Later Liang Dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Later Liang (June 1, 907–923
) was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
in China
. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour (and then murdered him). The Later Liang dynasty would last until 923 when it was destroyed by the Later Tang Dynasty
.
’s lieutenant. However, he took Huang’s best troops and established his own power base as a warlord in Kaifeng
. By 904
, he had exerted control over both of the twin Tang Dynasty capitals of Chang'an
and Luoyang
. Tang emperor Zhaozong was ordered murdered by Zhu in 904 and the last Tang emperor, Ai Di (Emperor Ai of Tang
), was deposed three years later. Emperor Ai of Tang was murdered in 908, also ordered by Zhu.
Meanwhile, Zhu Wen declared himself emperor of the new Later Liang in Kaifeng
in 907
. The name Liang refers to the Henan
region in which the heart of the regime rested.
, though much of Shaanxi
(controlled by the Qi
) as well as Hebei
(controlled by the Yan state
) and Shanxi
(controlled by Shatuo Turks) remained largely outside Later Liang control.
, a relationship that began back in the time of the Tang Dynasty. After Li Keyong
’s death, his son, Li Cunxu
, continued to expand his State of Jin. Li was able to destroy the Later Liang in 923
and found the Later Tang Dynasty
.
posthumously on preceding dynasties. This was typically done for the purpose of strengthening the present rulers ties to the Mandate themselves. Song Dynasty historian Xue Juzheng
did exactly this in his work History of the Five Dynasties (五代史).
Several justifications were given for this, and successive Five Dynasties regimes, to be conferred the Mandate of Heaven
. Among these was that these dynasties all controlled most of the traditional Chinese heartland. However, the Later Liang was an embarrassment in the brutality it employed, causing many to want to deny it this status, but doing so would break the chain through the other Five Dynasties, and thus to the Song Dynasty
, which itself was the successor to the last of the Five Dynasties.
923
Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes...
) was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour (and then murdered him). The Later Liang dynasty would last until 923 when it was destroyed by the Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
.
Formation of the Later Liang Dynasty
Zhu Wen initially allied himself as Huang ChaoHuang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
’s lieutenant. However, he took Huang’s best troops and established his own power base as a warlord in Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
. By 904
904
Year 904 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantines under Andronikos Doukas defeat the Arabs near Germanikeia...
, he had exerted control over both of the twin Tang Dynasty capitals of Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
and Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. Tang emperor Zhaozong was ordered murdered by Zhu in 904 and the last Tang emperor, Ai Di (Emperor Ai of Tang
Emperor Ai of Tang
Emperor Ai of Tang , also known as Emperor Zhaoxuan , born Li Zuo, later Li Zhu , was the last emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 904 to 907. The Ai Emperor was the son of Emperor Zhaozong....
), was deposed three years later. Emperor Ai of Tang was murdered in 908, also ordered by Zhu.
Meanwhile, Zhu Wen declared himself emperor of the new Later Liang in Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
in 907
907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
. The name Liang refers to the Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
region in which the heart of the regime rested.
Extent of control
The Later Liang Dynasty controlled most of northern ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, though much of Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
(controlled by the Qi
Qi (Five Dynasties)
Qi was a Chinese kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. The kingdom, at its prime, covered parts of modern-day Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan provinces, but eventually shrank to only the immediate area around its capital Fengxiang in Shaanxi. Its only ruler was Li...
) as well as Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
(controlled by the Yan state
Yan (Ten Kingdoms)
Yan was a very short lived kingdom in the vicinity of present-day Beijing at the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, which is traditionally dated as being from 907 to 960...
) and Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
(controlled by Shatuo Turks) remained largely outside Later Liang control.
End of the Dynasty
The Later Liang maintained a tense relationship with the Shatuo Turks, due to the rivalry between Zhu Quanzong and Li KeyongLi Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
, a relationship that began back in the time of the Tang Dynasty. After Li Keyong
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
’s death, his son, Li Cunxu
Li Cunxu
Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang , personal name Li Cunxu , nickname Yazi , was the Prince of Jin and later became Emperor of Later Tang...
, continued to expand his State of Jin. Li was able to destroy the Later Liang in 923
923
Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes...
and found the Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
.
Conference of the Mandate of Heaven on the Later Liang
Generally through Chinese history, it was historians of later kingdoms whose histories bestowed the Mandate of HeavenMandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. It is similar to the European concept of the divine right of kings, in that both sought to legitimaze rule from divine approval; however, unlike the divine right of kings, the Mandate of...
posthumously on preceding dynasties. This was typically done for the purpose of strengthening the present rulers ties to the Mandate themselves. Song Dynasty historian Xue Juzheng
Xue Juzheng
Xue Jucheng was a Chinese historian and scholar who served under the Song Dynasty, as well as four of the Five Dynasties that preceded the Song. Xue is best known for compiling the Five Dynasties History which was put together in the 960s and 970s....
did exactly this in his work History of the Five Dynasties (五代史).
Several justifications were given for this, and successive Five Dynasties regimes, to be conferred the Mandate of Heaven
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. It is similar to the European concept of the divine right of kings, in that both sought to legitimaze rule from divine approval; however, unlike the divine right of kings, the Mandate of...
. Among these was that these dynasties all controlled most of the traditional Chinese heartland. However, the Later Liang was an embarrassment in the brutality it employed, causing many to want to deny it this status, but doing so would break the chain through the other Five Dynasties, and thus to the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, which itself was the successor to the last of the Five Dynasties.
Rulers of the Later Liang
| Temple name Temple name Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive... s | Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... s | Family names and given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... | Chinese naming conventions | Durations of reigns | Era names and their according durations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taìzǔ (太祖) | Xiànwǔ (獻武) | Zhū Wēn (朱溫) | Family name and given name | 907 907 Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople .... –912 912 Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :... |
Kaīpíng (开平) 907 907 Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople .... –911 911 Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate... Qiánhuà (乾化) 911 911 Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate... –912 912 Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :... |
| Did not exist | none | Zhu Yougui (朱友珪) | Family name and given name | 912 912 Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :... –913 913 Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :... |
Qiánhuà (乾化) 912 912 Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :... –913 913 Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :... Fengli 913 913 Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :... |
| Did not exist | Mòdì (末帝) | Zhū Zhèn (朱瑱) Zhu Zhen Emperor Modi of Later Liang Zhu Youzhen was Emperor of China between 913 and 923. He was the third and last emperor of the first of the Five Dynasties - the Later Liang Dynasty and the youngest son of its founder, Zhu Quanzhong. He changed his name to Zhu Zhen during his time in office... |
Family name and given name | 913 913 Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :... –923 923 Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes... |
Qiánhuà (乾化) 913 913 Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :... –915 915 Year 915 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Battle of Garigliano: The Christian League defeats the Saracens.* Berengar I of Italy is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.... Zhēnmíng (贞明) 915 915 Year 915 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Battle of Garigliano: The Christian League defeats the Saracens.* Berengar I of Italy is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.... –921 921 Year 921 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Crushing defeat of the Idrisid dynasty against their Fatimid rivals... Lóngdé (龙德) 921 921 Year 921 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Crushing defeat of the Idrisid dynasty against their Fatimid rivals... –923 923 Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes... |