5 dynasties and 10 kingdoms, Its history

[asiaconqueror]

Can someone tell me more about the 5 dynasties, 10 kingdoms and its history? What were they and who founded each dynasty? I'm trying to learn more about their history..

[General_Zhaoyun]

I'll briefly narrate the history of the 5 dynasties:

In 907, Zhu Wen (朱温), a traitor to the peasant uprising at the end of Tang, claimed the throne and set up the Later Liang. This marked the beginning fo the period known as the Five Dynasties and 10 kingdoms. The 5 dynasties were 5 feudal dynasties which ruled northern China successively - Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han and Later Zhou. The 10 kingdoms refer to 10 independent states taking control of southern China and Shanxi province - Wu, Southern Tang, Wuyue, Former Shu, Later Shu, Southern Han, Chu, Min, Nanping and Northern Han.

This period saw a continuation of fighting among warlords in China. They created independent states, constantly engaging in war and tyrannising the people. Minority tribes usch as Huiqian, Shatuo and Qidan (Khitan) took the opportunity to invade chinese territories. The land was destroyed and the people migrated. Comparatively speaking, southern China was less disrupted by the warfare. The separatist sates there were careful to maintain peace and their economy continued to develop. The south gradually became the economic center of China.

However, warlord forces eventually reached a turning point from prosperity to decline. When the Later Zhou was established, there was a growing demand for peace. Emperor Shi Zong of Zhou revamped political systems, improved production adn made a number of expeditions against the south and north, paving the way for the Northern Song to unify China.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Five Dynasties: Later Liang and Later Tang

In 907 AD, Zhu Wen (朱温) dethroned the Tang emperor and claimed the title himself. He set up the Liang dynasty ( 907 - 923), with its capital in Luoyang (the dynasty is commonly referred to as Later Liang). Zhu Wen became Emperor Tai Zu. This marked the beginning of the 5 Dynasties and Ten States period.

Zhu's main rival was a Shatuo noble, Li Keyong (李克用). Because of his meritorious service in suppressing peasant uprising, Li was appointed the Viceroy of Jin and granted the title Prince of Jin. In 908, he died and his son, Li Chunmao (李存勖) took his title. At this time, the Liang army was laying siege to a town under Li's control. The young prince led a powerful army in an attack against the Liang, inflicting heavy casualties.

In 912, Zhu Wen was critically ill in Luoyang. He said to Wang, a woman who had been attending to him , "I'm dying, You must go to Bianliang quickly to summom Zhu Youwen (朱友文). I've got something to tell him." Wang was the wife of Zhu Wen's adopted son, Zhu Youwen. Zhu often asked her to 'serve' him and she had won his favour. So Zhu wanted to pass the throne down to Zhu Youwen.

Zhu Wen wanted to demote his natural son, Zhu Yougui (朱友珪), to a governor's position. When Zhu Yougui heard the plan, he was both afraid and angry. His wife cried out bitterly, "If Zhu Youwen arrives in Luoyang, disaster will befall you." His attendants also advised, "It's a critical situation. We should make a preemptive strike."

Zhu Yougui hatched a plan to kill his father. He schemed with General Han Qing (韩勍) and influenced the palace guards through bribery. Then he led his soldiers to break into the palace. When Zhu Wen saw his son, he shouted, "I have long suspected you were evil-hearted. If only I had killed you earlier." But Zhu Wen's forces were outnumbered by his son's, and he was stabbe to death.

Though Zhu Yougui took the throne, he failed to secure his rule. Zhu Youzhen (朱友贞), another son of Zhu Wen, also wanted the throne. In February 913, he orchestrated a palace coup. His guards stormed into the palace and killed Zhu Yougui. Then he claimed himself emperor in Bianliang.

In 915, the military governor of Weibo Prefecture died. Taking this opportunity, Zhu Youzhen divided the prefecture into two districts in order to disperse its military strength. The army in the prefecture refused to be divided and began an armed mutiny against the newly appointed viceroys. They forced one of them to surrender to Li Chunmao. The soldiers also sought Li's aid.

Li Chunmao wanted to take control of Weibo and led an army there personally. At this time, General Liu Xun (刘鄩) of Later Liang was stationed with 60,000 men south of Weibo. Thinking of Li's base in Jinyang was weakly garrisoned, the general took his main force there in a direct march. But the force was caught in ten straight days of rain and found it difficult going on the mountainous paths. Many of the soldiers died on the road.

Li Chunmao learned about the coming assault against his base and immediately sent a contingent on a non-stop march there. When Liu Xun arrived in Leping (today's Xiyang in Shanxi province), he learned Jinyang was prepared. He turned east and retreated to Lai County (today's Lai County in Shandong province) where he set up a strong defence.

Encamped west of Lai county, Li Chunmao realised Liu Xun was not comping to battle and set a trap for the enemy. He left his army at the camp and led a smaller force to Beizhou (today's Qinghe county, Hebei province). Along the way, he spread the news that he would return to Jinyang.

Liu Xun thought Li's departure presented a good opportunity and ordered an attack on Weibo. This played directly into the hand of Li Chunmao. The 70,000 Liang force was encircled and mostly destroyed. Liu Xun managed to flee with only a couple of dozen horsemen.

After the battle of Weibo, Li Chunmao retained his strategic initiative. He captured two important ferries along the Yellow River. To strengthen defence, he built two towns on opposite sides of the river at one of the ferry crossings.

In 923, Li Chunmao claimed the throne in Weibo calling his dynasty Tang (923-936). (It is now referred to as Later Tang). Li Chunmao became Emperor Zhuang Zong.

Li Chunmao sent a large army against Liang in October 923. As the army of later Tang was nearing Bianliang, Zhu Youzhen was in despair. He asked his guards to stab him to death. The next day, the soldiers in Bianliang opened the gates and surrendered. Later Liang was destroyed.

After Li Chunmao destroyed Later Liang, he moved the capital of his dynasty to Luoyang. However, Li was greedy and indulged in luxury and extragavance. He levied heavy taxes on the common people. Talented people made the emperor jealous. Thus he relied heavily on eunuches and corrupt officials. The emperor often took a large number of attendants on hunting trips near Luoyang. Wherever the group went, crops were trampled and destroyed.

The loyalty of Later Liang's amry was unpredictable. In 926, there was an armed rebellion in Yedou, which was originally Weibo. Li Chunmao sent troops several times to suppress the rebellion with no success. Finally, he sent his commander-in-chief, Li Ciyuan (李嗣源), to lead the army there.

When the Later Tang forces under the control of Li Ciyuan arrived in Yedou, there was a mutiny in the ranks. The rebelling soldiers asked the commander-in-chief to claim the throne himself in Shanxi. Li refused , saying , "you can dow what you like, but I must return to the capital." Hearing this, the soldiers drew their swords and surrounded Li Ciyuan. "We are fierce jackals and wolves and don't know who commands who. What course do you follow? That is the question you must decide for yourself."

Li Ciyuan consented with the rebellion. With the support of various towns in Shanxi, he easily captured Bianliang. Li Chunmao hurriedly sent troops to suppress the rebellion, but it was too late. Several days later, the soldiers in Luoyang joined the rebellion. The soldiers there stormed into the palace and Li Chunmao was shot to death by archers. Li Ciyuan went to Luoyang and claimed the throne. He became Emperor Ming Zong.

Emperor Ming Zong improved the administration of the previous emperor. Under his reign, life was stable and production increased. In 933, Ming Zong died and Li Congho (李从厚) took his place, becoming Emperor Min Di. The later Tang again slipped into chaos and wars. Soon Li Congke (李从珂), the adopted son of Ming Zong, rebelled in Fengxiang and attacked the capital. Min Di fled with 50 mounted guards. In his escape, he met his brother-in-law, Shi Jingtang (石敬瑭) and asked him for help.

When they met Shi was actually on his way to Luoyang to pay respects to Min Di. But when he learned what had happened, he offered no help. Instead, he ordered his soldiers to kill all of Min Di's guards. Shi went away arrogantly, leaving Min Di alone.

Without any help, Min Di was soon captured and hanged. Li Congke took the throne, becoming Emperor Mo Di.

In 936, Shi Jingtang staged a rebellion in Jinyang. Mo Di sent his troops to crush the insurrection, but so many Later Tang soldiers rebelled that it was futile. When Shi Jintang arrived in the capital, Mo Di was cornered and committed suicide by burning himself in the palace. Thus later Tang came to an end.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Son-Emperor Shi Jingtang and Later Jin

The founder of Later Jin (936- 947) was Shi Jingtang, of the Shatuo minority. His father once served as govenor of Mingzhou. In his teenage years, Shi won the favour of Li Ciyuan and became his son-in-law. At the end of Ming Zong's reign, Shi was viceroy of Shanxi.

In 936, Later Tang was seriously divided. The ambitious Shi Jintang, who had long dreamt of the throne, picked this time to rebel. Later Tang hurriedly dispatched Zhang Jingda (张敬达) as the head of a large army to crush the rebellion. Thinking he was overmatched, Shi sent an envoy to seek help from Khitan.

Khitan was then a growing minority in the north-east of China. In the time of Tang, they remained nomadic. The Khan of Khitan, Yelu Deguang (耶律徳光), had long harboured ambition to occupy the central plains. He thought his chance had come and led 50,000 troops to aid Shi.

Yelu Deguang defeated the Later Tang army laying siege to Jinyang. With the siege broken, Shi met Yelu in the willow trees north of Jinyang. The Khan granted him the title Emperor of Jin. Shi wore Khitan garments and accepted the title. Thu Shi Jingtang set up the Jin Dynasty with the capital in Jinyang. Historically it is referred to as Later Jin.

To gain Khitan's favour, Shi Jintang even called the Khan, who was 10 years younger, "Father-Emperor". Every year he submitted 300 bolts of silk to Khitan and also coded Yoyun, which was the country's northern frontier. The surrender of Yoyun opened the door for Khitan to invade the central plains.

In 943, Shi Jingtang died and his nephew Shi Chonggui (石重贵) succeeded him, becoming Emperor Chu Di. At this time, Khitan even raided Jin's territories. In 946, under Khitan's orchestration, the governor of Yingzhou falsely surrendered to Jin. Emperor Chu Di sent his commander Du Chongwei (杜重威) with an army to Yingzhou. When they arrived, they found the city gates wide open.

After inquiring, the later Jin troops learned the 'surrendered' army of Yingzhou had left the town. The commander dispatched General Liang in pursuit. The pursuing soldies caught up with Khitan's army in the Yukou pass. Outnumbered, the Later Jin force was decimated after a day of bloody battle. General Liang was shot to death.

Seeing the Later Jin fall for the deception, the Khitan Khan led his main force forward. The Khan's force faced off with the later Jin across a river. Initially, the Khitan wanted to withdraw because they were outnumbered. But they saw that later Jin weren't going to attack across the river, as they were setting up fortifications and preparing for a protracted war.

Khitan then cut off Later Jin's supply line and attacked from the rear. Du Chongwei sent his most trusted men to beg for surrender. Khan Yelu said, "if Du surrenders, he will be permitted to claim sovereignity over the central plains." Du Chongwei set the guards for an ambush around his camp. Then he read a surrender treaty to all his generals, forcing them to comply. The generals were shocked, but they had to agree.

Du assembled the entire army. The soldiers thought they were preparing for battle and gathered quickly. Du told them, "now we have no grain. Our return routes were cut. If we want to remain alive, we must surrender." Then he ordered them to disarm. After the soldiers heard this, they cried loudly as they put down their weapons and armour.

After Khitan forces destroyed later Jin, Khan Yelu began to wear chinese dress and took the throne. He allowed his soldiers to plunder conquered areas. In the hundreds of kilometres surrounding Kaifeng, wealth and cattle were looted and people taken as slaves. Unable to tolerate such tyranny, people across the central plains raised arms and rebelled. Yelu was forced to retreat northward.

[General_Zhaoyun]

The Short-lived Later Han

A native of the Shatuo Minority, Liu Zhiyuan (刘知远), was once a trusted subordinate of Shi Jingtang. When the later Jin was founded, he was appointed to an important post - the Viceroy of Shanxi. In 947, Liu declared himself emperor in Taiyuan, naming his dynasty Han (historically referred to as Later Han). He became Emperor Gao Zu.

Liu died of illness after reigning for only one year. He was succeeded by Liu Chengyou (刘承祐), known as Emperor Yin Di. At that time, the court was controlled by ministers Yang Fen and Shi Hongzhao, who disregarded Yin Di. The emperor was angered and determined to eliminate the disrespectful ministers. He set an ambush at the palace gate. When Yang, Shi and a fellow minister came to the court, the assassins killed them.

Yin Di and his men also executed all the relatives of the Viceroy Guo Wei (郭威) in the capital. The emperor sent an emissary with a secret order to kill Guo Wei himself. Guo learnt of the plot and summoned his sub-ordinates . "The emperor issued an edict to behead me." he said. "you should follow the order and killed me now. I don't want to cause you trouble."

After hearing his words, the officers were infuriated. They urged Guo Wei to lead his forces south to avenge the wrongs. Following their advice, Guo's troops marched against the capital. Yin Di sent General Murong Yanchao (幕容彦超) to repel the attack. The emperor himself went to observe the battle. But the later Han army collapsed after the opening engagement. Many of them surrendered. Murong's horse fell in the battle with the general himself narrowly escaping capture.

The Later Han soldiers either deserted or surrendered and Yin Di was left with only dozens of men. When he tried to retreat to the capital, he found the soldiers there had already surrendered and refused to allow his entrance. He was forced to flee to a villager's house. There his attendants killed him with one fatal blow from a sword. Guo Wei occupied the capital and the Later Han was destroyed after less than 5 years (947-951).

[General_Zhaoyun]

Later Zhou: Paving the Way for Unification Under northern Song

The founder of Later Zhou ( 951-960) was Guo Wei (郭威), a native of Hebei province. His family was poor and he joined the army at 18. He served as viceroy in the later Han. In 950, he instigated an armed rebellion and sacked the capital Kaifeng. He then asked the empress to take charge and asked Liu Bin (刘贇), nephew of the former Later Han emperor, to be then new emperor.

One day, Zhengzhou and Xingzhou sent messengers to the court. They nervously reported to the empress that tens of thousands of Khitan trops were coming to invade. They expected the court to send the military to stop the invasion.

Guo Wei was ordered to lead the army. Having just arrived in Shanzhou, he went to rest at the government post building. Then several thousand soldiers began to make a loud noise. Guo Wei ordered the doors closed, but the soldiers jumped over the wall and entered the building. They were there to ask Guo Wei to become the emperor. Some of the soldiers draped him in a yellow flag, which representd an imperial dragon robe.

The soldiers took Guo Wei back to Kaifeng. Actually, the report of the Khitan invasion had been fabricated. Liu Bin was assassinated on his way to Kaifeng. In January 951, Guo Wei became Emperor Tai Zu, naming his dynasty Zhou (historically known as Later Zhou). He set his capital in Kaifeng.

After he ascended the throne, Emperor Tai Zu accepted advice from his ministers. He lived a frugal life, taking care to appoint capable people. He encouraged production, lessen the tax burden, and increased efficiency by severely punishing corrupt officials. In 954, Tai Zu died and his adopted son Chai Rong (柴荣) took his place, becoming Emperor Shi Zong.

Cai Rong was the nephew of Emperor Tai Zu. Later he was adopted as his son. When he ascended to the throne, he continued Tai Zu's efforts to reform the political system, develop the economy and train the army. His ultimate aim was to launch a war to reunite China. When the northern Han heard about Tai Zu's death, they invaded. Emperor Shi Zong wanted to lead an army in person to rebel the attack, but Prime Minister Feng Dao (冯道) strongly advised against the idea.

Feng Dao was 73. As an official, he had enjoyed a stable political career due in part to an compromising nature. He served 11 emperors through 5 dynasties. He believed Shi Zon was doomed if he personally led the army. So he took the lead in opposing the expedition. However, Shi Zong said, "The northern Han think I am young and inexperienced ruler. They want to annex our country. How can I not go to fight in person?"

Northern Han was founded by Liu Chong (刘崇) after the destruction of Later Han. Its capital was Taiyuan. After hearing Shi Zong's words, Feng Dao remained steadfast in his opposition. Shi Zong said, "When Emperor Tai Zong of Tang was conquering the country, he often personally led expeditions. How can I say here for safety?" Feng Dao responded sarcastically, "Do you think you can be Tai Zong?" However, Shi Zong's mind was set on going in person.

Later Zhou and northern Han met in battle at Gaoping. Liu Chong was arrogant and did not take his enemy seriously. When the Khitan offered assistance, he was confident his troops could defeat Later Zhou and declined the help. As northern Han began to attack, the right flank of Later Zhou collapsed immediately and fled south. During their flight, they burned, killed and plundered while spreading the news that the Later Zhou had been routed.

Seeing the situatuion was critical , Shi Zong personally led his army into battle. Chief of Palace guards, Zhang Yongde (张永德) and Zhao Kuangyin (赵匡胤) each commanded 2,000 of the elite troops in the attack. The northern Han could not withstand the offensive and retreated. Realising his defeat was inevitable, Liu Chong fled in panic to Taiyuan.

The battle in Gaoping showed Shi Zong the importance of military reform and reorganisation. The second day after the battle, Shi Zong assembled his troops in the Gaoping barracks. Declaring the crimes of the officers of the weak right flank and 70 others, the emperor had them beheaded immediately. Then he set about reorganising the palace guards, replacing weak soldiers and thus raising the fighting strength of the guards.

Long years of warfare had brought misery to the chinese people. Unification was widely demanded. Shi Zong followed this historical trend and started a campaign to unify China. First, he sent troops to occupy 4 prefectures held by Later Shu. IN 956, he personally led a southern campaign.

Emperor Li Jing of Southern Tang was forced to ask for peace. He sent his envoy to Later Zhou expeditioanry army besieging Shouzhou with abundant gold, silver and silks. After Shi Zong had his palace guards in formation, he met the two peace-seeking envoys from Southern Tang and denounced their proposal. But Shouzhou was not conquered fro a long time and Shi Zong had to return to Kaifeng.

In 957, Shi Zong led another expedition against Southern Tang. At this time, Liu Renzhan, who was in charge of Shouzhou's defence, lay critically ill. With their commander unconscious, the Shouzhou soldiers opened the city gates and surrendered to Later Zhou. The same year Shi Zong led a third expedition southward, occupying a large expanse of Southern Tang land. Li Jing once again sent envoys to seek peace on conditions of giving away some of the dynasty's land.

In 959, Shi Zong led his army to attack Liao, recovering Yingzhou (today's Hejian county in Hebei province). In June of the same year, Shi Zong died of illness and was replaced on the throne by his 7 year old son. Shi Zong's unification campaigns paved the way for the northern Song to unify China. In 960, Later Zhou General Zhao Kuangyin staged a coup in Chenqiao and set up the Song dynasty, bringing Later Zhou to an end.

[General_Zhaoyun]

I'll continue my narration on the 10 independent kingdoms:

10 Independent States - Wu and Southern Tang

The Wu state ( 892- 937 A ) was founded by Yang Xingmi (杨行密) with its capital in Yangzhou. Its founder had formerly been Governor of Luzhou under the leadership of the well-known warlord Gao Pin (高骈). Gao Pin became increasingly tyrannical in his later years and his subordinates were cut off from him. In 887, his general Qin Yan (秦彦) overthrew him and placed him under custody in Yangzhou. When Yang heard of it, he led his army to encircle the city.

In the name of battling the rebellious general, Yang Xingmi laid siege to Yangzhou for half a year causing an extreme shortage of grain in the city. Residents there were reduced to eating grass roots. Most of the people died of starvation. Soldiers would capture live people and sell them to the meat shops. These people were butchered and sold in public as though they had been livestock.

After Yangzhou was sacked, Yang Xingmi sent his troops into the city to put our fires and search for grain, which was distributed to the hungry civilians. Yang was careful to maintain internal stability and peace, also developing agricultural production. In 902, the Tang government granted him the title "Prince of Wu". After his death, his son Yang Wo (杨渥) succeeded him.

Yang Wo was an ineffective and cruel ruler. In 908, he was murdered by Minister Xu Wen (徐温), who then made Yang Xingmi's second son, Yang longyan (杨隆演), the ruler. However, Xu Wen still retained the actual control of the court. In 919, Yang Longyan declared himself King of Wu and formally set up a state. After Xu Wen's death, his adopted son Xu Zhihao (徐知诰) continued to control the court.

In 927, Xu Zhihao made Yang Longyan's brother the Emperor of Wu. In 937, Xu dethroned him and established himself as the emperor, changing the name of the state to Tang ( 937-975; historically referred to as Southern Tang) with the capital in Nanjing. Xu became Emperor Lie Zu (烈祖). Later he changed his surname to Li, which was his original surname.

Li Zu continued to maintain peace with neighbouring countries and develop agricultural production. Even as emperor, he lived a frugal life. During his reign, the Southern Tang economy developed rapidly. After Lie Zu's death, his son Li Jing (李璟) inherited the title and became Emperor Yuan Zong.

Li Jing repeatedly invaded neighbouring states and levied heavy taxes at home, bringing great misery to the common people. At this time, Southern Tang officials became increasing extravagant and corrupt.

Li Jing sent his troops and conquered tow small states, Min and Chu, but because of bad official appointments and a lack of solid policies, they were forced to withdraw. The depletion of material resources weakened Southern Tang, resulting in its defeat by Later Zhou and the further loss of large expanses of land north of the Yang Tze River. In 961, Li Jing died and his son Li Yu (李煜) took his palace, becoming Emperor Hou Zhu (后主).

In 974, the Northern Song invaded Southern Tang. Song General Cao Bin (曹彬)'s force destroyed more than 20,000 enemy soldiers in Cai Shiji. Then the Song army set up a pontoon bridge across the Yang Tze, making it possible for their force to cross quickly to the southern bank.

In 975, the Song laid siege to Nanjing. The commander-in-chief of Southern Tang was unwilling to put up resistance. He hoped Hou Zhu would surrender and the sooner the better. He beat and locked up all the generals and soldiers who advocated resistance. As a result no one dared to report the truth to Hou Zhu and he remained unaware of the siege.

After being encircled for over one month, Hou Zhu finally discovered the disaster befalling him. He hurriedly ordered General Zhu Lingyun (朱令赟), who was stationed in Hukou, to come to the rescue. Zhu followed the order and led 150,000 naval and infantry troops eastward along the Yang Tze.

Zhu's troop met the Song army in battle at Wankou. Zhu's soldiers set fire to the Song army. Unprepared for the trick, the Song force was thrown into chaos.

Suddenly, the wind changed direction and began to blow northward. The fire spread back to the Southern Tang forces. Without fighting, the naval and infantry troops collapsed. The Song attacked and most of the Southern Tang soldiers were drowned in the river. Zhu was burnt to death himself.

Cut off from his rescue forces and his city having been under siege for along time, Hou Zhu had to send an envoy to ask for a truce. The Song sharply denied the request. In the winter of 975, the Song sacked Nanjing. Hou Zhu led his ministers to the palace gate to surrender, bringing Southern Tang to an end. Hou Zhu was sent to Kaifeng and placed in custody. In 978, he was poisoned to death by Emperor Tai Zong of the Northern Song.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Wuyue

Wuyue (893-978) was founded by Qian Liu (钱镠) with its capital in Hangzhou. Qian Liu had formerly been a salt peddler. At the end of Tang, he went to join the army under General Dong Chang (董昌). Through his bravery as a warrior, he won Dong's favour. Later, Dong became the Governor of Hangzhou and when he organised his local army, Qian Liu was appointed military commander.

Liu Hanhong (刘汉宏), the governor of eastern Zhenjiang, attempted to take over Hangzhou. In 883, Qian Liu led his army in a fierce battle with 100,000 enemy troops. Liu Hanhong's army was totally destroyed and he was forced to disguise himself as a butcher and flee back to his base in Yuezhou (today's Shaoxing in Zhenjiang province).

Qian Liu knew that Liu Hanhong would never surrender. In 886, he organised his army and took Yuezhou. Liu managed to flee with several hundred of his men, but he was soon captured and beheaded. In 887, the Tang government appointed Qian Liu governor of Hangzhou.

Qian Liu and his descendents always submitted themselves to the authority of any dynasty in the central plains for the sake of self preservation. When the Later Liang was set up, Qian Liu claimed to be Zhu Wen's vassal. Zhu appointed him King of Wuyue. Wu was the largest enemy of Wuyue. In the spring of 919, Qian Liu's son led his infantry to attack Wu.

Wuyue and Wu fought on the Yang Tze River in Langshan. Every Wuyue warship was loaded with lime, black beans and sand. When the Wu pushed forward with the wind at their backs, Wuyue avoided their charge and then followed the passing ships. They threw lime on the Wu ships, making it impossible for the enemy to open their eyes.

When ships from both sides engaged, Wuyue sailors spread sand on their own ships and threw the beans on the Wu ships. This made footing on the Wu ships precarious during the battle. Then Wuyue set fire to the enemy ships, destroying over 400 ships and resulting in Wu's defeat. In July 919, the two parties fought another large battle in Wuxi. This time, Wuyue was defeated.

Despite occasional conflicts, Wu and Wuyue remained friendly most of the time. Qian Liu took care to maintain peace. He knew too well the sorrows of the common people. He attached great importance to improving irrigation systems, developing production and raising living standards.

At that tiem, the turbulent tide of the Qiantang river posed a serious threat to the safety of the people and their property on both banks. Qian Liu conscripted labourers to build dikes. The labourers put stones into bamboo baskets and threw them into the river. Then they planted large poles on the bank to increase stability. After that the farmland on the banks of Qiantang river no longer suffered erosion.

In order to keep himself from becoming lazy, Qian Liu made a special pillow from a round log with a bell at each end. If one slept too soundly, his head would slip over, ringing the bells which would wake the sleeper. He called this his "Vigilance Pillow." For this reason, Qian Liu was called the "Sleepless Dragon".

In 932, Qian Liu died and his son Qian Yuanquan suceeded him. The son worked hard to manage the state. He also emphasised the development of production and maintenance of peace. Later Yuanquan's three sons took the throne in succession. They continued to lessen the taxes and encourage production.

Under the management of the Qian clan, Wuyue maintianed social stability and economic prosperity. In 976, Qian Shu (钱俶), the last ruler of Wuyue, went to Kaifeng to pay respects to Emperor Tai Zu of Song. Tai Zu treated him favourably and granted him abundant gold and silver. Before departure, he gave him a parcel and asked him to open it after returning home.

Halfway on his journey home, Qian Shu could wait no longer and opened the parcel. To his surprise, it contained nothing but memorandums from the Song ministers to detain him. He was so fightened that he broke into a sweat. n 978, Qian Shu returned to the Song court, voluntarily giving up all the land under his control. This marked the end of Wuyue.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Previous and Later Shu

The former Shu ( 891-925) was founded by Wang Jian (王建) with its capital in Chengdu. Wang Jian came from a humble origin. In his childhood he butchered bulls, stole donkeys and smuggled salt. His neighbours gave him the nickname, "Turtle Thief." At the end of the Tang, he joined the army and was promoted to various military posts. He served as a military officer in charge of 1,000 soldiers and eventually became a palace guard general.

Later, Wang Jian was dispatched out of Chang'an because of the political strife inside the court. He became the governor of Lizhou (today's Guangyuan in Sichuan province). Taking advantage of the chaos already in Sichuan at that time, Wang Jian attempted to establish an independent state. In 887, he began to attack Chengdu. In 891, the governor of West Sichuan was forced to surrender to Wang due to a lack of supplies and fatigue of his soldiers.

Wang Jian took over 64 prefectures covering most of Sichuan Province. In 903, the Tang court granted him the title Prince of Shu. In 907, Wang claimed to be the emperor in Chengdu, calling his state Shu (historically known as "Previous Shu"). He managed to maintain peace, develop agriculture and lower the taxes, bringing about some recovery of the economy in this area.

In 918, Wang Jian died and his son, Wang Yan (王衍) succeeded him. The new emperor ignored the work of the court, preferring to spend his days indulged in sensual pleasures. He made several royal inspections, wasting huge amounts of manpwoer and material resources. His inspection fleet formed a line more than 50 km long in the Yang Tze river. Military flags flowing and the soldier's armour shining, the beautiful boats formed an impressive procession.

In 925, the Later Tang sent an army against the Shu. It took the army only 70 days to reach Chengdu. Wang Yuan was a restless and he cried together with his ministers. In the end he had to surrender with his entire court. The Previous Shu was destroyed.

The Later Shu ( 926-965) was founded by Meng Zhixiang (孟知祥) with its capital in Chengdu. It lasted 40 years, going through two emperors. After the Later Tang destroyed Shu, Meng was sent to be the Viceroy of Western Sichuan. When he got there, however, he refused to obey orders from the central court and defeated the Later Tang army. Later he annexed eastern Sichuan. In 934, he set up the Shu state (historically referred to as Later Shu).

Meng Zhixiang died after only a few months as emperor. His son Meng Chang (孟昶), inherited the title at age 16. Because of his youth, some ministers and generals didn't take him seriously. Among them, General Li Renhan (李仁罕) was the most overbearing. Meng Chang plotted to eliminate him. Once when Li Renhan was on his way to the court, the young emperor ordered ambushers in the palace to beat him to death.

General Li Zhao (李肇) also looked down on Meng and was arrogant in the court. Pretending to have a foot disease, he leaned on a crutch and refused to kneel before the young emperor. When he saw the murder of Li Renhan, he discarded his crutch, knelt and kowtowed without stop.

In the period of Later Shu, society was stable and the economy developed in Sichuan. The emperor, however, was extravagant in his spending and the other nobles joined him in leading a decadant lifestyle. Collecting and growing rare flowers was a popular past time for the upper classes. When spring arrived, they would flock to the gardens, throwing lavish parties. In 965, the Later Shu was destroyed by the Song army.

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The Chu state

Founded by Ma Yin (马殷), the Chu (896-951) set its capital in Changsha. Ma Yin had been a subordinate of Sun Ru (孙儒). After he was killed, Ma led some of the remaining soldiers on a foray into Henan, occupying Changsha. In 927, the Later Tang granted Ma the title Prince of Chu. Thus the Chu formally became a state.

The Chu state controlled today's Hunan and parts of Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Under the reign of Ma Yin, the government remained stable, agriculture improved and commerce prospered. After his death, his son, Ma Xisheng (马希声), became the emperor. He was cruel and greedy He wanted to outshine Emperor Zhu Wen's opulence. Hearing that Zhu liked to eat chicken livers, he ordered his own cook to prepare 50 chickens a day for him to taste, eating only the livers and discarding the rest.

After Ma Xisheng's death, Ma Xifan (马希范) became the emperor. He was extremely lustful, going so far as to send monks and nuns to look for beautiful women and kidnapping any they thought the emperor would desire. A merchant happened to have a beautiful wife. For this, he was murdered by he emperor and the wife was taken to the palace. To escape humiliation, she hung herself.

To gain the throne, the ruling clique resorted to murder. After Ma Xifan died, his brother Ma Xiguang (马希广) took the throne. But the elder brother Ma Xi'er also wanted to be emperor. He attacked the capital with his army. Ma Xiguang was captured and hung. Ma Xi'er obtained the throne.

No sooner had Ma Xi'er obtained the throne than another brother Ma Xichong (马希崇), came seeking the throne. Both sides engaged in a protracted war, bringing devastating to the country. In 951, the Southern Tang army attacked Changsha. Ma Xichong, who had just obtained the throne, was forced to surrender. Ma's clan and more than 1,000 Chu officers were taken to the Southern Tang's capital in Nanjing. The Chu state thus came to an end.

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Min and Nanping States

The Min state (893-945) was founded by Wang Shenzhi (王审知) with its capital in Fuzhou. At the end of the Tang, Wang followed his brother Wang Chao (王潮), marching into Fujian. They occupied Fuzhou and some surrounding areas. In 893, the Tang government made Wang Chao the governor of Fujian. After his death, Wang Shenzhi inherited the office.

Wang Shenzhi came from many generations of farmers. So, he knew well the sorrows of the common people. After he rose to power, he maintained a frugal lifestyle, lowered taxes and developed agriculture. He also opened harbours to encourage sea trade and placed great importance on education. His reign promoted the economic and cultural development of Fujian.

After Wang Shenzhi died , his son Wang Yanhan (王延翰) succeeded him. Before long, Wang Yanbing (王延禀), the adopted son of Wang Shenzhi, sacked Fuzhou with his force from Jianzhou. Wang Yanhan was killed and his brother Wang Yanjun was made the new king. Although Wang Yanbing enthroned his brother, he treated him with contempt. Before Wang Yanbing returned to Jianzhou, the new king held a banquet in his honour. Wang Yanbing said arrogantly, "You must maintain a strong defence. Don't cause me to come here again."

From then on, King Wang began plotting the elimination Yanbing. In 931, the king faked his own death. Wang Yanbing fell for the ploy and led his force to Fuzhou. Before his fleet reached the shore, it was destroyed by the king's force. Yanbing, himself, was killed on board a ship. Holding Yanbing's head, the king said triumphantly, "So I have troubled you to come again." In 933, Wang Yanjun claimed himself as the emperor, naming his state Min.

Nanping (907 - 963) was founded by Gao Jixing (高季兴) with its capital in Jiangling. He had once been made a Viceroy under the Later Liang. After Zhu Wen's death, he began to assert his independence. In 924, the Later Tang granted him the title "Prince of Nanping". Of the 10 states, the Nanping was the smallest, governing only 3 prefectures. In 963, it was annexed by Northern Song.

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Southern and Northern Han

Liu Yin (刘隐) founded the Southern Han (965-971), setting the capital in Guangzhou. In 905, the Tang government made him a viceroy. He was further granted the title Prince of the Southern Seas by the Later Liang. His brother Liu She took over his post and continued to expand their influence. Then in 917, he claimed himself as emperor, naming his state Yue. The next year, the name was changed to Han (historically referred to as Northern Han).

The Liu brothers worked to attract merchants from various parts of China as well as from overseas, making Guangzhou an increasingly prosperous port. Many scholar-officials from the central plains sought refuge in Guangdong. The Liu brothers treated them with respect and assigned them important posts.

Liu She and the subsequent rulers of the Southern Han were exceedingly cruel. Liu She made use of severe punishments including most feared punishments known as the "water prison". Here many poisionous snakes were thrown into a watery cage along with the prisoner Under intensifying social discontent, the Southern Han was destroyed in 971 by the Northern Song.

Northern Han (951-979) was founded by Liu Chong (刘崇) with its capital in Taiyuan. After the Later Han was destroyed, Liu Chong made himself the emperor, retaining the name of Han (historically referred to as the Northern Han). The land of the Northern Han was barren, but heavy taxes were still imposed, causing large numbers of peasants to migrate.

Liu Chong attached himself to the Liao State, often allying with Liao in military attacks on Later Zhou territory. After the northern Song was established, the central government made several military expeditions against the Northern Han. In 979, Emperor Tai Zong personally led a large force in a siege of Taiyuan. His troops undammed the Fen River to flood the city. The emperor of Northern Han, Liu Jiyuan 刘继元 (enthroned in 968) had no choice but to surrender, bringing northern Han to an end.