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Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 12-28-03 00:41

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingsoms (907AD 960AD)
五代十國

Historian students of Chinese history are a bit confused with this period. Here is a brief description of this era. If you are interested in Chinese history download it and keep it for future referencs.

In the eighth moon of 904AD Zhu Quan Zhong (朱全忠 852AD to 912AD) commited an act of regicide by having killed the 19th Emperor Zhao Zong Li Jie (昭宗皇帝李傑 889AD to 904AD) of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). Zhu Quan Zhong installed Li Zhu (李柷) as the next Emperor, titled Emperor Ai Zong (哀宗). However, in 907AD Zhu Quan Zhong abolished the emperorship and dismissed Li Zhu as the Emperor and established his own dynasty called Hou Liang or Later Liang (後梁). That was the end of the Tang Dynasty. China entered the period of the Five Dynasties (Wu Dai 五代) and the Ten Kingdoms (Shi Guo 十國) which lasted until the Kingdom of Northen Han (北漢) was subjugated by the Song Dynasty (宋朝 907AD to 1279AD).

Here is the summary of The Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms.

Five Dynasty (五代)
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(1) Hou Liang or Later Liang (後梁 907AD to 923AD = 17 years)

The founder was Zhu Quan Zhong and its capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kai Feng 開封 in Henan province 河南省). There were two rulers and their surname was Zhu (朱).

(A) Emperor Tai Zu Zhu Quan Zhong (太祖皇帝朱全忠 907AD to 912AD.
(B) Emperor Mo Di Zhu You Zhen (末皇帝朱友真 913AD to 923AD)
Later Liang was destroyed by the Later Tang (後唐)
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(2) Hou Tang or Later Tang (後唐 923AD to 936AD = 14 years)

The founder was Li Cun Xun (李存勗) and its capital was at Luoyang (洛陽) in Henan province. There were four rulers and their surname was Li (李).

(A) Emperor Zhuang Zong Li Cun Xun (莊宗皇帝李存勗 923AD to 926AD).
He was leader of the Sha Tuo Tribe (沙陀祖).
(B) Emperor Ming Zong Li Si Yuan (明宗皇帝李嗣源 926AD to 933AD)
He was a non-Han nationality without a Han surname. He was the adopted son of Li Ke Yong (李克用). He used his adopted father's surname Li (李) as his surname.
(C) Emperor Min Di Li Hou (閔皇帝李厚 934AD to 934AD)
(D) Emperor Fei Di Li Cong Ke (廢皇帝李從珂 935AD to 936AD)
Originally his surname was Wang (王). He was the adopted son of Emperor Ming Zong. He used his adopted father's Li as his surname.

Later Tang was destroyed by the Later Jin (後晉).
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(3) Hou Jin or Later Jin (後晉 936AD to 946AD = 11 years)

The founder was Shi Jing Tang (石敬塘) and its capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng 開封 in Henan province). There were two rulers and their surname was Shi (石). Shi Jing Tang (石敬塘) was the leader of Xi Yi Tribe (西夷族).

(A) Emperor Gao Zu Shi Jing Tang (高祖石敬塘 936AD to 942AD).
(B) Emperor Chu Di Shi Chong Gui (出皇帝石重貴 943AD to 946AD).

Later Jin was destroyed by Qi Dan (契丹 or Khitan)
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(4) Hou Han or Later Han (後漢 947AD to 950AD = 4 years).

The founder was Liu Zhi Yuan (劉知遠) and its capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng in Henan province). There were two rulers and their surname was Liu (劉).
(A) Emperor Gao Zu Liu Zhi Yuan (高祖皇帝劉知遠 947AD to 948AD).
Liu Zhi Yuan was a chief of the Sha Tuo Tribe (沙陀祖).
(B) Emperor Yin Di Liu Cheng You (隱皇帝劉承祐 948AD to 950AD)

Later Han was destroyed by Later Zhou (後周) or Hou Zhou.
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(5) Hou Zhou or Later Zhou (後周 951AD to 960 = 10 years).

The founder was Guo Wei (郭威) and its capital was at Bian (汴 present day Luoyang in Henan province). There were three rulers and their surnames were Guo (郭) and Chai (柴).

(A) Emperor Tai Zu Guo Wei (太祖皇帝郭威 951AD to 954AD).
(B) Emperor Shi Zong Chai Rong (世宗皇帝柴榮 954AD to 959AD).
(C) Emperor Gong Zong Chai Zong Xun (恭宗皇帝柴宗訓 959AD to 960AD).

Later Zhou was abolished by Zhao Kuang Yin (趙匡胤) who established the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD).

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The Ten Kingdoms (十國)

(1) Wu (吳 902AD to 937AD = 36 years).

The founder was Yang Xing Mi (楊行密) and its capital was at Yang Zhou (楊州) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省). was destroyed by the Nan Tang (南唐)
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(2) Nan Tang (南唐 937AD to 975AD = 39 years)

The founder was Li Sheng (李昇) and its capital was at Jin Ling (金陵 present day Nanjing 南京 in Jiangsu province). Nan Tang was destroyed by Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD).
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(3) Wu Yue (吳越 907AD to 978AD = 72 years)

The founder was Qian Liu (錢鏐) and its capital was at Hang Zhou (杭州) in Zhejiang province (浙江省). Wu Yue was destroyed by Dynasty Song.
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(4) Chu (楚 907AD to 951AD = 45 years)

The founder was Ma Yin (馬殷) and its capital was at Chang Sha (長沙) in Hunan province (湖南省). Chu was destroyed by Nan Tang (南唐)
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(5) Min (閩 907AD to 945AD = 37 years)

The founder was Wang Shen Zhi (王審知) and its capital was at Chang Le (長樂 present day Fu Zhou 福州 in Fujian province 福建省). Min was destroyed by Nan Tang (南唐).
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(6) Nan Han (南漢 917AD to 971AD = 55 years)

The founder was Liu Yan (劉巖) and its capital was at Guangzhou (廣州) in Guangdong province (廣東省). Nan Han was destroyed by Song Dynasty.
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(7) Qian Shu (前蜀 903AD to 925AD = 23 years).

The founder was Wang Jian (王建) and its capital was at Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan province (四川省). Qian Shu was destroyed by Hou Tang (後唐).
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(8) Hou Shu or Later Shu (後蜀 933AD to 965AD = 33 years)

The founder was Meng Zhi Xiang (孟知祥) and its capital was at Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan province. Later Shu was destroyed by Song Dynasty.
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(9) Jing Nan (荊南) or Nan Ping (南平 924AD to 963AD = 40 years.)

The founder was Gao Ji Xing (高季興) and its capital was at Jing Zhou (荊州 present day Jiang Ling 江陵 in Hubei province 湖北省). Nan Ping was destroyed by Song Dynasty.
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(10) Bei Han or Northern Han (北漢 951AD to 979AD = 29 years)

The founder was Liu Chong (劉崇) and its capital was at He Dong (河東 present day Tai Yuan 太原 in Shanxi province 山西省). North Han was destroyed by Song Dynasty.
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CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 28122003

Yoon-Ngan

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Language versus Dialect

Author: Andries Zijlstra
Date: 12-28-03 03:46

Dear Forum,

I would like to understand your definition of Language and Dialect. Here in Europe we define Language as a culture with a spoken and written unique Language based on a documented Grammar
Based on this definition Cantonese, Fujianese, Mandarin, Shanghaiese, Hakka and certainly other Dialects would be languages where the Mandarin is selected as the National Language (Dialect) to facilitate communication all over the Country.

Regards,
Andries

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