Jin Dynasty (265–420)

晉朝 Jin Dynasty ←   ← 265–420 →   → The Western Jin Dynasty (yellow) in 280 AD Capital Luoyang (265–311) Chang'an (312–316) Jiankang (317–420) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 265  - Reunification of China under Jin rule 280  - Jin evacuates to region south of the Huai River, Eastern Jin begins 317  - Abdication to Liu Song 420 Population  - 290 est. 22,620,000  Currency Chinese coin, Cash

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, an Eastern Jin tomb painting from Nanjing, now located in the Shaanxi Provincial Museum.

The Jìn Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 晋朝; traditional Chinese: 晉朝; pinyin: Jìn Cháo; Wade–Giles: Chin⁴-ch'ao², IPA: [tɕîn tʂʰɑ̌ʊ̯];), was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 CE. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin (ch: 西晉, 265–316) and the second Eastern Jin (ch: 東晉 317–420). Western Jin was founded by Sima Yan, with its capital at Luoyang, while Eastern Jin was begun by Sima Rui, with its capital at Jiankang. The two period are also known as Liang Jin (ch: 两晋 lit, two Jin) and Sima Jin by scholars, to distinguish this dynasty from other dynasties that use the same Chinese character, such as the Later Jin Dynasty (ch: 后晋).

The Sima clan was initially subordinate to the Wei dynasty, but the clan's influence and power grew greatly after the incident at Gaoping tombs in 249. In 266, Sima Yan forced emperor Cao Huan of Wei to abdicate the throne to him, ending Wei and starting Jin (as Emperor Wu). He named his dynasty after the state of Jin of the Spring and Autumn Period that once ruled the Sima clan's home county of Wen in Henei (present day Wen County, Henan). In 280, the Jin conquered Eastern Wu and unified China, but internal conflicts, corruption, and political turmoil quickly weakened the dynasty, and the unification lasted only ten years. Upon the advent of the second Jin emperor, Emperor Hui, various imperial princes tried to grab power in the devastating War of the Eight Princes. The Wu Hu uprising followed, during which large numbers of refugees fled south while north was occupied by various nomadic tribes. This marked the end of the Western Jin dynasty in 316 when Jin evacuated to region south of the Huai River, and the beginning of the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period.

Sima Rui founded the Eastern Jin at Jiankang in 317, with its territory stretching across most of today's southern China. The combination of the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period is sometimes called the Eastern Jin Sixteen Kingdoms (ch: 东晋十六国). During this period, huge numbers of people moved south from the central plain, stimulating the development of Southern China. The Emperors of Eastern Jin had limited power, with most of it concetrated in the royal family's hands, with most of it in royal family's hand, while military are mostly in non-royals. Many fangzhen (ch:方镇 lit. military county) start having ambitions which resulted in military revolts, like rebellions by Wang Dun, Su ling, and dictatorship by Huan Wen. Even though, there are goals of getting back the "northern lost land", major paranoiac from the royal family and constant disruptions of the throne, caused the lost of support in many officials. In 383, Former Qin mobilized it's troops and intend to conquer Eastern Jin in the south. Faced by a threat of invasion, many officials of Jin cooperated together hoping to repel the attack. After the battle of Fei river, Xie An, Xie Xuan, and other generals were able to pushed back the Qin's assault and seized back huge amount of territory from the enemy. However, more internal political battles from different groups of officials follows and Huan Xuan's usurpation of the throne. As civilians carries more burden from the disability, more revolts from Sun En, Lu Xun, and declaration of a new kingdom called Western Shu by militarist Qiao zong in Eastern Jin's Shu region. In the end, Liu Yu's rise ended major chaos and later taken the throne, ending Jin Dynasty and start of Liu Song Dynasty, and into Southern and Northern Dynasties period of Chinese history.

History

The first of the two periods, the Western Jìn Dynasty (ch: 西晉, 265–316), was founded by Emperor Wu, better known as Sima Yan. Although providing a brief period of unity after conquering the state of Eastern Wu in 280, the Jìn could not contain the invasion and uprising of nomadic peoples after the devastating War of the Eight Princes. The capital was Luoyang until 311 when 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 Han Zhao in 316.

Meanwhile remnants of the Jìn court fled from the north to the south and reestablished the Jìn court at Jiankang, south-east of Luoyang and Chang'an and near modern-day Nanjing, under the Prince of Langye. Prominent local families of Zhu, Gan, Lu, Gu and Zhou supported the proclamation of Prince of Langye as Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jìn Dynasty (ch: 東晉 317–420) when the news of the fall of Chang'an reached the south. (Because the emperors of the Eastern Jìn Dynasty came from the Langye line, the rival Wu Hu states which did not recognize its legitimacy would at times refer to Jìn as "Langye.")

Hunping jar of the Western Jìn, with Buddhist figures.

Militaristic authorities and crises plagued the Eastern Jìn court throughout its 104 years of existence. It survived the rebellions of Wang Dun and Su Jun. Huan Wen died in 373 before he could usurp the throne (which he had intended to do). Battle of Fei turned out to be a victory of Jìn under a short-lived cooperation of Huan Chong, brother of Huan Wen and the Prime Minister (or Imperial Secretariat) Xie An. Huan Xuan, son of Huan Wen, usurped and changed the name of the dynasty to Chu. He was toppled by Liu Yu, who ordered the strangulation of the reinstated but retarded Emperor An. The last emperor and brother of Emperor An, Emperor Gong, was installed in 419.

The abdication of Emperor Gong in 420 in favor of Liu Yu, ushered in the Liu Song Dynasty and a series of dynasties in the south, collectively known as the Southern Dynasties. The Jin Dynasty thus came to an end.

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.

Jin ceramics

Yue ware with motif, 3rd century CE, Western Jin, Zhejiang.

The Jin Dynasty is well known for the quality of its greenish celadon porcelain wares, which immediately followed the development of proto-celadon. Jar designs often incorporated animal, as well as Buddhist, figures.^[1]

Examples of Yue ware are also known from the Jin Dynasty.^[2]

Celadon lion-shaped Bixie, Western Jin period, 265-317 CE.

Celadon Lian bowl with Buddhist figures, Western Jin, 265-317 CE.

Celadon jar, Eastern Jin, 317-420 CE.

Celadon jar with brown spots, Eastern Jin, 317-420 CE.

Figure

• Sima's family tree of the 'Western Jìn dynasty'

Sovereigns of Jìn Dynasty

History of China
ANCIENT
3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors
Xia Dynasty 2100–1600 BC
Shang Dynasty 1600–1046 BC
Zhou Dynasty 1045–256 BC
Western Zhou
Eastern Zhou
Spring and Autumn Period
Warring States Period
IMPERIAL
Qin Dynasty 221 BC–206 BC
Han Dynasty 206 BC–220 AD
Western Han
Xin Dynasty
Eastern Han
Three Kingdoms 220–280
Wei, Shu & Wu
Jin Dynasty 265–420
Western Jin	16 Kingdoms 304–439
Eastern Jin
Southern & Northern Dynasties 420–589
Sui Dynasty 581–618
Tang Dynasty 618–907
( Second Zhou 690–705 )
5 Dynasties & 10 Kingdoms 907–960	Liao Dynasty 907–1125
Song Dynasty 960–1279
Northern Song		W. Xia
Southern Song	Jin
Yuan Dynasty 1271–1368
Ming Dynasty 1368–1644
Qing Dynasty 1644–1911
MODERN
Republic of China 1912–1949
People's Republic of China 1949–present	Republic of China (Taiwan) 1945–present
Related articles  Chinese historiography Timeline of Chinese history Dynasties in Chinese history Linguistic history Art history Economic history Education history Science and technology history Legal history Media history Military history Naval history

Notes

Major events

• War of the Eight Princes
• Wu Hu people
• Battle of Fei
• Butterfly Lovers

See also

• Six dynasties
• Sixteen Kingdoms
• Chinese sovereign
• List of tributaries of Imperial China
• Liu Song Dynasty
• Southern Dynasties
• Northern Wei Dynasty
• Northern Dynasties
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• Ge Hong

References

• Gernet,Jacques (1990). Le monde chinois. Paris: Armand Colin.

External links

• Chinese History, the Jin Dynasty 晉
• Largest Jin Dynasty Tomb Discovered in NW China
• Early Imperial China: A Working Collection of Resources
• History of China: A good catalogue of info