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Sixteen Kingdoms
The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded by the "Five Barbarians", non- Han peoples who had settled in northern and western China during the preceding centuries, and had launched a series of rebellions against the Western Jin dynasty in the early 4th century. However, several of the states were founded by the Han people, and all of the states—whether ruled by Xiongnu, Xianbei, Di, Jie, Qiang, Han, or others—took on Han-style dynastic names. The states frequently fought against both one another and the Eastern Jin dynasty, which succeeded the Western Jin in 317 and ruled southern China. The period ended with the unification of northern China in 439 by the Northern Wei, a dynasty established by the Xianbei Tuoba clan. This occurred 19 years after the Eastern Jin collapsed i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of China
The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Yellow River valley, which along with the Yangtze basin constitutes the geographic core of the Chinese cultural sphere. China maintains a rich diversity of ethnic and linguistic people groups. The traditional lens for viewing Chinese history is the dynastic cycle: imperial dynasties rise and fall, and are ascribed certain achievements. This lens also tends to assume Chinese civilization can be traced as an unbroken thread many thousands of years into the past, making it one of the cradles of civilization. At various times, states representative of a dominant Chinese culture have directly controlled areas stretching as far west as the Tian Shan, the Tarim Basin, and the Himalayas, as far north as the Sayan Mountains, and as far south ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)
The Later Liang (; 386–403) was a dynastic state of China and one of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history. It was founded by the Lü family of the Di ethnicity and given the prefix of "Later" in historiography to distinguish it with the Former Liang dynasty before them and the three Liang states ( Southern, Northern and Western) that emerged during their collapse. All rulers of the Later Liang proclaimed themselves "Heavenly King" ('' Tian Wang''). The state's founder, Lü Guang initially took on lesser titles before declaring himself Heavenly King of Liang in 396, and so the state was only known as "Liang" (涼) from 396 to 403. The Later Liang at its peak controlled the Hexi Corridor in Gansu with Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu) as their capital. After the Southern Liang and Northern Liang broke away in 397, their territory was gradually reduced to their capital region in central Gansu. History Background Lü Guang was a Di military general under ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Li clan of the Ba-Di people, its territory was based in what is modern-day Sichuan Province, China. The name Cheng-Han collectively refers to the state of Cheng (成; ''Chéng'') or Dacheng (大成; ''Dàchéng''), founded by Li Xiong in 304 (or by Li Te in 303) and the state of Han (漢; ''Hàn'') founded by Li Shou in 338. The state is also less commonly known as Later Shu (後蜀; ''Hòu Shǔ''). History Background The Li clan were originally Cong people from Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; in present-day Nanchong, Sichuan) in present-day Sichuan. When the Han chancellor, Cao Cao conquered Hanzhong in 215, Li Hu (李虎) led his family to surrender and migrated to Lüeyang Commandery, where they mingled with the local Di tribes. Their people became known as the Ba-Di, with “ Ba” referring to their ancestral homeland.Holcombe, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Later Zhao
Zhao, briefly known officially as Wei (衛) in 350 AD, known in historiography as the Later Zhao (; 319–351) or Shi Zhao (石趙), was a dynasty of China ruled by the Shi family of Jie ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Among the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Later Zhao was the second in territorial size to the Former Qin dynasty that once unified northern China under Fu Jian. In historiography, it is given the prefix of "Later" to distinguish it with the Han-Zhao or Former Zhao, which changed its name from "Han" to "Zhao" just before the Later Zhao was founded. When the Later Zhao was founded by former Han-Zhao general Shi Le, the capital was at Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xingtai, Hebei), but in 335 Shi Hu moved the capital to Ye (Hebei), Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan, Hebei), where it would remain for the rest of the state's history (except for Shi Zhi's brief attempt to revive the state at Xiangguo). After defeating the Han-Zhao in 329, the Later Zhao ruled a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Former Zhao
The Han-Zhao ( zh, s=汉赵, t=漢趙, p=Hàn Zhào; 304–329 AD), or Former Zhao ( zh, s=前赵, t=前趙, p=Qián Zhào), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Liu ( Luandi) clan of Chuge-Xiongnu ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period of Chinese history. In Chinese historiography, it was given two conditional state titles, the Northern Han (; ) for the state proclaimed in 304 by Liu Yuan, and the Former Zhao (; ) for the state proclaimed in 319 by Liu Yao. The reference to them as separate states can be misleading, given that when Liu Yao changed the name of the state from "Han" to "Zhao" in 319, he treated the state as having been continuous from when Liu Yuan founded it in 304; instead, he de-established his imperial lineage from the Han dynasty and claimed ancestry directly from Modu Chanyu. The reason it is also referred to as "Former Zhao" in historiography is to distinguish it from the Later Zhao founded by Shi Le in 319, which was also known officially as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Qin
The Western Qin (; 385–400, 409–431) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Qifu clan of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Western Qin declared themselves "''wang''", translatable as either "king" or "prince." They ruled an area corresponding to modern-day southwestern Gansu in Northwest China, also known as the Longxi region, along with parts of northeastern Qinghai in the later years. The state went by various different names as their rulers opted for lesser peerages while they were acting as vassals, and they were only known as "Qin" (秦) from 395 to 400, from 409 to 411 and from 414 to 431. The Western Qin was briefly discontinued in 400 after Qifu Gangui surrendered to the Later Qin before it was revived in 409. They also frequently shifted their capital from time to time, with Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia, Gansu) as their longest-serving capital at 18 years without interruption. They are given the prefix of "Western" in h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Later Qin
Qin, known in historiography as the Later Qin ( zh, s=后秦, t=後秦, p=Hòuqín; 384–417) or Yao Qin (), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Yao clan of Qiang ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period in northern China. As the only Qiang-led state among the Sixteen Kingdoms, it was most known for its propagation of Buddhism under its second ruler, Yao Xing, who sponsored the Madhyamakin monk, Kumārajīva to translate Sanskrit Buddhist text into Chinese. All rulers of the Later Qin declared themselves emperors, but for a substantial part of Yao Xing's reign, he used the title Heavenly King. Historiographers gave the state the prefix of "Later" to distinguish it with the Former Qin and Western Qin as it was founded during the Former Qin's collapse after the Battle of Fei River and went on to conquer the Former Qin's power base in the Guanzhong. With Chang'an as its capital, the Later Qin also controlled Henan and vassalised the Western Qin, the four Liangs (Late ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Former Qin
Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of the Later Zhao, Later Zhao dynasty's collapse in 351, it completed the unification of northern China in 376 during the reign of Fu Jian (337–385), Fu Jiān (Emperor Xuanzhao), being the only state of the Sixteen Kingdoms to achieve so. Its capital was Chang'an up to Fu Jiān's death in 385. The prefix "Former" is used to distinguish it from the Later Qin and Western Qin dynasties that were founded later. In 383, the severe defeat of the Former Qin by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty at the Battle of Fei River encouraged uprisings, splitting Former Qin territory into two noncontiguous pieces after the death of Fu Jiān. One remnant, at present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi was soon overwhelmed in 386 by the Xianbei under the Later Yan, West ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Yan
Yan, known in historiography as the Southern Yan (; 398–410), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Murong clan of the Xianbei during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. Its founder Murong De (Emperor Xianwu) was a son of Murong Huang (Emperor Wenming) and brother of Murong Jun (Emperor Jingzhao) and Murong Chui (Emperor Chengwu), and therefore was an imperial prince of both the Former Yan and Later Yan dynasties. All rulers of the Southern Yan declared themselves "emperors". Initially ruling from Huatai (滑台, in modern Anyang, Henan) in northern Henan, they later moved to Shandong and established Guanggu (廣固, in modern Qingzhou, Shandong) as their capital. As one of many Yan states from the period, they were given the prefix of "Southern" by historiographers to distinguish them with the others as they were based south of the Yellow River. History Background Murong De was the son of Murong Huang, the founder of the Former Yan dynasty. He was an accomplished milita ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Some historians consider Gao Yun, a member of the Goguryeo royal family, to be the first Northern Yan monarch, while others consider Feng Ba of Han ethnicity to be the founder. Original from the University of California All rulers of the Northern Yan took the title of ''Tiān Wáng'' (Heavenly King). The Northern Yan inherited what was left of the preceding Later Yan regime, whose territory occupied western Liaoning and parts of northeastern Hebei. In historiography, they are given the prefix of "Northern" to distinguish it with the contemporaneous Southern Yan, and unlike the Later Yan, their capital remained at Longcheng in the north throughout their existence. History Background Gao Yun was a descendant of the Goguryeo royal family. When the Former Yan captured the Goguryeo capital, Hwando in 342, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. The prefix "Later" to distinguish them from the Former Yan before them and other Yan states from the period. Historiographers also consider the Former Yan and Later Yan as separate states despite both being ruled by the same imperial family, and the Later Yan's founder, Murong Chui, had intended his state to be a restoration. Due to the devastation inflicted on the old Yan capital, Ye, the city of Zhongshan (中山, in modern Baoding, Hebei) became the first capital of the Later Yan. The Later Yan managed to recover most of their old territory in Liaoning, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan by 394. However, after the Northern Wei invasion in 396, they were reduced to Liaoning and parts of northeastern Hebei, where they made Longcheng their new capital. Their territory was further reduced during their war with Gogu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Former Yan
Yan, known in historiography as the Former Yan (; 337–370), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Murong clan of the Xianbei during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. From Liaoning, the Former Yan later conquered and ruled over Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan at its peak. They were notably the first of several Xianbei states to have establish their rule over the Central Plains. The prefix of "Former" is used in historiography to distinguish them from the other Yan states that came after them such as Later Yan. Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Eastern Jin-created title "Prince of Yan", but subsequently, in 352, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory, Murong Jun would declare himself emperor, and after that point, the rulers of the Former Yan declared themselves "emperors". The Yan changed their capital from time to time, with their last capital, Ye being the most prestigious due to its status as a major population hub. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
