The Five Dynasties 五ご代だい (907-960)

Later Liang 後ご梁はり (907-923)

Later Tang 後ご唐とう (923-936)

Later Jin 後ご晉すすむ (936-946)

Later Han 後ご漢かん (947-950)

Later Zhou 後ご周しゅう (951-960)

The Five Dynasties (Wudai 五ご代だい, 907-960) were short-lived empires that were founded in the north as successor states of the great Tang dynasty 唐とう (618-907). Their main or eastern capital was in Kaifeng 開封かいふう (today in Henan), the western capital was Luoyang 洛陽らくよう (also Henan). Three of the Five Dynasties were founded by non-Chinese persons, namely the Turk Li Keyong 李り克かつ用よう, founder of the Later Tang (Houtang 後ご唐とう, 923-936), Shi Jingtang 石せき敬けい瑭, founder of the Later Jin (Houjin 後ご晉すすむ, 936-946), and Liu Gao 劉りゅう暠, founder of the Later Han (Houhan 後ご漢かん, 947-950). The dynastic succession, as well as the internal politics of the Five Dynasties were deeply influenced by the khans of the steppe federation of the Kitans 契ちぎり丹に in the north that founded the Liao empire 遼りょう (907-1125). In 960 a general of the Later Zhou dynasty (Houzhou 後ご周しゅう, 951-960), Zhao Kuangyin 趙ちょう匡ただし胤たね, founded the Song dynasty 宋そう (960-1279) and conquered southern China, thus partially reuniting China.

This chapter of the ChinaKnowledge.de encyclopaedia gives an overview of the political and economic history of the Five Dynasties, an overview on the administation and the political strucure, the geography of that time, the trends in literature, and provides a list of all rulers.