Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

Quick Facts: Who was Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period?

Subject:

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

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A period of intense political fragmentation and warlordism in Chinese history (907–979 CE).

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (Chinese: 五代十國) was an era of political upheaval and division in Imperial China from 907 to 979 CE. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concurrent dynastic states, of which the most powerful and influential ten were known as the ten kingdoms, were established elsewhere, mainly in South China. It was a prolonged period of multiple political divisions in Chinese imperial history. Traditionally, the era is seen as beginning with the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 and reaching its climax with the founding of the Song dynasty in 960. In the following 19 years, Song gradually subdued the remaining states in South China, but the Liao dynasty still remained in China's north (eventually succeeded by the Jin dynasty), and the Western Xia was eventually established in China's northwest.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Many states had been de facto independent long before 907 as the late Tang dynasty's control over its numerous fanzhen officials waned, but the key event was their recognition as sovereign by foreign powers. After the Tang collapsed, several warlords of the Central Plain crowned themselves emperor. During the 70-year period, there was near-constant warfare between the emerging kingdoms and the alliances they formed. All had the ultimate goal of controlling the Central Plain and establishing themselves as the Tang's successor. The last of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms regimes was Northern Han, which held out until Song conquered it in 979.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

For the next several centuries, although the Song controlled much of South China, they coexisted alongside the Liao dynasty, Jin dynasty, and various other regimes in China's north, until finally all of them were conquered by the Yuan dynasty. In the 8th century, the An Lushan (755–763 CE) and Huang Chao rebellions weakened the imperial government. Due to the decline of Tang central authority after the An Lushan Rebellion, large regional administrations began to be superimposed over the old districts and prefectures that had been standard practice for the previous millennium, ever since the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). These administrations, known as circuit commissions, would become the boundaries of the later Southern regimes; many circuit commissioners became the emperors or kings of these states. By the early 10th century, in the last decades of the Tang dynasty, the imperial government granted increased powers to the jiedushi (Chinese: 節度使), the regional military governors, who commanded de facto independence from its authority.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

True or False: “The period ended with the Song Dynasty's reunification efforts, which were immediately followed by a stable era under one single ruling house.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Song Dynasty achieved reunification in 960 CE, they subsequently coexisted alongside other powerful regimes like the Liao and Jin dynasties for centuries.

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