The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907–960) was an era of division and political disturbance in 10th century imperial China in between the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, two highly successful dynasties.
Map of the first of the Five Dynasties and the early emergers of the Ten Kingdoms.
· Chinese: 五代十国 (Wǔ Dài Shí Guó /woo dye shrr gwor/)
· Preceded by the Tang Dynasty (618–907)
· Succeeded by the Song Dynasty (960–1279)
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the five dynasties in Central China succeeded each other: Later Liang (907–923), Later Tang (923–936), Later Jin (936–947), Later Han (947–951), and Later Zhou (951–960).
The ten kingdoms were: Wu (902–937), Former Shu (907–925), Ma Chu (907–951), Min (909–945), Wuyue (907–978), Southern Han (917–971), Nan Ping (924–960), Later Shu (934–963), Southern Tang (937–975), and Northern Han (951–979).
History and Background of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Luoyang, capital of Eastern Han
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms began with the founding of the Liao Dynasty (907–1125), which was in the north of formerly-Tang-Dynasty China. During this period, there were other regimes present.
When the Tang regime was almost over, its government granted more power to Jiedushi (the regional and provincial governors in charge of civil and military affairs).
However, in 874, the Huang Chao rebellion broke out when survivors of the floods and famine gathered courage and rose against the imperial government, perceiving natural disasters as a sign from heaven that there should be regine change. By the early 10th century, the Jiedushi commanders effected independence from imperial authority. Captals Chang'an and Luoyang were captured in the process.
The rebellion was the end of the Tang Dynasty and the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
The Five Dynasties
1. Later Liang (907–923)
In northern China, the founder Zhu Wen held the most power during the Liang Dynasty.
Zhu Wen was previously a member of the Huang Chao's rebel army before forming his army base in Kaifeng. He played a significant role in forcibly putting an end to the Huang Chao rebellion. During this period, there was destruction of property, and people were forced to move from the imperial capitals of Luoyang and Chang'an (now Xi'an).
In 904, Zhu executed Emperor Zhaozong of Tang and made his 13-year-old son, Li Cunxu, a lower-ranking ruler. In 907, Zhu made the boy emperor renounce his throne.
However, Li Cunxu regained the throne and proclaimed himself emperor in the spring of 923 and destroyed the Later Liang Dynasty, thus beginning the Later Tang Dynasty.
2. The Later Tang Dynasty (923–936)
The Later Tang Dynasty was established by Li Cunxu, Emperor Taizu, and lasted for 13 years. Its capital was Luoyang.
When Li Cunxu was killed in 926 after an officer's rebellion, Li Siyuan (adopted son of Li Keyong) succeeded in taking control of the dynasty. Li Siyuan became the emperor from 926–933 until he died of illness aged 66.
Li Conghou (second son of Li Cunxu) would later become emperor from 933–934 before being overthrown by his adoptive brother Li Congke in 934. Li Congke became the emperor until 936 when he was overthrown by his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang to form the Later Jin Dynasty.
Land under the rule of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).
3. The Later Jin Dynasty (936–946)
In 936, Shi Jintang (also known as Gaozu), was helped by Emperor Taizu of Liao from the Liao Empire in a rebellion against the Later Tang dynasty. If they were to succeed, Shi Jingtang promised the sixteen Prefectures to the Khitans.
When the rebellion succeeded, Shi Jintang became the emperor the same year. Shi Jintang died in 1942, and Shi Chonggui (Chudi) became the emperor from 942–947.
In 943, the Khitans declared war, and in 946, they seized Kaifeng and removed Chudi from power, marking the end of the Later Jin and beginning the Later Han Dynasty.
4. The Later Han Dynasty (947–950)
Kaifeng city
The Later Han Dynasty lasted only four years and was the shortest imperial regime of the five. During this period, Liu Zhiyuan entered the imperial capital of Kaifeng in 947 and controlled the advent of the Later Han.
In Spring 948, Liu Zhiyuan became ill and died. He was succeeded by his teenage son Liu Chengyou as the emperor. However, two years later, in 950, Later Han dynasty was overthrown by Guo Wei who became the Later Zhou Dynasty ruler.
5. The Later Zhou Dynasty (951–960)
This was the last regime of the five dynasties. Guo Wei was the emperor until 954 when he died of illness and Chai Rong (his adopted son) succeeded the throne. Chai Rong's army defeated the Khitan and Northern Han forces, ending their ambitions of succeeding the Later Zhou dynasty.
During his regime, Chai Rong conquered much of Southern Tang (the then most powerful regime in Southern China). But In 959, Chai Rong died as he was attempting to recover the territories that had been ceded during the Later Jin regime.
In 960, General Zhao succeeded in overthrowing Later Zhou and establishing the Northern Song Dynasty, thus ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.
The Ten Kingdoms
During the ten kingdoms period, ten regimes in South China controlled various areas for various periods before being invaded, overthrown, and amalgamated by the Song Dynasty. Below is a summary of the ten kingdoms:
1. Wu (904–937)
Yang Xiangmi (a military governor in Huainan, the area south of the Huai River) became the Tang Dynasty leader in 892 and founded the Kingdom of Wu in 904. The capital of Wu (modern-day Jiangsu, Anhui, and Jiangxi) was initially at Guangling and later moved to Jinling.
The kingdom fell in 937 when the Southern Tang took it.
The Four Kings of Wu were:
· Yang Xingmi from 904–905
· Yang Wo from 905–908
· Yang Longyan from 908–921
· Yang Pu from 921–937
2. Former Shu (907–925)
Former Shu was founded by Wang Jian, a military governor of western Sichuan, after the fall of the Tang Dynasty in 907. The kingd