Jin Dynasty (265β420)
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This SourceThe JΓ¬n Dynasty (265β420), one of the Six Dynasties, followed the Three Kingdoms period and preceded the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China. The dynasty was founded by the Sima family (εΈι¦¬ pinyin: SΔ«mΗ). Note that there are four periods of Chinese history using the name "Jin" (see clarification here). At its height the Jin Dynasty had a population of about 20 million people.
History
The first of the two periods, the Western JΓ¬n Dynasty (ch: θ₯Ώζ, 265β316), was founded by Emperor Wu, better known as Sima Yan. Although providing a brief period of unity after conquering the state of Eastern Wu in 280, the JΓ¬n could not contain the invasion and uprising of nomadic peoples after the devastating War of the Eight Princes. The capital was Luoyang until 311 when Emperor Huai was captured by the forces of Han Zhao. Successive reign of Emperor Min lasted four years in Chang'an until its conquest by Han Zhao in 316.
Meanwhile remnants of the JΓ¬n court fled from the north to the south and reestablished the JΓ¬n court at Jiankang, south-east of Luoyang and Chang'an and near modern-day Nanjing, under Prince of Longya. Prominent local families of Zhu, Gan, Lu, Gu and Zhou supported the proclamation of Prince of Langye as Emperor Yuan of the Eastern JΓ¬n Dynasty (ch: ζ±ζ 317β420) when the news of the fall of Chang'an reached the south. (Because the emperors of the Eastern JΓ¬n Dynasty came from the Langye line, the rival Wu Hu states which did not recognize its legitimacy would at times refer to JΓ¬n as "Langye.")
Militaristic authorities and crises plagued the Eastern Jìn court throughout its 104 years of existence. It survived the rebellions of Wang Dun and Su Jun. Huan Wen died in 373 before he could usurp the throne (which he had intended to do). Battle of Fei turned out to be a victory of Jìn under a short-lived cooperation of Huan Chong, brother of Huan Wen and the Prime Minister (or Imperial Secretariat) Xie An. Huan Xuan, son of Huan Wen, usurped and changed the name of the dynasty to Chu. He was toppled by Liu Yu, who ordered the strangulation of the reinstated but retarded Emperor An. The last emperor and brother of Emperor An, Emperor Gong, was installed in 419. Abdication of Emperor Gong in 420 in favor of Liu Yu, then Emperor Wu, ushered in the Liu Song Dynasty and the Southern Dynasties.
Meanwhile North China was ruled by the Sixteen Kingdoms, many of which were founded by the Wu Hu, the non-Han Chinese ethnicities. The conquest of the Northern Liang by the Northern Wei Dynasty in 439 ushered in the Northern Dynasties.
Figure
Sovereigns of Jìn Dynasty
| Posthumous names | Family name and given names | Durations of reigns | Era names and their according range of years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese convention: "Jìn" + posthumous name + "di" | |||
| Western JΓ¬n Dynasty 265β316 | |||
| Wu Di | Sima Yan | 265β290 | |
| Hui Di | Sima Zhong | 290β307 |
|
| none | Sima Lun | 301 |
|
| Huai Di | Sima Chi | 307 β 311 | |
| Min Di | Sima Ye | 313β316 | |
| Eastern JΓ¬n Dynasty 317β420 | |||
| Yuan Di | Sima Rui | 317β323 | |
| Ming Di | Sima Shao | 323β325 | |
| Cheng Di | Sima Yan | 325β342 | |
| Kang Di | Sima Yue | 342β344 | |
| Mu Di | Sima Dan | 344β361 | |
| Ai Di | Sima Pi | 361β365 | |
| Fei Di | Sima Yi | 365β372 | *Taihe 365β372 |
| Jianwen Di | Sima Yu | 372 | |
| Xiaowu Di | Sima Yao | 372β396 | |
| An Di | Sima Dezong | 396β419 | |
| Gong Di | Sima Dewen | 419β420 | |
Major events
See also
- Six dynasties
- Sixteen Kingdoms
- Chinese sovereign
- List of tributaries of Imperial China
- Liu Song Dynasty
- Southern Dynasties
- Northern Wei Dynasty
- Northern Dynasties
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Ge Hong
External links
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Last updated on Friday March 14, 2008 at 00:06:13 PDT (GMT -0700)
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