Later Liang - Later Tang - Later Jin - Later Han - Later Zhou Later Liang Zhu Wen 朱溫 (also called Zhu Huang 朱晃 or Zhu Quanzhong 朱全忠) who took part in the rebellions of Huang Chao 黃巢 at the end of the 9th century, later surrendered to the Tang Dynasty 唐 and suppressed the Huang Chao rebellion under the leadership of Li Keyong 李克用, a Turkish Shatuo 沙陀 prince. In 904 Zhu Wen kidnapped the Tang emperor Zhaozong 唐昭宗, abducted him to Luoyang 洛陽 and killed him. The puppet emperor Tang Aizong 唐哀宗 was in 907 replaced by Zhu Wen who founded a new dynasty called Liang 梁 (Later Liang, Houliang 後梁). Although Zhu Wen (posthumous Houliang Taizu 後梁太祖 - see titles of emperors) tried to lower taxes, he is known as a brutal and ruthless warrior. All his military campaigns to conquer more territory were not successful. In the south, China was divided into six smaller states, in the north of Liang reigned Li Keyong in a state called Jin 晉 (modern Shanxi; further: Zhao 趙 and Beiping 北平), the west was ruled by the state of Qi 岐 of Li Maozhen 李茂貞 (modern Shaanxi), and in the northeast Liu Shouguang 劉守光 ruled over an empire called Yan 燕. In 912 Zhu Wen was killed by his own son Zhu Yougui 朱友珪 who was defeated by his brother one year later. This last ruler Zhu Youzhen 朱友貞 ruled for ten years. In 923, Li Keyong’s son Li Cunxu 李存勖 conquered the capital Kaifeng 開封 and refounded the Tang Dynasty. Later Tang Li Keyong 李克用, a member of the Turkish Shatuo 沙陀 clan, was installed by the Tang rulers as military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) of the area of modern Shanxi and proclaimed himself as king of Jin 晉. His son Li Cunxu 李存勖 continued the permanent power struggle with the empire of Later Liang. In 911 he was able to control a great part of the north and proclaimed himself emperor of Tang 唐 (Later Tang, Houtang 後唐) in 923 (posthumous Houtang Zhuangzong 後唐莊宗). All other realms in the north and south accepted the authority of the new Tang Dynasty. But Li Cunxu’s easy-going and arrogant regime provoked a military rebellion that ended with his dead. Internal struggles characterize the rest of the Later Tang period. A brother-in-law of emperor Li Siyuan 李嗣源 (posthumous Houtang Mingzong 後唐明宗) named Shi Jingtang 石敬瑭 occupied the capital and founded the Jin Dynasty 晉. Later Jin Shi Jingtang 石敬瑭, a member of the Turkish Shatuo 沙陀 clan, was military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) of the area of modern Shanxi before he overthrew the Later Tang Dynasty and founded his Jin Dynasty 晉 (Later Jin, Houjin 後晉) in 936 with the help the Khitan tribe (Chinese: Qidan 契丹). Some Khitan people like Sang Weihan 桑維翰 took over important posts in his government. After Shi Jingtang’s dead (posthumous Houjin Gaozu 後晉高祖), Jing Yanguang 景延廣 took over the government affairs for the young emperor Shi Zhonggui 石重貴. He offended the Khitan and provoked their military intervention. Shi Zhonggui’s uncle Du Wei 杜威 who was assigned as general-in-chief, subjected to the Khitan and was rewarded with the title of emperor. The Khitan troops advanced to the south, occupied the capital, and in 947 the Khitan chieftain Yelü Deguang 耶律德光 proclaimed himself emperor of Liao 遼. His troops devastated the Yellow River plain before they withdraw to the north, taking with them the young emperor Shi Zhonggui as a host. In the same year, Liu Zhiyuan 劉知遠 proclaimed himself emperor of Han 漢. Later Han Liu Zhiyuan 劉知遠 (also called Liu Gao 劉暠), a member of the Turkish Shatuo 沙陀 clan, was military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) of the area of modern Shanxi before he proclaimed himself emperor of the Han Dynasty 漢 (Later Han, Houhan 後漢 - don’t be confused with the later part of the great Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han 東漢) in 947. The conquest of the Yellow River plain by the Khitan (Chinese: Qidan 契丹) empire left a power vacuum that was filled now with this extremely short-lived Later Han empire. After Liu Zhiyuan’s death (posthumous Houhan Gaozu 後漢高祖), the empire was shaken by power struggles among the mightiest persons around the emperor. The strongest among them was Guo Wei 郭威 who founded the Zhou Dynasty. Later Zhou Guo Wei 郭威, military affairs commissioner (shumishi 樞密使), proclaimed himself emperor of Zhou 周 (Later Zhou, Houzhou 後周) in 951 when the power struggles at the court of Later Han ended with the dead of the powerless emperor. Guo Wei tried to issue some reforms that should lighten the burden of the peasentry. After his death in 953 (posthumous Houzhou Taizu 後周太祖) his adoptive son Chai Rong 郭柴榮 (posthumous Houzhou Shizong 後周世宗) was able to perform some sussessful military campaigns against the Khitan realm and the empire of Northern Han (Beihan 北漢) in the north and the empire of Later Shu (Houshu 後蜀) in the south and thereby contributed to the later reunification of China by the Song Dynasty 宋 that was founded in 960 by Zhao Kuangyin 趙匡胤.

Map and Geography Event History Emperors and Rulers -- Ten States Government and Administration Literature and Philosophy (Tang) Religion (Tang) Technology and Inventions Economy (Tang) Arts