Dynasties in Chinese history

This article contains Tangut text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Tangut characters.

This article contains Mongolian script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of text in Mongolian script.

This article contains Manchu text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Manchu alphabet.

History of China
ANCIENT
Neolithic c. 8500 – c. 2070 BC
Xia c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC
Shang c. 1600 – c. 1046 BC
Zhou c. 1046 – 256 BC
Western Zhou
Eastern Zhou
Spring and Autumn
Warring States
IMPERIAL
Qin 221–207 BC
Han 202 BC – 220 AD
Western Han
Xin
Eastern Han
Three Kingdoms 220–280
Wei, Shu and Wu
Jin 266–420
Western Jin
Eastern Jin	Sixteen Kingdoms
Northern and Southern dynasties 420–589
Sui 581–618
Tang 618–907
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907–979	Liao 916–1125
Song 960–1279
Northern Song		Western Xia
Southern Song	Jin		Western Liao
Yuan 1271–1368
Ming 1368–1644
Qing 1636–1912
MODERN
Republic of China on the mainland 1912–1949
People's Republic of China 1949–present
Republic of China in Taiwan 1949–present
show Related articles Chinese historiography Timeline of Chinese history Dynasties in Chinese history Linguistic history Art history Economic history Education history Science and technology history Legal history Media history Military history Naval history Women in ancient and imperial China
view talk

Dynasties in Chinese history, or Chinese dynasties, were hereditary monarchical regimes that ruled over China during much of its history. From the inauguration of dynastic rule by Yu the Great in circa 2070 BC to the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor on 12 February 1912 in the wake of the Xinhai Revolution, China was ruled by a series of successive dynasties.^[a][b] Dynasties of China were not limited to those established by ethnic Han—the dominant Chinese ethnic group—and its predecessor, the Huaxia tribal confederation, but also included those founded by non-Han peoples.^[6]

Dividing Chinese history into periods ruled by dynasties is a convenient method of periodization.^[7] Accordingly, a dynasty may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned, as well as to describe events, trends, personalities, artistic compositions, and artifacts of that period.^[8] For example, porcelain made during the Ming dynasty may be referred to as "Ming porcelain".^[9] The word "dynasty" is usually omitted when making such adjectival references.

The longest-reigning orthodox dynasty of China was the Zhou dynasty, ruling for a total length of 789 years, albeit it is divided into the Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou in Chinese historiography, and its power was drastically reduced during the latter part of its rule.^[10] The largest orthodox Chinese dynasty in terms of territorial size was either the Yuan dynasty or the Qing dynasty, depending on the historical source.^{[11][12][13][14][15][c]}

Chinese dynasties often referred to themselves as "Tiāncháo" (天朝; "Celestial Dynasty" or "Heavenly Dynasty").^[19][20] As a form of respect and subordination, Chinese tributary states referred to Chinese dynasties as "Tiāncháo Shàngguó" (天朝上國; "Celestial Dynasty of the Lofty State") or "Tiāncháo Dàguó" (天朝大國; "Celestial Dynasty of the Great State").^[21]

Terminology[]

In the Chinese language, the character "cháo" (朝) originally meant "morning" and "today". Politically, the word is taken to refer to the regime of the incumbent ruler.

The following is a list of terms associated with the concept of dynasty in Chinese historiography:

• cháo (朝): a dynasty
• cháodài (朝代): an era corresponding to the rule of a dynasty
• wángcháo (王朝): while technically referring to royal dynasties, this term is often inaccurately applied to all dynasties, including those whose rulers held non-royal titles such as emperor^[22]
• huángcháo (皇朝): generally used for imperial dynasties^[22]

History[]

Start of dynastic rule[]

A depiction of Yu, the initiator of dynastic rule in China, by the Southern Song court painter Ma Lin.

As the founder of China's first orthodox dynasty, the Xia dynasty, Yu the Great is conventionally regarded as the inaugurator of dynastic rule in China.^[23][a] In the Chinese dynastic system, sovereign rulers theoretically possessed absolute power and private ownership of the realm, even though in practice their actual power was dependent on numerous factors.^[24][d] By tradition, the Chinese throne was inherited exclusively by members of the male line, but there were numerous cases whereby the consort kins came to possess de facto power at the expense of the monarchs.^[28][e] This concept, known as jiā tiānxià (家天下; "All under Heaven belongs to the ruling family"), was in contrast to the pre-Xia notion of gōng tiānxià (公天下; "All under Heaven belongs to the public") whereby leadership succession was non-hereditary.^[24][30]

Dynastic transition[]

An illustration of the Battle of Shanhai Pass, a decisive battle fought during the Ming–Qing transition. The victorious Qing dynasty extended its rule into China proper thereafter.

The rise and fall of dynasties is a prominent feature of Chinese history. Some scholars have attempted to explain this phenomenon by attributing the success and failure of dynasties to the morality of the rulers, while others have focused on the tangible aspects of monarchical rule.^[31] This method of explanation has come to be known as the dynastic cycle.^[31][32][33]

Dynastic transitions (改朝換代; gǎi cháo huàn dài) in the history of China occurred primarily through two ways: military conquest and usurpation.^[34] The supersession of the Liao dynasty by the Jin dynasty was achieved following a series of successful military campaigns, as was the later unification of China proper under the Yuan dynasty; on the other hand, the transition from the Eastern Han to the Cao Wei, as well as from the Southern Qi to the Liang dynasty, were cases of usurpation. Oftentimes, usurpers would seek to portray their predecessors as having relinquished the throne willingly—a process called shànràng (禪讓; "voluntary abdicating and passing the throne")—as a means to legitimize their rule.^[35]

One might incorrectly infer from viewing historical timelines that transitions between dynasties occurred abruptly and roughly. Rather, new dynasties were often established before the complete overthrow of an existing regime.^[36] For example, AD 1644 is frequently cited as the year in which the Qing dynasty succeeded the Ming dynasty in possessing the Mandate of Heaven. However, the Qing dynasty was officially proclaimed in AD 1636 by the Emperor Taizong of Qing through renaming the Later Jin established in AD 1616, while the Ming imperial family would rule the Southern Ming until AD 1662.^[37][38] The Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning based in Taiwan continued to oppose the Qing until AD 1683.^[39] Meanwhile, other factions also fought for control over China during the Ming–Qing transition, most notably the Shun and the Xi dynasties proclaimed by Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong respectively.^[40][41][42] This change of ruling houses was a convoluted and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost two decades to extend their rule over the entirety of China proper.

Similarly, during the earlier Sui–Tang transition, numerous regimes established by rebel forces vied for control and legitimacy as the power of the ruling Sui dynasty weakened. Autonomous regimes that existed during this period of upheaval included, but not limited to, Wei (魏; by Li Mi), Qin (秦; by Xue Ju), Qi (齊; by Gao Tancheng), Xu (許; by Yuwen Huaji), Liang (梁; by Shen Faxing), Liang (梁; by Liang Shidu), Xia (夏; by Dou Jiande), Zheng (鄭; by Wang Shichong), Chu (楚; by Zhu Can), Chu (楚; by Lin Shihong), Wu (吳; by Li Zitong), Yan (燕; by Gao Kaidao), and Song (宋; by Fu Gongshi). The Tang dynasty that superseded the Sui launched a decade-long military campaign to reunify China proper.^[43]

Frequently, remnants and descendants of previous dynasties were either purged or granted noble titles in accordance with the Èr Wáng Sān Kè (二王三恪; "two crownings, three respects") system. The latter served as a means for the reigning dynasty to claim legitimate succession from earlier dynasties.^[44] For example, the Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei was accorded the title "Prince of Zhongshan" by the Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi following the latter's deposition of the former.^[45] Similarly, Chai Yong, a nephew of the Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, was conferred the title "Duke of Chongyi" by the Emperor Renzong of Song; other descendants of the Later Zhou ruling family came to inherit the noble title thereafter.^[46]

According to Chinese historiographical tradition, each new dynasty would compose the history of the preceding dynasty, culminating in the Twenty-Four Histories.^[47] This tradition was maintained even after the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty in favor of the Republic of China. However, the attempt by the Republicans to draft the history of the Qing was disrupted by the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the political division of China into the People's Republic of China on mainland China and the Republic of China on Taiwan.^[48]

End of dynastic rule[]

A photograph of the Xuantong Emperor, widely considered to be the last legitimate monarch of China, taken in AD 1922.

Dynastic rule in China collapsed in AD 1912 when the Republic of China superseded the Qing dynasty following the success of the Xinhai Revolution.^[49][50] While there were attempts after the Xinhai Revolution to reinstate dynastic rule in China, they were unsuccessful at consolidating their rule and gaining political legitimacy.

During the Xinhai Revolution, there were numerous proposals advocating for the replacement of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty by a new dynasty of Han ethnicity. Kong Lingyi (孔令貽), the Duke of Yansheng and a 76th-generation descendant of Confucius, was identified as a potential candidate for Chinese emperorship by Liang Qichao.^[51] Meanwhile, gentry in Anhui and Hebei supported a restoration of the Ming dynasty under Zhu Yuxun (朱煜勳), the Marquis of Extended Grace.^[52] Both suggestions were ultimately rejected.

The Empire of China (AD 1915–1916) proclaimed by Yuan Shikai sparked the National Protection War, resulting in the premature collapse of the regime 101 days later.^[53] The Manchu Restoration (AD 1917) was an unsuccessful attempt at reviving the Qing dynasty, lasting merely 11 days.^[54] Similarly, the Manchukuo (AD 1932–1945; monarchy since AD 1934), a puppet state of the Empire of Japan during World War II with limited diplomatic recognition, is not regarded as a legitimate regime.^[55] Ergo, historians usually consider the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor on 12 February 1912 as the end of the Chinese dynastic system. Dynastic rule in China lasted almost four millennia.^[49]

Political legitimacy[]

Imperial seal of the Qing dynasty with "Dà Qīng Dìguó zhī xǐ" (大清帝國之璽; "Seal of the Great Qing Empire") rendered in seal script. Seals were a symbol of political authority and legitimacy.

China was politically divided during multiple periods in its history, with different regions ruled by different dynasties. These dynasties effectively functioned as separate states with their own court and political institutions. Political division existed during the Three Kingdoms, the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Northern and Southern dynasties, and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods, among others.

Relations between Chinese dynasties during periods of division often revolved around political legitimacy, which was derived from the doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven.^[56] Dynasties ruled by ethnic Han would proclaim rival dynasties founded by other ethnicities as illegitimate, usually justified based on the concept of Hua–Yi distinction. On the other hand, many dynasties of non-Han origin saw themselves as the legitimate dynasty of China and often sought to portray themselves as the true inheritor of Chinese culture and history. Traditionally, only regimes deemed as "legitimate" or "orthodox" (正統; zhèngtǒng) are termed cháo (朝; "dynasty"); "illegitimate" or "unorthodox" regimes are referred to as guó (國; usually translated as either "state" or "kingdom"^[f]), even if these regimes were dynastic in nature.^[57] The issue of political legitimacy pertaining to some of these dynasties remains contentious in modern academia.

Such legitimacy dispute existed during the following periods:

• Three Kingdoms^[58]
  • The Cao Wei, the Shu Han, and the Eastern Wu considered themselves legitimate while simultaneously denounced the rivaling claims of others
  • The Emperor Xian of Han abdicated in favor of the Emperor Wen of Cao Wei, hence the Cao Wei directly succeeded the Eastern Han in the timeline of Chinese history
  • The Western Jin accepted the Cao Wei as the legitimate dynasty of the Three Kingdoms period and claimed succession from it
  • The Tang dynasty viewed the Cao Wei as the legitimate dynasty during this period, whereas the Southern Song scholar Zhu Xi proposed treating the Shu Han as legitimate^[59][60]
• Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms^[61]
  • The Eastern Jin proclaimed itself to be legitimate
  • Several of the Sixteen Kingdoms such as the Han Zhao, the Later Zhao, and the Former Qin also claimed legitimacy
• Northern and Southern dynasties^[62]
  • All dynasties during this period saw themselves as the legitimate representative of China; the Northern dynasties referred to their southern counterparts as "dǎoyí" (島夷; "island dwelling barbarians"), while the Southern dynasties called their northern neighbors "suǒlǔ" (索虜; "barbarians with braids")^[63][64]
• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms^[65]
  • Having directly succeeded the Tang dynasty, the Later Liang considered itself to be a legitimate dynasty^[65]
  • The Later Tang regarded itself as the restorer of the earlier Tang dynasty and rejected the legitimacy of its predecessor, the Later Liang^[65]
  • The Later Jin accepted the Later Tang as a legitimate regime^[65]
  • The Southern Tang was, for a period of time, considered the legitimate dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period^[65]
  • Modern historiography generally considers the Five Dynasties, as opposed to the contemporary Ten Kingdoms, to be legitimate^[65][66]
• Liao dynasty, Song dynasty, and Jin dynasty^[67]
  • Following the conquest of the Later Jin, the Liao dynasty claimed legitimacy and succession from it^[68]
  • Both the Northern Song and Southern Song considered themselves to be the legitimate Chinese dynasty
  • The Jin dynasty challenged the Song's claim of legitimacy
  • The succeeding Yuan dynasty recognized all three in addition to the Western Liao as legitimate Chinese dynasties, culminating in the composition of the History of Liao, the History of Song, and the History of Jin^[69][70][71]
• Ming dynasty and Northern Yuan^[72]
  • The Ming dynasty recognized the preceding Yuan dynasty as a legitimate Chinese dynasty, but asserted that it had succeeded the Mandate of Heaven from the Yuan, thus considering the Northern Yuan as illegitimate
  • Northern Yuan rulers maintained the dynastic name "Great Yuan" and claimed Chinese titles continuously until AD 1388 or AD 1402; Chinese titles were restored on several occasions thereafter for brief periods
  • The Mongol historian Rashipunsug argued that the Northern Yuan had succeeded the legitimacy from the Yuan dynasty; the Qing dynasty, which later defeated and annexed the Northern Yuan, inherited this legitimacy, thus rendering the Ming as illegitimate^[73]
• Qing dynasty and Southern Ming^[74]
  • The Qing dynasty recognized the preceding Ming dynasty as legitimate, but asserted that it had succeeded the Mandate of Heaven from the Ming, thus refuting the claimed legitimacy of the Southern Ming
  • The Southern Ming continued to claim legitimacy until its eventual defeat by the Qing
  • The Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan denounced the Qing dynasty as illegitimate
  • The Joseon dynasty of Korea and the Later Lê dynasty of Vietnam had at various times considered the Southern Ming, instead of the Qing dynasty, as legitimate^[75][76]
  • The Tokugawa shogunate of Japan did not accept the legitimacy of the Qing dynasty and instead saw itself as the rightful representative of Huá (華; "China"); this narrative served as the basis of Japanese texts such as Chūchō Jijitsu and Kai Hentai^[77][78][79]

Traditionally, periods of disunity often resulted in heated debates among officials and historians over which prior dynasties could and should be considered orthodox, given that it was politically imperative for a dynasty to present itself as being linked in an unbroken lineage of moral and political authority back to ancient times. However, the Northern Song statesman Ouyang Xiu propounded that such orthodoxy existed in a state of limbo during fragmented periods and was restored after political unification was achieved.^[80] From this perspective, the Song dynasty possessed legitimacy by virtue of its ability to end the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period despite not having succeeded the orthodoxy from the Later Zhou. Similarly, Ouyang considered the concept of orthodoxy to be in oblivion during the Three Kingdoms, the Sixteen Kingdoms, and the Northern and Southern dynasties periods.^[80]

As most Chinese historiographical sources uphold the idea of unilineal dynastic succession, only one dynasty could be considered orthodox at any given time.^[66] Most modern sources consider the legitimate line of succession to be as follows:^[66]

These historical legitimacy disputes are similar to the modern competing claims of legitimacy by the People's Republic of China based in Beijing and the Republic of China based in Taipei. Both regimes formally adhere to the One-China policy and claim to be the sole legitimate representative of the whole of China.^[81]

Agnatic lineages[]

The Emperor Guangwu of Han (top) and the Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han (bottom) were members of the same family but are considered to be founders of two separate dynasties.

There were several groups of Chinese dynasties that were ruled by families with patrilineal relations, yet due to various reasons these regimes are considered to be separate dynasties and given distinct retroactive names for historiographical purpose. Such conditions as differences in their official dynastic title and fundamental changes having occurred to their rule would create the need for nomenclatural distinction, despite these dynasties sharing common ancestral origins.

Additionally, numerous other dynasties claimed descent from earlier dynasties as a calculated political move to obtain or enhance their legitimacy, even if such claims were unfounded.

The agnatic relations of the following groups of Chinese dynasties are typically recognized by historians:

• Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou
  • The Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou are collectively known as the Zhou dynasty^[10][82]
  • The founder of the Eastern Zhou, the King Ping of Zhou, was a son of the last Western Zhou ruler, the King You of Zhou
• Western Han, Eastern Han, Shu Han, and Liu Song
  • The Western Han and the Eastern Han are collectively known as the Han dynasty^[83]
  • The first emperor of the Eastern Han, the Emperor Guangwu of Han, was a ninth-generation descendant of the Western Han founder, the Emperor Gao of Han; he was also a seventh-generation descendant of the sixth Western Han monarch, the Emperor Jing of Han
  • The founder of the Shu Han, the Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han, was also descended from the Emperor Jing of Han
  • The Book of Song states that the first Liu Song ruler, the Emperor Wu of Liu Song, was a male-line descendant of a younger brother of the Emperor Gao of Han, the Prince Yuan of Chu
• Western Jin and Eastern Jin
  • The Western Jin and the Eastern Jin are collectively known as the Jin dynasty^[84]
  • The Eastern Jin founder, the Emperor Yuan of Jin, was a great-grandson of the Western Jin progenitor, the Emperor Xuan of Jin; he was also a grandson of the Prince Wu of Langya and a son of the Prince Gong of Langya
• Han Zhao and Hu Xia
  • The Han Zhao founder, the Emperor Guangwen of Han Zhao, and the Hu Xia founder, the Emperor Wulie of Hu Xia, were descended from Liu Qiangqu and Liu Qubei respectively; according to the History of the Northern Dynasties, Liu Qiangqu and Liu Qibei were brothers
• Former Yan, Later Yan, and Southern Yan
  • The founder of the Later Yan, the Emperor Chengwu of Later Yan, was a son of the Former Yan founder, the Emperor Wenming of Former Yan
  • The first monarch of the Southern Yan, the Emperor Xianwu of Southern Yan, was also a son of the Emperor Wenming of Former Yan
• Western Liang and Tang dynasty
  • The founder of the Tang dynasty, the Emperor Gaozu of Tang, was a seventh-generation descendant of the Western Liang founder, the Prince Wuzhao of Western Liang
• Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Western Wei
  • The only ruler of the Eastern Wei, the Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei, was a great-grandson of the seventh emperor of the Northern Wei, the Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei
  • The Western Wei founder, the Emperor Wen of Western Wei, was a grandson of the Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei
• Southern Qi and Liang dynasty
  • The founder of the Liang dynasty, the Emperor Wu of Liang, was a son of the Emperor Wen of Liang who was a distant cousin of the Southern Qi founder, the Emperor Gao of Southern Qi
• Later Han and Northern Han
  • The first ruler of the Northern Han, the Emperor Shizu of Northern Han, was a younger brother of the Later Han founder, the Emperor Gaozu of Later Han
• Liao dynasty and Western Liao
  • The Western Liao founder, the Emperor Dezong of Western Liao, was an eighth-generation descendant of the first emperor of the Liao dynasty, the Emperor Taizu of Liao
• Northern Song and Southern Song
  • The Northern Song and the Southern Song are collectively known as the Song dynasty^[85]
  • The first ruler of the Southern Song, the Emperor Gaozong of Song, was a son of the eighth Northern Song monarch, the Emperor Huizong of Song; he was also a younger brother of the last Northern Song emperor, the Emperor Qinzong of Song
• Yuan dynasty and Northern Yuan
  • The Emperor Huizong of Yuan was both the last emperor of the Yuan dynasty and the first ruler of the Northern Yuan
• Ming dynasty and Southern Ming
  • The Southern Ming founder, the Hongguang Emperor, was a grandson of the 14th emperor of the Ming dynasty, the Wanli Emperor
• Later Jin and Qing dynasty
  • The Emperor Taizong of Qing was both the last Later Jin khan and the first emperor of the Qing dynasty

Classification[]

A German map of the Chinese Empire during the height of the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty is considered to be a "Central Plain dynasty", a "unified dynasty", and a "conquest dynasty".

Central Plain dynasties[]

The Central Plain is a vast area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. "Central Plain dynasties" (中原王朝; Zhōngyuán wángcháo) refer to dynasties of China that had their capital cities situated within the Central Plain.^[86] This term could refer to dynasties of both Han and non-Han ethnic origins.^[86]

Unified dynasties[]

"Unified dynasties" (大一統王朝; dàyītǒng wángcháo) refer to dynasties of China, regardless of their ethnic origin, that achieved the unification of China proper. "China proper" is a region generally regarded as the traditional heartland of the Han people, and is not equivalent to the term "China". Imperial dynasties that had attained the unification of China proper may be known as the "Chinese Empire" or the "Empire of China" (中華帝國; Zhōnghuá Dìguó).^[87][88][g]

The concept of "great unity" or "grand unification" (大一統; dàyītǒng) was first mentioned in the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals that was supposedly authored by the Qi scholar Gongyang Gao.^[89][90][91] Other prominent figures like Confucius and Mencius also elaborated on this concept in their respective works.^[92][93]

Historians typically consider the following dynasties to have unified China proper: the Qin dynasty, the Western Han, the Xin dynasty, the Eastern Han, the Western Jin, the Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty, the Wu Zhou, the Northern Song, the Yuan dynasty, the Ming dynasty, and the Qing dynasty.^[94][95] The status of the Northern Song as a unified dynasty is disputed among historians as the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were partially administered by the contemporaneous Liao dynasty while the Western Xia exercised partial control over Hetao; the Northern Song, in this sense, did not truly achieve the unification of China proper.^[94][96]

Conquest dynasties[]

"Conquest dynasties" (征服王朝; zhēngfú wángcháo) refer to dynasties of China founded by non-Han peoples that ruled parts or all of China proper.^[97] This term was first coined by the historian and sinologist Karl August Wittfogel and remains a source of controversy among scholars who believe that Chinese history should be analyzed and understood from a multiethnic and multicultural perspective.^[98] For instance, the Northern Wei and the Qing dynasty, established by the Xianbei and Manchu ethnicities respectively, are considered conquest dynasties of China.^[97]

Naming convention[]

Official nomenclature[]

It was customary for Chinese monarchs to adopt an official name for the realm, known as the guóhào (國號; "name of the state"), upon the establishment of a dynasty.^[99][100] During the rule of a dynasty, its guóhào functioned as the formal name of the state, both internally and for diplomatic purposes.

The formal name of Chinese dynasties was usually derived from one of the following sources:

• The name of the ruling tribe or tribal confederation^[101][102]
  • e.g., the Xia dynasty took its name from its ruling class, the Xia tribal confederation^[101]
• The noble title held by the dynastic founder prior to the founding of the dynasty^[101][102]
  • e.g., the Emperor Wu of Chen adopted the dynastic name "Chen" from his pre-imperial title "Prince of Chen" upon the establishment of the Chen dynasty^[103]
• The name of a historical state that occupied the same geographical location as the new dynasty^[102][104]
  • e.g., the Former Yan was officially named "Yan" based on the ancient State of Yan located in the same region^[104]
• The name of a previous dynasty from which the new dynasty claimed descent or succession from, even if such familial link was questionable^[102]
  • e.g., the Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou officially proclaimed the Later Zhou with the official title "Zhou" as he claimed ancestry from Guo Shu, a royal of the Zhou dynasty^[105]
• A term with auspicious or other significant connotations^[101][102]
  • e.g., the Yuan dynasty was officially the "Great Yuan", a name derived from a clause in the Classic of Changes, "dà zāi Qián Yuán" (大哉乾元; "Great is the Heavenly and Primal")^[106]

There were instances whereby the official name was changed during the reign of a dynasty. For example, the dynasty known retroactively as Southern Han initially used the name "Yue", only to be renamed to "Han" subsequently.^[107]

The official title of several dynasties bore the character "dà" (大; "great"). In Yongzhuang Xiaopin by the Ming historian Zhu Guozhen, it was claimed that the first dynasty to do so was the Yuan dynasty.^[108][109] However, several sources like the History of Liao and the History of Jin compiled by the Yuan historian Toqto'a revealed that the official dynastic name of some earlier dynasties such as the Liao and the Jin also contained the character "dà".^[110][111] It was also common for officials, subjects, or tributary states of a particular dynasty to include the term "dà" (or an equivalent term in other languages) when referring to this dynasty as a form of respect, even if the official dynastic name did not include it.^[109] For instance, The Chronicles of Japan referred to the Tang dynasty as "Dai Tō" (大唐; "Great Tang") despite its dynastic name being simply "Tang".

While all dynasties of China sought to associate their respective realm with Zhōngguó (中國; "Central State"; usually translated as "Middle Kingdom" or "China" in English texts), none of these regimes officially used the term as their dynastic name.^[112][113] Although the Qing dynasty explicitly identified their state with and employed "Zhōngguó"—and its Manchu equivalent "Dulimbai Gurun" (ᡩᡠᠯᡳᠮᠪᠠᡳ
ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ)—in official capacity in numerous international treaties beginning with the Treaty of Nerchinsk dated AD 1689, its dynastic name had remained the "Great Qing".^[114][115] "Zhōngguó", which has become nearly synonymous with "China" in modern times, is a concept with geographical, political, and cultural connotations.^[116]

The adoption of guóhào, as well as the importance assigned to it, had promulgated within the Sinosphere. Notably, rulers of Vietnam and Korea also declared guóhào for their respective realm.

Retroactive nomenclature[]

In Chinese historiography, historians generally do not refer to dynasties directly by their official name. Instead, historiographical names, which were most commonly derived from their official name, are used. For instance, the Sui dynasty is known as such because its formal name was "Sui". Likewise, the Jin dynasty was officially the "Great Jin".

When more than one dynasty shared the same Chinese character(s) as their formal name, as was common in Chinese history, prefixes are retroactively applied to dynastic names by historians in order to distinguish between these similarly-named regimes.^[7][36][117] Frequently used prefixes include:

• Cardinal direction
  • "Northern" (北; běi): e.g., Northern Qi, Northern Yuan
  • "Southern" (南; nán): e.g., Southern Yan, Southern Tang
  • "Eastern" (東; dōng): e.g., Eastern Jin, Eastern Wei
  • "Western" (西; xī): e.g., Western Liang, Western Liao
• Sequence
  • "Former"^[h] (前; qián): e.g., Former Qin, Former Shu
  • "Later"^[i] (後; hòu): e.g., Later Zhao, Later Han
• Surname of the ruling family
  • e.g., Wu Zhou, Ma Chu
• Other types of prefixes
  • e.g., Shu Han (the prefix "Shu" is a reference to the realm's geographical location at Sichuan), Hu Xia (the prefix "Hu", meaning "barbarian", refers to the dynasty's Xiongnu origin)

A dynasty could be referred to by more than one retroactive name in Chinese historiography, albeit some are more widely used than others. For instance, the Western Han is also known as the "Former Han", and the Yang Wu is also called the "Southern Wu".^[125][126]

Scholars usually make a historiographical distinction for dynasties whose rule were interrupted. For example, the Song dynasty is divided into the Northern Song and the Southern Song, with the Jingkang Incident as the dividing line; the original "Song" founded by the Emperor Taizu of Song was therefore differentiated from the "Song" restored under the Emperor Gaozong of Song.^[127] In such cases, the regime had collapsed, only to be re-established; a nomenclatural distinction between the original regime and the new regime is thus necessary for historiographical purpose. Major exceptions to this historiographical practice include the Western Qin and the Tang dynasty, which were interrupted by the Later Qin and the Wu Zhou respectively.^[128][129]

In Chinese sources, the term "dynasty" (朝; cháo) is usually omitted when referencing dynasties that have prefixes in their historiographical names. Such a practice is sometimes adopted in English usage, even though the inclusion of the word "dynasty" is also widely seen in English scholarly writings. For example, the Northern Zhou is also sometimes referred to as the "Northern Zhou dynasty".^[130]

Often, scholars would refer to a specific Chinese dynasty by adding the word "China" after the dynastic name. For instance, "Tang China" refers to the Chinese state under the rule of the Tang dynasty and the corresponding historical era.^[131]

Territorial extent[]

Approximate territories controlled by the various dynasties and states throughout Chinese history, juxtaposed with the modern Chinese border.

While the earliest orthodox Chinese dynasties were established along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River in China proper, numerous Chinese dynasties later expanded beyond the region to encompass other territorial domains.^{[132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142][143][144]}

At various points in time, Chinese dynasties exercised control over China proper (including Hainan, Macau, and Hong Kong),^{[132][133][134]} Taiwan,^[135] Manchuria (both Inner Manchuria and Outer Manchuria),^[136][137] Sakhalin,^[138][139] Mongolia (both Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia),^[137][140] Vietnam,^[141][145] Tibet,^[136][137] Xinjiang,^[142] as well as parts of Central Asia,^[137][138] the Korean Peninsula,^[143] Afghanistan,^[144][146] and Siberia.^[137]

Territorially, the largest orthodox Chinese dynasty was either the Yuan dynasty or the Qing dynasty, depending on the historical source.^{[11][12][13][14][15][c]} This discrepancy can be mainly attributed to the ambiguous northern border of the Yuan realm: whereas some sources describe the Yuan border as located to the immediate north of the northern shore of Lake Baikal, others posit that the Yuan dynasty reached as far north as the Arctic coast.^{[147][148][149]} In contrast, the borders of the Qing dynasty were demarcated and reinforced through a series of international treaties, and thus were more well-defined.

Apart from exerting direct control over the Chinese realm, various dynasties of China also maintained hegemony over other states and tribes through the Chinese tributary system.^[150] The Chinese tributary system first emerged during the Western Han and lasted until the 19th century AD when the Sinocentric order broke down.^[151][152]

The modern territorial claims of both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China are inherited from the lands once held by the Qing dynasty at the time of its collapse.^{[15][153][154][155][156]}

List of major Chinese dynasties[]

This list includes only the major dynasties of China that are typically found in simplified forms of Chinese historical timelines. This list is neither comprehensive nor representative of Chinese history as a whole.

Major dynasties of China

	Dynasty		Ruling house			Period of rule		Rulers
	Name[j] (English[k] / Chinese[l] / Hanyu Pinyin / Wade–Giles / Bopomofo)	Origin of name	Surname (English[k] / Chinese[l])	Ethnicity[m]	Status[n]	Year	Term	Founder[o]	Last monarch	List / Family tree
Semi-legendary
	Xia dynasty 夏朝 Xià Cháo Hsia4 Ch῾ao2 ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄔㄠˊ	Tribal name	Si[p] 姒	Huaxia	Royal	2070–1600 BC[161][q][r][s]	430 years[r][s]	Yu of Xia	Jie of Xia	(list) (tree)
Ancient China
	Shang dynasty 商朝 Shāng Cháo Shang1 Ch῾ao2 ㄕㄤ ㄔㄠˊ	Toponym	Zi 子	Huaxia	Royal	1600–1046 BC[165][q][t]	554 years[t]	Tang of Shang	Zhou of Shang	(list) (tree)
	Western Zhou[u] 西周 Xī Zhōu Hsi1 Chou1 ㄒㄧ ㄓㄡ	Toponym	Ji 姬	Huaxia	Royal	1046–771 BC[167][q][v]	275 years[v]	Wu of Zhou	You of Zhou	(list) (tree)
	Eastern Zhou[u] 東周 Dōng Zhōu Tung1 Chou1 ㄉㄨㄥ ㄓㄡ	From Zhou dynasty	Ji 姬	Huaxia	Royal	770–256 BC[167]	514 years	Ping of Zhou	Nan of Zhou	(list) (tree)
Early Imperial China[w]
	Qin dynasty 秦朝 Qín Cháo Ch῾in2 Ch῾ao2 ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄔㄠˊ	Toponym	Ying[x] 嬴	Huaxia	Imperial (221–207 BC) Royal (207 BC)	221–207 BC[169]	14 years	Qin Shi Huang	Qin San Shi	(list) (tree)
	Western Han[y] 西漢 Xī Hàn Hsi1 Han4 ㄒㄧ ㄏㄢˋ	Toponym & Noble title	Liu 劉	Han	Imperial	202 BC–AD 9[170][z]	211 years[z]	Gao of Han	Liu Ying[aa]	(list) (tree)
	Xin dynasty 新朝 Xīn Cháo Hsin1 Ch῾ao2 ㄒㄧㄣ ㄔㄠˊ	"New"	Wang 王	Han	Imperial	AD 9–23[173]	14 years	Wang Mang	Wang Mang	(list) (tree)
	Eastern Han[y] 東漢 Dōng Hàn Tung1 Han4 ㄉㄨㄥ ㄏㄢˋ	From Han dynasty	Liu 劉	Han	Imperial	AD 25–220[174]	195 years	Guangwu of Han	Xian of Han	(list) (tree)
	Three Kingdoms 三國 Sān Guó San1 Kuo2 ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨㄛˊ					AD 220–280[175]	60 years			(list) (tree)
	Cao Wei 曹魏 Cáo Wèi Ts῾ao2 Wei4 ㄘㄠˊ ㄨㄟˋ	Noble title	Cao 曹	Han	Imperial	AD 220–266[176]	46 years	Wen of Cao Wei	Yuan of Cao Wei	(list) (tree)
	Shu Han 蜀漢 Shǔ Hàn Shu3 Han4 ㄕㄨˇ ㄏㄢˋ	From Han dynasty	Liu 劉	Han	Imperial	AD 221–263[177]	42 years	Zhaolie of Shu Han	Huai of Shu Han	(list) (tree)
	Eastern Wu 東吳 Dōng Wú Tung1 Wu2 ㄉㄨㄥ ㄨˊ	Noble title	Sun 孫	Han	Royal (AD 222–229) Imperial (AD 229–280)	AD 222–280[178]	58 years	Da of Eastern Wu	Sun Hao	(list) (tree)
	Western Jin[ab][ac] 西晉 Xī Jìn Hsi1 Chin4 ㄒㄧ ㄐㄧㄣˋ	Noble title	Sima 司馬	Han	Imperial	AD 266–316[179]	50 years	Wu of Jin	Min of Jin	(list) (tree)
	Eastern Jin[ab][ac] 東晉 Dōng Jìn Tung1 Chin4 ㄉㄨㄥ ㄐㄧㄣˋ	From Jin dynasty (AD 266–420)	Sima 司馬	Han	Imperial	AD 317–420[180]	103 years	Yuan of Jin	Gong of Jin	(list) (tree)
	Sixteen Kingdoms[ad] 十六國 Shíliù Guó Shih2-liu4 Kuo2 ㄕˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄛˊ					AD 304–439[182]	135 years			(list) (tree)
	Han Zhao 漢趙 Hàn Zhào Han4 Chao4 ㄏㄢˋ ㄓㄠˋ	Toponym & From Han dynasty	Liu[ae] 劉	Xiongnu	Royal (AD 304–308) Imperial (AD 308–329)	AD 304–329[185]	25 years	Guangwen of Han Zhao	Liu Yao	(list) (tree)
	Cheng Han 成漢 Chéng Hàn Ch῾eng2 Han4 ㄔㄥˊ ㄏㄢˋ	Toponym & From Han dynasty	Li 李	Di	Princely (AD 304–306) Imperial (AD 306–347)	AD 304–347[186][af]	43 years[af]	Wu of Cheng Han[af]	Li Shi	(list) (tree)
	Later Zhao 後趙 Hòu Zhào Hou4 Chao4 ㄏㄡˋ ㄓㄠˋ	Noble title	Shi 石	Jie	Royal (AD 319–330) Imperial (AD 330–351) Princely (AD 351)	AD 319–351[188]	32 years	Ming of Later Zhao	Shi Zhi	(list) (tree)
	Former Liang 前涼 Qián Liáng Ch῾ien2 Liang2 ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ	Toponym	Zhang 張	Han	Princely (AD 320–354, AD 355–363) Imperial (AD 354–355) Ducal (AD 363–376)	AD 320–376[189]	56 years	Cheng of Former Liang	Dao of Former Liang	(list) (tree)
	Former Yan 前燕 Qián Yān Ch῾ien2 Yen1 ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄧㄢ	Toponym	Murong 慕容	Xianbei	Princely (AD 337–353) Imperial (AD 353–370)	AD 337–370[190]	33 years	Wenming of Former Yan	You of Former Yan	(list) (tree)
	Former Qin 前秦 Qián Qín Ch῾ien2 Ch῾in2 ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ	Toponym	Fu[ag] ��	Di	Imperial	AD 351–394[190][ah]	43 years[ah]	Jingming of Former Qin[ah]	Fu Chong	(list) (tree)
	Later Yan 後燕 Hòu Yān Hou4 Yen1 ㄏㄡˋ ㄧㄢ	From Former Yan	Murong[ai][aj] 慕容	Xianbei[aj]	Princely (AD 384–386) Imperial (AD 386–409)	AD 384–409[195][ak]	25 years[ak]	Chengwu of Later Yan	Zhaowen of Later Yan Huiyi of Yan[al]	(list) (tree)
	Later Qin 後秦 Hòu Qín Hou4 Ch῾in2 ㄏㄡˋ ㄑㄧㄣˊ	Toponym	Yao 姚	Qiang	Royal (AD 384–386) Imperial (AD 386–417)	AD 384–417[196]	33 years	Wuzhao of Later Qin	Yao Hong	(list) (tree)
	Western Qin 西秦 Xī Qín Hsi1 Ch῾in2 ㄒㄧ ㄑㄧㄣˊ	Toponym	Qifu 乞伏	Xianbei	Princely	AD 385–400, AD 409–431[197]	37 years[am]	Xuanlie of Western Qin	Qifu Mumo	(list) (tree)
	Later Liang[an] 後涼 Hòu Liáng Hou4 Liang2 ㄏㄡˋ ㄌㄧㄤˊ	Toponym	Lü 呂	Di	Ducal (AD 386–389) Princely (AD 389–396) Imperial (AD 396–403)	AD 386–403[198]	17 years	Yiwu of Later Liang	Lü Long	(list) (tree)
	Southern Liang 南涼 Nán Liáng Nan2 Liang2 ㄋㄢˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ	Toponym	Tufa 禿髮	Xianbei	Princely	AD 397–414[199]	17 years	Wu of Southern Liang	Jing of Southern Liang	(list) (tree)
	Northern Liang 北涼 Běi Liáng Pei3 Liang2 ㄅ���ˇ ㄌㄧㄤˊ	Toponym	Juqu[ao] 沮渠	Lushuihu[ao]	Ducal (AD 397–399, AD 401–412) Princely (AD 399–401, AD 412–439)	AD 397–439[201]	42 years	Duan Ye	Ai of Northern Liang	(list) (tree)
	Southern Yan 南燕 Nán Yān Nan2 Yen1 ㄋㄢˊ ㄧㄢ	From Former Yan	Murong 慕容	Xianbei	Princely (AD 398–400) Imperial (AD 400–410)	AD 398–410[202]	12 years	Xianwu of Southern Yan	Murong Chao	(list) (tree)
	Western Liang 西涼 Xī Liáng Hsi1 Liang2 ㄒㄧ ㄌㄧㄤˊ	Toponym	Li 李	Han	Ducal	AD 400–421[203]	21 years	Wuzhao of Western Liang	Li Xun	(list) (tree)
	Hu Xia 胡夏 Hú Xià Hu2 Hsia4 ㄏㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ	From Xia dynasty	Helian[ap] 赫連	Xiongnu	Imperial	AD 407–431[206]	24 years	Wulie of Hu Xia	Helian Ding	(list) (tree)
	Northern Yan 北燕 Běi Yān Pei3 Yen1 ㄅㄟˇ ㄧㄢ	From Former Yan	Feng[aq] 馮	Han[aq]	Imperial	AD 407–436[207][ar]	29 years[ar]	Huiyi of Yan[al] Wencheng of Northern Yan	Zhaocheng of Northern Yan	(list) (tree)
	Northern dynasties 北朝 Běi Cháo Pei3 Ch῾ao2 ㄅㄟˇ ㄔㄠˊ					AD 386–581[208]	195 years			(list) (tree)
	Northern Wei 北魏 Běi Wèi Pei3 Wei4 ㄅㄟˇ ㄨㄟˋ	Toponym	Tuoba[as] 拓跋	Xianbei	Princely (AD 386–399) Imperial (AD 399–535)	AD 386–535[210]	149 years	Daowu of Northern Wei	Xiaowu of Northern Wei	(list) (tree)
	Eastern Wei 東魏 Dōng Wèi Tung1 Wei4 ㄉㄨㄥ ㄨㄟˋ	From Northern Wei	Yuan[at] 元	Xianbei	Imperial	AD 534–550[211]	16 years	Xiaojing of Eastern Wei	Xiaojing of Eastern Wei	(list) (tree)
	Western Wei 西魏 Xī Wèi Hsi1 Wei4 ㄒㄧ ㄨㄟˋ	From Northern Wei	Yuan[au] 元	Xianbei	Imperial	AD 535–557[211]	22 years	Wen of Western Wei	Gong of Western Wei	(list) (tree)
	Northern Qi 北齊 Běi Qí Pei3 Ch῾i2 ㄅㄟˇ ㄑㄧˊ	Noble title	Gao 高	Han	Imperial	AD 550–577[211]	27 years	Wenxuan of Northern Qi	Gao Heng	(list) (tree)
	Northern Zhou 北周 Běi Zhōu Pei3 Chou1 ㄅㄟˇ ㄓㄡ	Noble title	Yuwen 宇文	Xianbei	Imperial	AD 557–581[211]	24 years	Xiaomin of Northern Zhou	Jing of Northern Zhou	(list) (tree)
	Southern dynasties 南朝 Nán Cháo Nan2 Ch῾ao2 ㄋㄢˊ ㄔㄠˊ					AD 420–589[213]	169 years			(list) (tree)
	Liu Song 劉宋 Liú Sòng Liu2 Sung4 ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄙㄨㄥˋ	Noble title	Liu 劉	Han	Imperial	AD 420–479[214]	59 years	Wu of Liu Song	Shun of Liu Song	(list) (tree)
	Southern Qi 南齊 Nán Qí Nan2 Ch῾i2 ㄋㄢˊ ㄑㄧˊ	A prophecy on defeating the Liu clan	Xiao 蕭	Han	Imperial	AD 479–502[215]	23 years	Gao of Southern Qi	He of Southern Qi	(list) (tree)
	Liang dynasty 梁朝 Liáng Cháo Liang2 Ch῾ao2 ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄔㄠˊ	Toponym	Xiao 蕭	Han	Imperial	AD 502–557[216]	55 years	Wu of Liang	Jing of Liang	(list) (tree)
	Chen dynasty 陳朝 Chén Cháo Ch῾en2 Ch῾ao2 ㄔㄣˊ ㄔㄠˊ	Noble title	Chen 陳	Han	Imperial	AD 557–589[217]	32 years	Wu of Chen	Chen Shubao	(list) (tree)
Middle Imperial China[w]
	Sui dynasty 隋朝 Suí Cháo Sui2 Ch῾ao2 ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄔㄠˊ	Noble title ("随" homophone)	Yang[av] 楊	Han	Imperial	AD 581–619[219]	38 years	Wen of Sui	Gong of Sui	(list) (tree)
	Tang dynasty 唐朝 Táng Cháo T῾ang2 Ch῾ao2 ㄊㄤˊ ㄔㄠˊ	Noble title	Li[aw] 李	Han	Imperial	AD 618–690, AD 705–907[221]	274 years[ax]	Gaozu of Tang	Ai of Tang	(list) (tree)
	Wu Zhou 武周 Wǔ Zhōu Wu3 Chou1 ㄨˇ ㄓㄡ	From Zhou dynasty	Wu 武	Han	Imperial	AD 690–705[222]	15 years	Wu Zhao	Wu Zhao	(list) (tree)
	Five Dynasties 五代 Wǔ Dài Wu3 Tai4 ㄨˇ ㄉㄞˋ					AD 907–960[223]	53 years			(list) (tree)
	Later Liang[an] 後梁 Hòu Liáng Hou4 Liang2 ㄏㄡˋ ���ㄧㄤˊ	Noble title	Zhu 朱	Han	Imperial	AD 907–923[224]	16 years	Taizu of Later Liang	Zhu Youzhen	(list) (tree)
	Later Tang 後唐 Hòu Táng Hou4 T῾ang2 ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄤˊ	From Tang dynasty	Li[ay][az][ba] 李	Shatuo[ba]	Imperial	AD 923–937[228]	14 years	Zhuangzong of Later Tang	Li Congke	(list) (tree)
	Later Jin[bb] 後晉 Hòu Jìn Hou4 Chin4 ㄏㄡˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ	Toponym	Shi 石	Shatuo	Imperial	AD 936–947[229]	11 years	Gaozu of Later Jin	Chu of Later Jin	(list) (tree)
	Later Han 後漢 Hòu Hàn Hou4 Han4 ㄏㄡˋ ㄏㄢˋ	From Han dynasty	Liu 劉	Shatuo	Imperial	AD 947–951[229]	4 years	Gaozu of Later Han	Yin of Later Han	(list) (tree)
	Later Zhou 後周 Hòu Zhōu Hou4 Chou1 ㄏㄡˋ ㄓㄡ	From Zhou dynasty	Guo[bc] 郭	Han	Imperial	AD 951–960[229]	9 years	Taizu of Later Zhou	Gong of Later Zhou	(list) (tree)
	Ten Kingdoms 十國 Shí Guó Shih2 Kuo2 ㄕˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ					AD 907–979[231]	72 years			(list) (tree)
	Former Shu 前蜀 Qián Shǔ Ch῾ien2 Shu3 ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄨˇ	Toponym / Noble title	Wang 王	Han	Imperial	AD 907–925[232]	18 years	Gaozu of Former Shu	Wang Yan	(list) (tree)
	Yang Wu 楊吳 Yáng Wú Yang2 Wu2 ㄧㄤˊ ㄨˊ	Toponym	Yang 楊	Han	Princely (AD 907–919) Royal (AD 919–927) Imperial (AD 927–937)	AD 907–937[233][bd]	30 years[bd]	Liezu of Yang Wu[bd]	Rui of Yang Wu	(list) (tree)
	Ma Chu 馬楚 Mǎ Chǔ Ma3 Ch῾u3 ㄇㄚˇ ㄔㄨˇ	Toponym	Ma 馬	Han	Royal (AD 907–930) Princely (AD 930–951)	AD 907–951[235]	44 years	Wumu of Ma Chu	Ma Xichong	(list) (tree)
	Wuyue 吳越 Wúyuè Wu2-yüeh4 ㄨˊ ㄩㄝˋ	Toponym	Qian 錢	Han	Royal (AD 907–932, AD 937–978) Princely (AD 934–937)	AD 907–978[235]	71 years	Taizu of Wuyue	Zhongyi of Qin	(list) (tree)
	Min 閩 Mǐn Min3 ㄇㄧㄣˇ	Toponym	Wang[be] 王	Han	Princely (AD 909–933, AD 944–945) Imperial (AD 933–944, AD 945)	AD 909–945[235]	36 years	Taizu of Min	Tiande	(list) (tree)
	Southern Han 南漢 Nán Hàn Nan2 Han4 ㄋㄢˊ ㄏㄢˋ	From Han dynasty	Liu 劉	Han	Imperial	AD 917–971[235]	54 years	Gaozu of Southern Han	Liu Chang	(list) (tree)
	Jingnan 荊南 Jīngnán Ching1-nan2 ㄐㄧㄥ ㄋㄢˊ	Toponym	Gao[bf] 高	Han	Princely	AD 924–963[235]	39 years	Wuxin of Chu	Gao Jichong	(list) (tree)
	Later Shu 後蜀 Hòu Shǔ Hou4 Shu3 ㄏㄡˋ ㄕㄨˇ	Toponym	Meng 孟	Han	Imperial	AD 934–965[235]	31 years	Gaozu of Later Shu	Gongxiao of Chu	(list) (tree)
	Southern Tang 南唐 Nán Táng Nan2 T῾ang2 ㄋㄢˊ ㄊㄤˊ	From Tang dynasty	Li[bg] 李	Han	Imperial (AD 937–958) Royal (AD 958–976)	AD 937–976[239]	37 years	Liezu of Southern Tang	Li Yu	(list) (tree)
	Northern Han 北漢 Běi Hàn Pei3 Han4 ㄅㄟˇ ㄏㄢˋ	From Later Han	Liu[bh] 劉	Shatuo[bh]	Imperial	AD 951–979[241]	28 years	Shizu of Northern Han	Yingwu of Northern Han	(list) (tree)
	Liao dynasty 遼朝 Liáo Cháo Liao2 Ch῾ao2 ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄔㄠˊ	"Iron" (Khitan homophone) / Toponym	Yelü 耶律	Khitan	Imperial	AD 916–1125[242][bi]	209 years[bi]	Taizu of Liao	Tianzuo of Liao	(list) (tree)
	Western Liao 西遼 Xī Liáo Hsi1 Liao2 ㄒㄧ ㄌㄧㄠˊ	From Liao dynasty	Yelü[bj] 耶律	Khitan[bj]	Royal (AD 1124–1132) Imperial (AD 1132–1218)	AD 1124–1218[246][bk]	94 years[bk]	Dezong of Western Liao	Kuchlug	(list) (tree)
	Northern Song[bl] 北宋 Běi Sòng Pei3 Sung4 ㄅㄟˇ ㄙㄨㄥˋ	Toponym	Zhao 趙	Han	Imperial	AD 960–1127[248]	167 years	Taizu of Song	Qinzong of Song	(list) (tree)
	Southern Song[bl] 南宋 Nán Sòng Nan2 Sung4 ㄋㄢˊ ㄙㄨㄥˋ	From Song dynasty	Zhao 趙	Han	Imperial	AD 1127–1279[249]	152 years	Gaozong of Song	Zhao Bing	(list) (tree)
	Western Xia 西夏 Xī Xià Hsi1 Hsia4 ㄒㄧ ㄒㄧㄚˋ	Toponym	Weiming[bm] 嵬名