Later Han Dynasty (Five Dynasties)

Han 漢
← 947–951 →   →
Capital		Bian (Kaifeng)
Languages		Chinese
Religion		Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion
Government		Monarchy
Emperor
-	947–948	Emperor Gaozu
-	948–951	Emperor Yin
Historical era		Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
-	Established in Taiyuan	March 10, 947
-	Coup d'etat, surrender of Bian; Emperor Yin killed (de facto end)	January 1, 951
-	Guo Wei proclaimed Emperor (de jure end)	February 13, 951
Currency		Chinese cash, Chinese coin, copper coins etc.

History of the Turkic peoples Pre-14th century
Turkic Khaganate 552–744
Western Turkic
Eastern Turkic
Khazar Khaganate 618–1048
Turgesh Khaganate 699–766
Uyghur Khaganate 744–840
Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1212
Western Kara-Khanid
Eastern Kara-Khanid
Pecheneg Khanates 860–1091	Kimek Khanate 743–1035
Kipchak Khanates 1067–1239	Oghuz Yabgu State 750–1055
Shatuo Dynasties 923–979
Later Tang Dynasty
Later Jin Dynasty
Later Han Dynasty (Northern Han)
Ghaznavid Empire 963–1186
Seljuq Empire 1037–1194
Khwarezmian Empire 1077–1231
Seljuq Sultanate of Rum 1092–1307
Delhi Sultanate 1206–1526
Mamluk Dynasty
Khilji Dynasty
Tughlaq Dynasty
Cairo Sultanate 1250–1517
Bahri Dynasty
Other Turkic Dynasties  In Anatolia Artuqid Dynasty Saltuqid Dynasty In Azerbaijan Aqsunqurid Dynasty Ildenizid Dynasty In Egypt Tulunid Dynasty Ikhshidid Dynasty In Syria and Al-Jazira Burid Dynasty Zengid Dynasty

The Later Han Dynasty (Simplified Chinese 后汉; Traditional Chinese 後漢; pinyin Hòu Hàn) was founded in 947. It was the fourth of the Five Dynasties and the third consecutive Shatuo Turk dynasty. It was among the shortest-lived of all Chinese regimes, lasting for slightly under four years before it was overcome by a rebellion that resulted in the founding of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Establishment of the Later Han

Liu Zhiyuan was military governor of Bingzhou, an area around Taiyuan in present-day Shanxi that had long been a stronghold of the Shatuo Turks. However, the Later Jin Dynasty he served was weak and little more than a puppet of the expanding Khitan empire to the north. When the Later Jin finally did decide to defy them, the Khitan sent an expedition south that resulted in the destruction of the Later Jin Dynasty.

The Khitan force made it all the way to the Yellow River before the emperor decided to return to his base in present-day Beijing, in the heart of the contentious Sixteen Prefectures. However, following constant harassment from the Chinese on the return route, he died of an illness in May 947. The combination of the fall of the Later Jin Dynasty and the succession crisis among the Khitan resulted in a power vacuum. Liu Zhiyuan was able to fill that void and founded the Later Han Dynasty.

Territorial Extent

Liu Zhiyuan established his capital at Bian, present day Kaifeng. The Later Han held essentially the same territory as the Later Jin dynasty. Its southern border with the southern states stretched from the East China Sea about halfway between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River before dipping south toward the Yangtze at its mid reaches before turning northwest along the northern border of Sichuan and extending as far west as Shaanxi. In the north, it included much of Shaanxi and Hebei except the Sixteen Prefectures, which were lost by the Later Jin Dynasty to what was by this time known as the Liao Dynasty.

Short-lived dynasty

The Later Han dynasty was among the shortest-lived regimes in the long history of China. Liu Zhiyuan died the year following the founding of the dynasty, to be succeeded by his teenage son. The dynasty was overthrown two years later when Guo Wei, a Han Chinese led a military coup and declared himself emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty.

Northern Han

The remnants of the Later Han returned to the traditional Shatuo Turk stronghold of Shanxi and established the Northern Han kingdom, sometimes referred to the Eastern Han. Under Liao dynasty protection, it was able to remain independent of the Later Zhou Dynasty. The Song Dynasty emerged from the ashes of the Later Zhou dynasty in 960 and emerged as a strong, stabilizing presence in northern China. Though they had been successful in bringing the southern states under its control, a process essentially completed in 978, the Northern Han were able to hold out due to help from the Liao Dynasty. In fact, the continued existence of the Northern Han was one of the two thorns in the side of Liao-Song relations. Finally, the Song Dynasty was able to incorporate the Northern Han into its territory in 979, essentially completing the reunification of China, with the exception of the Sixteen Prefectures, which would remain in the hands of the Liao dynasty.

Rulers

Temple names	Posthumous names	Personal names	Reign	Era names
Gāozǔ (高祖)	Emperor Ruìwén Shèngwǔ Zhāosù Xiào (睿文聖武昭肅孝皇帝)	Liu Zhiyuan (劉知遠)	947–948	Tiānfú (天福) 947 Qiányòu (乾祐) 948
None	Emperor Yǐn (隱皇帝)	Liu Chengyou (劉承祐)	948–951	Qiányòu (乾祐) 948–951

References

• Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900–1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 11, 13, 16, 69.