| Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang | |
|---|---|
| Birth and death: | January 7, 889[1][2]–March 30, 943[3][2] |
| Family name: | Originally Lǐ (李), later Xú (徐) (changed 895?), later again Lǐ (changed 939) |
| Given name: | Original name unknown, later Zhīgào (知誥) (changed 895?), later Biàn (昪) (changed 939) |
| Dates of reign: | November 10, 937[4][2]–March 30, 943 |
| Dynasty: | Southern Tang |
| Era name: | Shēngyúan (昇元) |
| Era dates: | November 10, 937–April 8, 943[3][2] |
| Temple name: | Lièzǔ (烈祖) |
| Posthumous name: (full) |
Emperor Guangwen Suwu Xiaogao (光文肅武孝高皇帝) |
Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang (南唐烈祖) (889-943), also known as Xianzhu of Southern Tang (南唐先主, literally "the first ruler of Southern Tang"), personal name Li Bian (李昪), earlier also known as Xu Zhigao (徐知誥), courtesy name Zhenglun (正倫), nickname Pengnu (彭奴), was the founder of the Southern Tang kingdom, one of the most successful of the Ten Kingdoms of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-960).
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Li Bian was the adoptive son of Yang Xingmi, the founder of the Wu Kingdom, but later was adopted by the general Xu Wen and had his name changed to Xu Zhigao. He was able to usurp power in the Wu state from Yang’s successors in 937. He declared himself to be the legitimate successor to the Tang Dynasty, which had fallen in 907. This is the justification he used for adopting the imperial surname of Li.
Xianzhu’s reign was short, only six years. However, he was successful in solidifying the state, preparing it for aggressive expansion that his successor, Zhongzhu, would engage in. He established the capital at Nanjing, the same location as the predecessor state, the Kingdom of Wu. He also began a pattern of Nanjing becoming one of the three main centers of art and culture in southern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
While the kingdom Xianzhu founded did not succeed in reuniting the Chinese realm, however, it played an important part in the consolidation of politics with the absorption of Min and Chu. It also became one of the leading centers of learning, along with Chengdu of the Later Shu and Hangzhou of Wuyue.
| Chinese nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None (dynasty founded) |
Emperor of Southern Tang 937-943 |
Succeeded by Emperor Yuanzong of Southern Tang |
| Preceded by Yang Pu of Wu |
Emperor of China (Jiangsu/Anhui/Jiangxi/Eastern Hubei) 937-943 |
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