- Southern Tang
Southern Tang (also referred to as Nantang) (Chinese: 南唐;
pinyin Nán Táng) was one of theTen Kingdoms in south-centralChina created following theTang Dynasty from937 -975 . Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom whenLi Bian (a.k.a. Xu Zhigao) deposed the emperorYang Pu .The capital was located in Jinling (also known as Xidu), located in present-day
Nanjing inJiangsu Province . The territory comprised parts of modernFujian ,Jiangsu andAnhui provinces and the whole ofJiangxi Province .Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the
Northern Song Dynasty .History
Li Bian was an orphan who was adopted by the Wu prince
Yang Xingmi . He was then adopted by Xu Wen, thePrime Minister of Wu and was renamed Xu Zhigao. Upon Xu Wen's death, he took over power in Wu, and was made a prince ofQi . 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 942.
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, by945 , 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 inNanjing , and absorbed the territory.However, Li Bian suffered a setback from the
Later Zhou Dynasty between956 and958 , and ceded away all of its land north of theYangtze River . Li Bian became avassal of the Later Zhou Dynasty.Li Houzhu (a.k.a Li Yu) took over Southern Tang from his father upon his death in 960. 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
References
*cite book|title=Imperial China (900-1800)|author=Mote, F.W.|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1999|pages=14-16|id=ISBN-0674012127
ee also
*
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period External links
* http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/rulers-nantang.html
* http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/atam/115248.htm
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