingyuán jíedùshi |
Liú Shàozi|??? |
962 |
Qingyuan jiedushi|????? Qingyuán jíedùshi |
Zhang Hànsi|??? |
962-963 |
Qingyuan jiedushi|????? Qingyuán jíedùshi |
Chén Hóngjìn|??? |
963-978 |
Popular culture
- The 2006 Chinese film The Banquet by director Feng Xiaogang is set in this period. However, it has no historical accuracy, nor does it claim to have any.
See also
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