Jingnan

Nanping 南平
← 924–963 →
Capital	Jingzhou
Language(s)	Middle Chinese
Government	Monarchy
King
- 909-928	Gao Jixing
- 928-948	Gao Conghui
- 948-960	Gao Baorong
- 960-962	Gao Baoxu
- 962-963	Gao Jichong
Historical era	Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
- Established	924 924
- Ended by the Song Dynasty	963 963

Jingnan (荆南) (also called Nanping (南平)) was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created in 924, marking the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-960.

Founding

Gao Jichang, also known as Gao Jixing (高季興), was appointed the regional military governor of Jiangling in 907 by the Later Liang Dynasty, which took over northern China in the wake of the Tang Dynasty. He declared the foundation of the Kingdom of Jingnan (or Nanping) in 924 after the Later Liang Dynasty fell to the Later Tang Dynasty.

Territorial Extent

Jingnan was the smallest of the longer-lived southern kingdoms. Its capital was Jiangling, and in addition to the capital, it held two neighboring districts on the Yangtze River southwest of present-day Wuhan. In addition to bordering the succession of five dynasties beginning with the Later Tang Dynasty, it also shared borders with the Chu kingdom to the south, though that was replaced by the Southern Tang when it absorbed the kingdom in 951. It was also bordered by the Later Shu on the west after it was formed in 934.

Importance

Jingnan was a small and weak state, and in many ways was vulnerable to its larger, more powerful neighbors. As such, the court placed great importance in maintaining proper relations with the succession of dynasties that ruled northern China. However, because of its location, Jingnan was a central hub in trade, a feature that protected it from invasion.

Fall of the Kingdom

The Song Dynasty was formed in 960, ending the Five Dynasties period in the north, and though that is the date traditionally used to denote the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, many kingdoms in the south maintained their independence for nearly two decades after the rise of the Song Dynasty. However, due to its size and location, Jingnan was the first of the kingdoms to succumb to the Song Dynasty, surrendering when armies from the north invaded in 963, ending the kingdom.

Rulers

Sovereigns in Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907-960

Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miao4 hao4)	Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 )	Personal Names	Period of Reigns	Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according range of years
Did not exist	Wǔxìn Wáng (武信王)	Gāo Jìxīng|高季興	909-928	Did not exist
Did not exist	Wénxiàn Wáng (文獻王)	Gāo Cónghùi|高從誨	928-948	Did not exist
Did not exist	Zhēnyì Wáng (貞懿王)	Gāo Bǎoróng|高保融	948-960	Did not exist
Did not exist	Did not exist	Gāo Bǎoxù|高保勗	960-962	Did not exist
Did not exist	Did not exist	Gāo Jìchōng|高繼沖	962-963	Did not exist

References

• Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 11, 16. ISBN 0-674-01212-7. 

External links

• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/rulers-jingnan.html