Jingnan (), also known as Nanping (南平; alternatively written as Southern Ping) and Northern Chu () in historiography, was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created in 924, marking the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960).

Founding

Gao Jichang, also known as Gao Jixing (), was appointed the regional military governor of Jiangling in 907 by the

Later Liang Later Liang may refer to the following states in Chinese history: * Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms) (後涼; 386–403), one of the Sixteen Kingdoms * Western Liang (555–587), also known as Later Liang (後梁), a state during the Southern and Nor ...

, which took over northern China in the wake of the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

. He declared the foundation of the Kingdom of Jingnan (or Nanping) in 924 after the

fell to the Later Tang.

Territorial Extent

Jingnan was the smallest of the longer-lived southern kingdoms. Its capital was Jiangling, and in addition to the capital, it held two neighboring districts on the Yangtze River southwest of present-day

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...

. In addition to bordering the succession of five dynasties beginning with the Later Tang, it also shared borders with the

Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the Ha ...

kingdom to the south, though that was replaced by the

Southern Tang Southern Tang () was a state in Southern China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which proclaimed itself to be the successor of the former Tang dynasty. The capital was located at Jinling, Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu ...

when it absorbed the kingdom in 951. It was also bordered by the Later Shu on the west after it was formed in 934.

Importance

Jingnan was a small and weak state, and in many ways was vulnerable to its larger, more powerful neighbors. As such, the court placed great importance in maintaining proper relations with the succession of dynasties that ruled northern China. However, because of its location, Jingnan was a central hub in trade, a feature that protected it from invasion.

Fall of the Kingdom

The

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

was formed in 960, ending the Five Dynasties period in the north, and though that is the date traditionally used to denote the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, many kingdoms in the south maintained their independence for nearly two decades after the rise of the

. However, due to its size and location, Jingnan was the first of the kingdoms to succumb to the

, surrendering when armies from the north invaded in 963, ending the kingdom.

Rulers

Rulers family tree

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jingnan History of Fujian Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Former countries in Chinese history 10th century in China 924 establishments 10th-century establishments in China 963 disestablishments 10th-century disestablishments in China Former monarchies of East Asia