"Five Dynasties" 907 to 979. and The Ten Kingdoms:911-925

 

"Five Dynasties" 907 to 979.  and   The Ten Kingdoms:911-925

The "Five Dynasties" typically refers to the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou that ruled northern China in succession during the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907-960 CE). This era also included the Ten Kingdoms, which were concurrent regional powers in the south. 

The Five Dynasties:

Later Liang: Founded by Zhu Wen, who usurped the Tang Dynasty.

Later Tang: Founded by Li Cunxu, who conquered the Later Liang.

Later Jin: Founded by Shi Jingtang, who was aided by the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty.

Later Han: Founded by Liu Zhiyuan, who took advantage of the Khitan retreat.

Later Zhou: Founded by Guo Wei, who overthrew the Later Han. 

The Ten Kingdoms:

These were independent states that arose in southern China during the same period. Some notable ones include: Wu, Wuyue, Min, Chu, Southern Han, Former Shu, Later Shu, Jingnan, Southern Tang, and Northern Han. 

Significance:

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period represents a time of political fragmentation and warfare in Chinese history, following the decline of the Tang Dynasty. It ended with the reunification of China under the Song Dynasty. 

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. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concurrent dynastic states, collectively 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.[1]

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.

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. 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.