Southern Tang

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History of China

Southern Tang (also referred to as Nantang) was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-976. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Sheng (a.k.a. Xu Zhihao) deposed the emperor Yang Pu.

The capital was located in Jinling (also known as Xidu), located in present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu Province. The territory comprised parts of modern Fujian, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the whole of Jiangxi Province.

Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the Northern Song Dynasty.

Contents

[edit] History

Li Sheng 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 Sheng 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 Sheng rule was comparatively stable and prosperous.

Li Jing took over when his father Li Sheng 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 Sheng suffered a set back from the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded away all of its land north of the Yangtze River. Li Sheng 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.

[edit] Rulers

Sovereigns in Southern Tang Kingdom 937-975
Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miao4 hao4) Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 ) Personal Names Period of Reigns Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according range of years
Convention for this kingdom only : Nan (Southern) Tang + posthumous names. Hou Zhu was referred to as Li Hou Zhu|李後主 li3 hou4 zhu3.
先主 xian1 zhu3 or Lie Zu|烈祖 lie4 zu3 Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign 李 (曰 on top of 弁) li3 bian4 937-943 Shengyuan (昇元 sheng1 yuan2) 937-943
中主 zhong1 zhu3 or Yuan Zong|元宗 yuan2 zong1 Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign 李璟 li3 jing3 943-961 Baoda (保大 bao3 da4) 943-958

Jiaotai (交泰 jiao1 tai4) 958
Zhongxing (中興 zhong1 xing1) 958

Hou Zhu|後主 hou4 zhu3 武王 wu3 wang2 李煜 li3 yu4 961-975 Did not exist

[edit] Reference

Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press, 14-16. ISBN-0674012127.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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