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Southern Tang
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HistoryLi Bian was an orphan who was adopted by the Wu prince Yang Xingmi. He was then adopted by Xu Wen, the Prime Minister of Wu and was renamed Xu Zhigao. Upon Xu Wen's death, he took over power in Wu, and was made a prince of Qi. In 937 he proclaimed himself emperor. In 940, he changed his name back to Li Bian and renamed the state to Tang (history would refer to it as Southern Tang).
The state was relatively large and prosperous compared to the other Ten States of that period. Li Bian's rule was comparatively stable and prosperous.
Li Jing took over when his father Li Bian died in 942.
The Southern Tang was able to expand its holdings far beyond those of its Wu Kingdom predecessor. It took advantage of a rebellion in the Kingdom of Min when the northwest revolted and set up the Kingdom of Yin. Min appealed for help, but instead of helping, the Southern Tang absorbed the rebellious territory into its own. Then, by 945, the Southern Tang completed its conquest of the Min Kingdom and absorbed it into its own boundaries.
As with the Min, the Southern Tang was able to take advantage of internal squabbles within Chu to expand its territory even further. The Ma family had internal squabbles. The Southern Tang sent in an army in 951 and removed the ruling family to their own capital in Nanjing, and absorbed the territory.
However, Li Bian suffered a setback from the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded away all of its land north of the Yangtze River. Li Bian became a vassal of the Later Zhou Dynasty.
Li Houzhu (a.k.a Li Yu) took over Southern Tang from his father upon his death in 960. Li Houzhu was more interested in poetry than ruling. After surrendering to the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Houzhu was taken to the Song capital.
RulersSee also
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