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Contents

大齊 / 大唐
Great Qi / Great Tang
←
937–975 →

Capital Jinling
(briefly Nanchang)
Language(s) Chinese
Government Monarchy
Emperor/King
 - 937-943 Liezu
 - 943-961 Emperor Yuanzong
 - 961-975 Emperor Houzhu
Historical era Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
 - Coup d'etat 937 937
 - Renamed from "Qi" to "Tang" 940
 - Surrendered to Song 975 975

Southern Tang (also referred to as Nantang) (Chinese: 南唐; pinyin Nán Táng) was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian (a.k.a. Xu Zhigao) deposed the emperor Yang Pu.

The capital was located in Jinling (also known as Xidu), located in present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu Province. The territory comprised parts of modern Fujian, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the whole of Jiangxi Province.

Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the Northern Song Dynasty.

History

A Literary Garden, by Zhou Wenju, Southern Tang era.

Li Bian was an orphan who was adopted by the Wu prince Yang Xingmi. He was then adopted by Xu Wen, the Prime Minister of Wu and was renamed Xu Zhigao. Upon Xu Wen's death, he took over power in Wu, and was made a prince of Qi. In 937 he proclaimed himself emperor. In 940, he changed his name back to Li Bian and renamed the state to Tang (history would refer to it as Southern Tang).

The state was relatively large and prosperous compared to the other Ten States of that period. Li Bian's rule was comparatively stable and prosperous.

Li Jing took over when his father Li Bian died in 943.

The Southern Tang was able to expand its holdings far beyond those of its Wu Kingdom predecessor. It took advantage of a rebellion in the Kingdom of Min when the northwest revolted and set up the Kingdom of Yin. Min appealed for help, but instead of helping, the Southern Tang absorbed the rebellious territory into its own. Then, by 945, the Southern Tang completed its conquest of the Min Kingdom and absorbed it into its own boundaries.

As with the Min, the Southern Tang was able to take advantage of internal squabbles within Chu to expand its territory even further. The Ma family had internal squabbles. The Southern Tang sent in an army in 951 and removed the ruling family to their own capital in Nanjing, and absorbed the territory.

However, Li Jing suffered a setback from the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded away all of its land north of the Yangtze River. Li Jing became a vassal of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Li Houzhu (a.k.a Li Yu) took over Southern Tang from his father upon his death in 961. Li Houzhu was more interested in poetry than ruling. After surrendering to the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Houzhu was taken to the Song capital.

Rulers

Sovereigns in Southern Tang Kingdom 937-975 Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miao4 hao4) Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 ) Personal Names Period of Reigns Reign periods (Nian Hao 年號) and Western equivalents
Convention for this kingdom only : Nan (Southern) Tang + posthumous names. Hou Zhu was referred to as Li Hou Zhu|李後主 lǐ hòu zhǔ.
先主 xiān zhǔ or Liè Zǔ|烈祖 liè zǔ Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign 李昪 lǐ biàn 937-943 Shengyuan (昇元 shēng yuán) 937-943
中主 zhōng zhǔ or Yuan Zong|元宗 yuán zōng Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign 李璟 lǐ jǐng 943-961 Baoda (保大 bǎo dà) 943-958

Jiaotai (交泰 jiāo tài) 958
Zhongxing (中興 zhōng xīng) 958


Hou Zhu|後主 hòu zhǔ or 吳王 wú wáng None 李煜 lǐ yù 961-975 (Under Li Yu, the Southern Tang did not have its own titles for reign periods)

See also

References

External links

v • d • e
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Five Dynasties
Later Liang Dynasty • Later Tang Dynasty• Later Jin Dynasty• Later Han Dynasty • Later Zhou Dynasty

Ten Kingdoms
Wu • Wuyue • Min • Nanping • Chu • Southern Tang • Southern Han • Northern Han • Former Shu • Later Shu

Others
Yan • Qi • Chengde Jiedushi (Zhao) • Yiwu Jiedushi • Dingnan Jiedushi • Qingyuan Jiedushi • Wuping Jiedushi • Yin

   
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