Liang, known in historiography as the Western Liang () or the Later Liang (), was an imperial dynasty of China during the

Northern and 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 a ...

era of

Chinese history 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 Y ...

. Throughout its existence, it remained a

puppet state A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its ord ...

of the

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 ...

Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties of China's ...

and Sui dynasties. The Western Liang dynasty was ruled by members of the same imperial clan as the

Liang dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () or Xiao 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 pre ...

. It was located in the middle

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

region in today's central

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

province. The Western Liang's founding emperor, Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan), was a grandson of the Liang dynasty founder

Emperor Wu of Liang Emperor Wu of Liang () (464 – 12 June 549), personal name Xiao Yan (蕭衍), courtesy name Shuda (叔達), childhood name Lian'er (練兒), was the founding Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty, during the Northern and Souther ...

. As a result, Western Liang is usually considered a rump state of the Liang dynasty after 557. From 555 to 557 the two states claiming the political orthodoxy of the Liang dynasty existed simultaneously: Xiao Cha ruled from Jiangling, while Xiao Yuanming and Xiao Fangzhi ruled from

Jiankang Jiankang (), or Jianye (), as it was originally called, was the capital city of the Eastern Wu (229–265 and 266–280 CE), the Jin dynasty (265–420), Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420 CE) and the Southern Dynasties (420–552), including the Ch ...

. Before 555, Emperor Yuan of Liang also ruled from Jiangling before he was captured and executed by Xiao Cha and his Western Wei backers. However, he is considered a Liang dynasty emperor rather than a Western Liang emperor because, among other things, he (at least nominally) controlled a much larger territory. The Western Liang had three emperors: Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan), Xiao Kui (Emperor Ming), and Xiao Cong (Emperor Jing). From 617 to 621, when the Sui dynasty collapsed, Xiao Cha's great-grandson

Xiao Xian Xiao Xian (蕭銑) (583–621) was a descendant of the imperial house of the Chinese Liang dynasty, who rose against the rule of the Sui dynasty toward the end of the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui. He tried to revive Liang, and for several year ...

occupied the former Western Liang territory (and more) and proclaimed himself King of Liang, but his short-lived state is usually considered separate.

Emperors

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang, Western States and territories established in the 550s States and territories disestablished in the 580s

587 disestablishments Dynasties of China Former countries in Chinese history 555 establishments 6th-century establishments in China 6th-century disestablishments in China History of Hubei Jingzhou Former client states