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This list of Chinese monarchs includes rulers of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
with various titles prior to the establishment of the
Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
in 1912. From the
Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
until the
Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...
, rulers usually held the title "king" (). With the separation of China into different
Warring States The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...
, this title had become so common that the unifier of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, the first Qin Emperor Qin Shihuang created a new title for himself, that of "emperor" (). The title of
Emperor of China ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heav ...
continued to be used for the remainder of China's imperial history, right down to the fall of the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
in 1912. While many other monarchs existed in and around China throughout its history, this list covers only those with a quasi-legitimate claim to the majority of China, or those who have traditionally been named in king-lists. The following list of Chinese monarchs is in no way comprehensive. Chinese sovereigns were known by many different names, and how they should be identified is often confusing. Sometimes the same emperor is commonly known by two or three separate names, or the same name is used by emperors of different
dynasties A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
. The tables below do not necessarily include all of an emperor's names – for example,
posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishm ...
s could run to more than twenty characters and were rarely used in historical writing – but, where possible, the most commonly used name or naming convention has been indicated. Scholars also often use common terms to refer to some monarchs with special circumstances — "Modi" (末帝; "last emperor"), "Mozhu" (末主; "last lord"), "Houzhu" (後主; "later lord"), "Shaodi" (少帝; "young emperor"), "Shaozhu" (少主; "young lord"), "Feidi" (廢帝; "deposed emperor"), etc.; these terms are not
temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...
s, posthumous names or
regnal name A regnal name, or regnant name or reign name, is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and, subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they ...
s. In some cases, the regnal or
era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of ...
is changed in the same year as the death of the previous sovereign; in other cases, the name change occurs in the subsequent year. Thus, the date given for the beginning of a reign may actually refer to the first ''full'' year of the sovereign's reign. These tables may not necessarily represent the most recently updated information on Chinese monarchs; please check the page for the relevant dynasty for possible additional information. Follow these links to see how they are related: Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)
Family tree of Chinese monarchs (Warring States period) This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs during the Warring States period. Warring States period In 771 BC, a coalition of feudal lords and the Western Rong tribes overthrew King You and drove the Zhou out of the Wei valley. During ...
Chinese emperors family tree (early) This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the foundation of the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE until the end of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty (秦朝) was established in 221 BCE after Qin Shi Huang, King of Qin, conquer ...
Chinese emperors family tree (middle)
Chinese emperors family tree (late) This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the Yuan dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. __TOC__ Yuan dynasty and Northern Yuan The following is the Yuan dynasty family tree. Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206. The empire ...


Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors (三皇五帝) (2852–2070 BC)

Although it is ingrained in Chinese accounts that the earliest legendary rulers of China included three ''huáng'' (皇, generally translated "sovereign" or "august one") and five ''dì'' (帝, generally translated "emperor"), both terms denoting
demigod A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...
status, their identities have differed between different sources, with some individuals, such as the
Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...
, being regarded as either sovereign or emperor, depending on the source. The two characters would later be taken together by
Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of " king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Empero ...
to form the new title ''huángdì'' (皇帝, emperor), thus claiming legendary status for himself. They were perceived as admirable and loyal to the individual members that belonged to the emperor. ''Note: These figures are considered to be legendary''


Xia dynasty (夏朝) (2070–1600 BC)

''Chinese convention: use "Xia" + regnal name''


Shang dynasty (商朝) (1600–1046 BC)

''Chinese convention: use posthumous name''


Zhou dynasty (周朝) (1046–256 BC)

''Chinese convention: use "Zhou" + posthumous name ("Wang" is the chinese term for "King")'' ''Note: The first generally accepted date in Chinese history is 841 BC, the beginning of the Gonghe regency. All dates prior to this are the subject of often vigorous dispute.'' * ''After King Nan was deposed by Qin, Ji Jie'' (姬杰), '' Duke Wen of the vassal duchy of Eastern Zhou was proclaimed the new king of Zhou and claimed the title until his death in 249 BC.'' ''However, the King of Qin had taken possession of the
Nine Tripod Cauldrons The Nine Tripod Cauldrons () were a collection of ding cast by the legendary Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty of ancient China. They were viewed as symbols of the authority given to the ruler by the mandate of heaven. At the time of the Shang dyna ...
'' (九鼎)'', and Ji Jie's reign was not widely recognized. Historians generally considered the title of Son of Heaven to be vacant from 256 to 221 BC.''


Qin dynasty (秦朝) (221–207 BC)

''Chinese convention:'' ''use regnal name'' ''Note: The State of Qin was founded in the 9th century BCE as a vassal of the Zhou dynasty. The Duke of Qin, Ying Si'' (嬴駟)'', declared himself king in 325 BC and was given the posthumous name King Huiwen of Qin'' (秦惠文王). ''In 256 BC,
King Zhaoxiang of Qin King Zhaoxiang of Qin (; 325–251 BC), or King Zhao of Qin (秦昭王), born Ying Ji (, was the king of Qin from 306 BC to 251 BC. He was the son of King Huiwen and younger brother of King Wu. King Zhaoxiang reigned as the King of Qin for 5 ...
ended the Zhou dynasty, and in 221 BC, Ying Zheng completed the conquest of the other states (kingdoms) and declared himself Qin Shi Huang, or "First Emperor of Qin." The unification of China under the Qin dynasty in 221 BC is usually considered to be the beginning of Imperial China.''


Han dynasty (漢朝) (202 BC–9 AD, 25–220 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Han" + posthumous name (apart from Liu Bang, who is known as "Han Gaozu")''
''Note that the posthumous names of many Han monarchs bear the character "xiao" (孝; "filial"), but this character is usually omitted by scholars when they are used (i.e. "Emperor Xiaowu" is normally known as "Emperor Wu")''


Xin dynasty The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped the throne of the Emperor Pin ...
(新朝) (9–23 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal name''


Three Kingdoms (三國) (220–280 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal name''


Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' < : *''ŋjweiC'' < Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Eastern Wu Wu (Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < : ''*ŋuɑ''), known in hi ...
(東吳) (222–280 AD)


Jin dynasty (晉朝) (266–420 AD)

''Chinese convention: Use "Jin" + posthumous name''
Note that the posthumous names of some Jin monarchs bore the character "xiao" (孝; "filial"), but this character is usually omitted by scholars when referencing these monarchs by their posthumous names (i.e. "Emperor Xiaohui" is normally known as "Emperor Hui")


Sixteen Kingdoms (十六國) (304–439 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal name''


Han Zhao (漢趙) (304–329 AD)

''Note: addressed separately in traditional texts as Han (漢) and Qian (Former) Zhao (前趙)''


Cheng Han Cheng Han (; 303 or 304 – 347) was a dynastic state of China listed as one of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese historiography. Ruled by the Di people, its territory was based in what is modern-day Sichuan Province, China. Cheng and Han It ...
(成漢) (304–347 AD)

''Note: addressed separately in traditional texts as Cheng (成) and Han (漢)''


Later Zhao The Later Zhao (; 319–351) was a dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms in northern China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity. The Jie were most likely a Yeniseian people and spoke next to Chinese one of the Yeniseian languages.Vo ...
(後趙) (319–351 AD)


Former Liang The Former Liang (; 320–376) was a dynastic state, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, in Chinese history. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han ethnicity. Its territories included present-day Gansu and parts of Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai and ...
(前涼) (320–376 AD)


Former Yan The Former Yan (; 337–370) was a dynastic state ruled by the Xianbei during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin dynasty-created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352 ...
(前燕) (337–370 AD)


Former Qin The Former Qin, also called Fu Qin (苻秦), (351–394) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history ruled by the Di ethnicity. Founded by Fu Jian (posthumously Emperor Jingming) who originally served under the Later ...
(前秦) (351–394 AD)


Later Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Later Yan (; 384 – 407 or 409) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei people, located in modern-day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Later Yan declared them ...
(後燕) (384–409 AD)


Later Qin The Later Qin (; 384–417), also known as Yao Qin (), was a state ruled by the Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty (266–420) in China. The Later Qin is entirely distinct from the Qin dynasty, the Former Qin and the W ...
(後秦) (384–417 AD)


Western Qin (西秦) (385–400 AD, 409–431 AD)


Later Liang (後涼) (386–403 AD)


Southern Liang (南涼) (397–414 AD)


Northern Liang The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was ruled by the Juqu family of Lushuihu origin (a branch of the Xiongnu). Although Duan Ye of Han ethnicity was initially enthroned as the Northern Liang ...
(北涼) (397–439 AD)

''Note: The Northern Liang was re-established at Gaochang in 442 AD.''


Southern Yan The Southern Yan (; 398–410) was a Xianbei-led dynastic state during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Its territory roughly coincided with modern Shandong. Its founder Murong De was a son of Murong Huang and brother of Murong Jun and M ...
(南燕) (398–410 AD)


Western Liang (西涼) (400–421 AD)


Hu Xia (胡夏) (407–431 AD)


Northern Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Northern Yan (; 407 or 409–436), Eastern Yan () or Huanglong (), was a dynastic state of China during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaot ...
(北燕) (407–436 AD)


Other sovereignties traditionally not counted among the Sixteen Kingdoms

''Convention: use personal name''


Ran Wei (冉魏) (350–352 AD)

''Note: addressed as Wei in traditional texts''


Western Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Western Yan (; 384–394) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei ethnicity. The dynasty existed during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms, but it is not counted among the 16. It was founded by Murong Hong ...
(西燕) (384–394 AD)


Western Shu (西蜀) (405–413 AD)


Tiefu tribe (匈奴 鐵弗部) (mid 3rd century–391 AD)


Yuwen tribe (鮮卑 宇文部) (late 3rd century–345 AD)


Duan tribe The Duan () was a pre-state tribe of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. History The reason the tribe adopted the Han Chinese surname Duan is unknown. Duan Wuwuchen was given in 303 a hereditary title— the "Duke ...
(鮮卑 段部) (303–338 AD)


Chouchi (仇池) (296–371 AD, 385–443 AD)


Wuxing (武興) (473–506 AD, 534–555 AD)


Yinping (陰平) (477 AD–mid-6th century)


Tuoba tribe (鮮卑 拓拔部) (219–376 AD) & Dai (代) (310–376 AD)


Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝) (386–589 AD)


Northern dynasties (北朝) (386–581 AD)

''Chinese convention: use dynasty name + posthumous name''


Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during t ...
(北魏) (386–535 AD)


Eastern Wei (東魏) (534–550 AD)


Western Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Western Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei. One of the Northern dynasties during the era of the Northern and Southern dynasties, it ruled the weste ...
(西魏) (535–557 AD)


Northern Qi Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It ruled the eastern part of northern China ...
(北齊) (550–577 AD)


Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty a ...
(北周) (557–581 AD)


Southern dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...
(南朝) (420–589 AD)

''Chinese convention: use dynasty name + posthumous name''


Liu Song (劉宋) (420–479 AD)


Southern Qi Qi, known in historiography as the Southern Qi ( or ) or Xiao Qi (), was a Chinese imperial dynasty and the second of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It followed the Liu Song dynasty and was succe ...
(南齊) (479–502 AD)


Liang dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was preceded by the South ...
(梁朝) (502–557 AD)


Chen dynasty (陳朝) (557–589 AD)


Sui dynasty (隋朝) (581–619 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Sui" + posthumous name''


Tang dynasty (唐朝) (618–690 AD, 705–907 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Tang" + temple name'' ''(except for Emperor Shang and Emperor Ai; Emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗) is sometimes referred as Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty (唐明皇))''


Wu Zhou Wu may refer to: States and regions on modern China's territory *Wu (state) (; och, *, italic=yes, links=no), a kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period 771–476 BCE ** Suzhou or Wu (), its eponymous capital ** Wu County (), a former county ...
(武周) (690–705 AD)


Huang Qi (黃齊) (881–884 AD)


Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十國) (907–979 AD)


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 ...
(五代) (907–960 AD)

''Chinese convention: name of dynasty + temple name or posthumous name''


Later Liang (後梁) (907–923 AD)


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 ...
(後唐) (923–937 AD)


Later Jin (後晉) (936–947 AD)


Later Han (後漢) (947–951 AD)


Later Zhou Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ( ...
(後周) (951–960 AD)


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 ...
(十國) (907–979 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal names, noted otherwise''


Former Shu (前蜀) (907–925 AD)


Yang Wu Wu (), also referred to as Huainan (), Hongnong (), Southern Wu (), or Yang Wu (楊吳), was one of the Ten Kingdoms in eastern China which was in existence from 907 to 937. Its capital was Jiangdu Municipality () (modern Yangzhou in Jiangsu P ...
(楊吳) (907–937 AD)


Ma Chu (馬楚) (907–951 AD)


Wuyue Wuyue (; ), 907–978, was an independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960) of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Haiyan Qian clan (海盐钱氏), whose family name remains widespread in th ...
(吳越) (907–978 AD)


Min Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Amtr ...
(閩) (909–945 AD) & Yin (殷) (943–945 AD)


Southern Han Southern Han (; 917–971), officially Han (), originally Yue (), was one of the ten kingdoms that existed during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was located on China's southern coast, controlling modern Guangdong and Guangxi. The ...
(南漢) (917–971 AD)


Jingnan 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 Kingdo ...
(荊南) (924–963 AD)


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 ...
(後蜀) (934–965 AD)


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. ...
(南唐) (937–976 AD)

''Chinese convention for this dynasty only: Use Nan (Southern) Tang + "Qianzhu" (lit. "first lord"), "Zhongzhu" (lit. "middle lord") or "Houzhu" (lit. "last lord")''.


Northern Han The Northern Han () was a dynastic state of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by Liu Min (), formerly known as Liu Chong (), and lasted from 951 to 979. Founding of the Northern Han The short-lived state of Later Ha ...
(北漢) (951–979 AD)


Independent regimes during Ten Kingdoms

''(local independent regimes during
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 ...
traditionally not counted in the Ten Kingdoms)''


Qingyuan Jiedushi (清源節度使) (949–978 AD)


Wuping

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate ...
(武平節度使) (950–963 AD)


Liao dynasty (遼朝) (916–1125 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Liao" + temple name except Liao Tianzuodi who is referred using "Liao" + regnal name''


Northern Liao (北遼) (1122–1123 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal name or "Northern Liao" + temple name''


Western Liao (西遼) (1124–1218 AD)

''Chinese convention: use personal name or "Western Liao" + posthumous name''


Dongdan (東丹) (926–952 AD)


Song dynasty (宋朝) (960–1279 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Song" + temple name or posthumous name (except last emperor who was revered as Song Di Bing (''宋帝昺 ''Sòng Dì Bǐng))''


Dali Kingdom (大理) (937–1094 AD, 1096–1253 AD)


Western Xia (西夏) (1038–1227 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Western Xia" + temple name'' (''or use personal name)'' The Tangut names for about half of the Western Xia eras are known from Tangut texts or monumental inscriptions, or from Western Xia coins.


Jin dynasty (金朝) (1115–1234 AD)

''Chinese convention: use "Jin" + temple name or posthumous name'' in Chinese


Yuan dynasty (元朝) (1271–1368 AD)

''Chinese convention: for rulers before Kublai Khan use given name (e.g. Temüjin) or Khan names, use "Yuan" + temple name or posthumous name after'' ''Note:
1) The Mongol Great Khans before Khublai were only declared Yuan emperors after the creation of Yuan dynasty in 1271
2) To non-Chinese readers, usually the khan names are the most familiar names.
3) Timur or Temür means the same Mongolian words but Temür will be used for avoiding confusion with Timur the lame (Tamerlane).''


Northern Yuan The Northern Yuan () was a dynastic regime ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Jin ...
(北元) (1368–1388 AD)

Retreat of the Yuan court to the
Mongolian Plateau The Mongolian Plateau is the part of the Central Asian Plateau lying between 37°46′-53°08′N and 87°40′-122°15′E and having an area of approximately . It is bounded by the Greater Hinggan Mountains in the east, the Yin Mountains to ...
after being overthrown by the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
in
China proper China proper, Inner China, or the Eighteen Provinces is a term used by some Western writers in reference to the "core" regions of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China. This term is used to express a distinction between the "core" regions pop ...
in 1368 (1368 – early 15th century) ''Convention: use khan names or birth names.''


Ming dynasty (明朝) (1368–1644 AD)


Shun dynasty The Shun dynasty (), officially the Great Shun (), was a short-lived Chinese dynasty that existed during the Ming–Qing transition. The dynasty was founded in Xi'an on 8 February 1644, the first day of the lunar year, by Li Zicheng, the leade ...
(順朝) (1644–1645 AD)

The
Shun dynasty The Shun dynasty (), officially the Great Shun (), was a short-lived Chinese dynasty that existed during the Ming–Qing transition. The dynasty was founded in Xi'an on 8 February 1644, the first day of the lunar year, by Li Zicheng, the leade ...
was an imperial dynasty created in the brief lapse from Ming to Qing rule in China. It was a state set up by the peasants' rebellion, in which they defeated the Ming forces, but former Ming general
Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai () or Changbo (), was a notorious Ming Dynasty military officer who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty in China. In Chinese ...
led the Qing forces into Beijing and the Qing forces defeated the rebels.


Southern Ming The Southern Ming (), also known as the Later Ming (), officially the Great Ming (), was an imperial dynasty of China and a series of rump states of the Ming dynasty that came into existence following the Jiashen Incident of 1644. Shun force ...
(南明) (1644–1662 AD)

The
Southern Ming The Southern Ming (), also known as the Later Ming (), officially the Great Ming (), was an imperial dynasty of China and a series of rump states of the Ming dynasty that came into existence following the Jiashen Incident of 1644. Shun force ...
refers to the Ming loyalist regimes that existed in Southern China from 1644 to 1662. The regime was established by the princes of the already destroyed Ming dynasty. All of these monarchs had their regimes crushed by the Qing forces very quickly.
Koxinga Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
(Zheng Chenggong) used the Ming dynasty's name and gathered forces before fleeing to Taiwan. ''*The two characters are homonyms, both pronounced Lu; to distinguish them, one is usually kept as Lu and the other spelled differently. Luh is from Cambridge History of China; Lou is from A.C. Moule's Rulers of China (1957). When one irregular spelling is used, the other is kept as regular (Lu). The two systems are distinct and not used simultaneously.''


Qing dynasty (清朝) (1636–1912 AD)


Taiping Heavenly Kingdom The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, later shortened to the Heavenly Kingdom or Heavenly Dynasty, was an unrecognised rebel kingdom in China and a Chinese Christian theocratic absolute monarchy from 1851 to 1864, supporting the overthrow of the Q ...
(太平天國) (1851–1864 AD)


Empire of China (中華帝國) (1915–1916 AD)

A short-lived attempt by statesman and general
Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...
who attempted to establish himself as emperor in 1915, but his rule was universally accepted as inauthentic. After 83 days, his reign ended.


See also

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Dynasties in Chinese history Dynasties in Chinese history, or Chinese dynasties, were hereditary monarchical regimes that ruled over China during much of its history. From the legendary inauguration of dynastic rule by Yu the Great circa 2070 BC to the abdication of t ...
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Timeline of Chinese history __NOTOC__ This is a timeline of Chinese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in China and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of China. See also the li ...
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Monarchy of China China was a monarchy from prehistoric times up to 1912 CE, when the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty in favor of the Republic of China. The succession of legendary monarchs of China were non-hereditary. Dynastic rule began in circa 2 ...
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List of Chinese leaders This is a list of modern Chinese leaders since 1912. In this article, " China" refers to the modern territories controlled by the People's Republic of China (which controls Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau). For more information, see Two China ...
* List of presidents of China *
List of leaders of the Republic of China This is a list of heads of state of the Republic of China: Current office holders {, class="wikitable" , - !colspan=5, President of the Republic of China , - , rowspan=5, , width=100px, Institution , colspan=2, Presidency , rowspan=5, The Pre ...
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List of presidents of the Republic of China This is a list of the presidents of the Republic of China. The Republic of China controlled Mainland China before 1949. In the fall of 1949, the ROC government retreated to Taiwan and surrounding islands as a result of the takeover of th ...
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List of leaders of the People's Republic of China This is a list of leaders of the China's Government institutions. Each institution of China is headed by a chairperson or secretary, with some being more prominent than others. The paramount leader holds the highest authority of the Chinese C ...
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List of national leaders of the People's Republic of China National leaders is the generic version of "Party and State Leaders" (), a political jargon used by official documents and by official media in China, referring to specific senior officials of the People's Republic of China. The range of Pa ...
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List of presidents of the People's Republic of China The president of the People's Republic of China was created in 1954 when the first constitution consolidated the system of government in the People's Republic of China. At the time, the title was translated into English as ''State Chairman'' ...
* List of rulers of Taiwan * List of Khagans of the Göktürks * List of rulers of Tibet *
List of emperors of Tibet A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
List of Khitan rulers The Khitan people (Khitan small script: ; ) were a historical para-Mongolic nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. As ...
* List of Jurchen chieftains * List of Mongol rulers * Chairman of the Kuomintang *
Leader of the Chinese Communist Party The leader of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is the highest-ranking official and head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since 1982, the leader of the CCP is equivalent to the office of the General Secretary of the Ce ...
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List of leaders of the Democratic Progressive Party The following is a list of people who have served as the Chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party. List of Chairpersons Timeline See also * List of Secretaries-General of the Democratic Progressive Party * List of leaders of the Kuomi ...


References


External links


List of Chinese rulers
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Chinese Monarchs Monarchs * * Monarchs Lists of Chinese people