Jingnan (), also known as Nanping (南平; alternatively written as Southern Ping) and Northern Chu () in historiography, was one of the

Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

in south-central

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

created in 924, marking the beginning of the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

(907–960).

Founding

Gao Jichang, also known as

Gao Jixing Gao Jixing (高季興) (858 – January 28, 929), né Gao Jichang (高季昌), known for some time as Zhu Jichang (朱季昌), courtesy name Yisun (貽孫), formally Prince Wuxin of Chu (楚武信王), was the founder of Jingnan, also known as Nan ...

(), was appointed the regional military governor of Jiangling in 907 by the Later Liang, which took over northern

in the wake of the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

. He declared the foundation of the Kingdom of Jingnan (or Nanping) in 924 after the Later Liang fell to the

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four e ...

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, Hubei Province in the China, 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 List of cities in China ...

. In addition to bordering the succession of five dynasties beginning with the

, it also shared borders with the Chu 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 Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu Province ...

when it absorbed the kingdom in 951. It was also bordered by the

Later Shu Shu (referred to as Later Shu () to differentiate it from Former Shu, other states named Shu in Chinese history), also known as Meng Shu (), was one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China. It was located ...

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

. 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 rest ...

was formed in 960, ending the

Five Dynasties The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

period in the north, and though that is the date traditionally used to denote the end of the

, 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