Southern Tang

"Nan Tang" and "Nan T'ang" redirect here. For other uses, see Nan Tang (disambiguation).

Great Qi / Great Tang / Jiangnan 大齊 / 大唐 / 江南
937–976
Southern Tang in 939 AD
Southern Tang in 951 AD
Capital	Jinling (briefly Nanchang)
Common languages	Middle Chinese
Government	Monarchy
Emperor/King
• 937–943	Emperor Liezu
• 943–961	Emperor Yuanzong
• 961–976	King of Jiangnan
Historical era	Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
• Coup d'etat	937
• Renamed from "Qi" to "Tang"	939
• Became a vassal of Later Zhou	958
• Renamed from "Tang" to "Jiangnan"	971
• Surrendered to Song	976
Currency	Chinese coin Chinese cash
Preceded by Succeeded by Wu Min Chu Song dynasty
Today part of	China

Southern Tang (Chinese: 南唐; pinyin: Nán Táng; also referred to as Nantang), later known as Jiangnan (江南), was an empire in Southern China and one of the so-called Ten Kingdoms between the fall of the Tang in 907 and the start of the Song dynasty in 960. Southern Tang replaced the Wu empire when Li Bian (a.k.a. Xu Zhigao) deposed the emperor Yang Pu.

The capital was located in Jinling (also known as Xidu), located in present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu Province. The territory comprised parts of modern Fujian, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the whole of Jiangxi Province.

Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the Song dynasty.

History

A Literary Garden, by Zhou Wenju, Southern Tang era.

Li Bian was an orphan who was adopted by the Wu prince Yang Xingmi. He was then adopted by Xu Wen, the Prime Minister of Wu and was renamed Xu Zhigao. Upon Xu Wen's death, he took over power in Wu, and was made a prince of Qi. In 937, he proclaimed himself emperor of a new dynasty Qi, known in historiography as "Xu Qi" (徐齊). In 940, he changed his name to Li Bian and renamed the state Tang (historians would refer to it as "Southern Tang"). Thus, the Southern Tang began as an empire, however under Li Jing, after 959 and the defeat of the Southern Tang by the Later Zhou, it was no longer diplomatically possible to claim the title of emperor in facing other states, thus he assumed the title of king.

The state was at first relatively large and prosperous compared to the other Ten States of that period. Li Bian's rule was comparatively stable and prosperous.

Li Jing took over when his father Li Bian died in 943.

Inside the Qinling (欽陵) Mausoleum of Emperor Liezu. Zutang Mountains, Jiangning District, Nanjing

Pottery Dancers. 943 CE. From tomb of Li Bian, founder of Southern Tang dynasty

The Southern Tang was able to expand its holdings far beyond those of its Wu Kingdom predecessor. It took advantage of a rebellion in the Empire of Min when the northwest revolted and set up the Kingdom of Yin. Min appealed for help, but instead of helping, the Southern Tang absorbed parts of the rebellious territory into its own. Then, by 945, the Southern Tang completed its conquest of the Min Kingdom and absorbed it into its own boundaries.

As with the Min, the Southern Tang was able to take advantage of internal squabbles within Chu to expand its territory even further. The Southern Tang sent in an army in 951 and removed the ruling family to their own capital in Nanjing, and annexed the territory.

However, Li Jing suffered a setback from the Later Zhou between 956 and 958, and ceded all of its land north of the Yangtze River. Li Jing became a vassal of the Later Zhou.

The last ruler, Li Yu (Li Houzhu), took over the state upon the death of his father in 961. The Song dynasty had conquered the northern part of the state located in Huainan, and thus Li Yu reigned no longer as an emperor but as the Ruler of the State of Jiangnan (Jiangnan guozhu 江南國主). Li Yu managed to maintain a semi-independent status of vassal of the Song but had to finally surrender after fighting for almost a year in 975. He was taken to the Song capital in Kaifeng where he offered his formal surrender to the Song emperor in early 976.

Coinage

Main article: Southern Tang coinage

A Tangguo Tongbao (唐國通寶) cash coin with its inscription written in regular script.

It is possible that Xu Zhigao cast a cash coin with the inscription Daqi Tongbao (大唐通寶) while the state still had its original name of Great Qi though the cash coins of preceding dynasties were still strong in circulation, under the reign of Li Jing cash coins were produced with the inscriptions Baoda Yuanbao (保大元寶), Yongtong Quanhuo (永通泉貨), Datang Tongbao (大唐通寶), and Tangguo Tongbao (唐國通寶). The latter two series were produced as "matched coins" where the same inscription was used but different fonts of Chinese calligraphy were used simultaneously while these cash coins all retained the same sizes and weights. Under Li Yu cash coins were cast with the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寶) was used in clerical and seal scripts and was based on a Tang dynasty era cash coin of the same inscription.

The Southern Tang mint was also the first mint in Chinese history to issue vault protector coins, these special coins served like numismatic charms and were hung in the treasury's spirit hall for offerings to the gods of the Chinese pantheon, and Vault Protector coins would be hung with red silk and tassels for the Chinese God of Wealth.

Rulers

Sovereigns in Southern Tang Kingdom 937–975

Temple Names	Posthumous Names	Personal Names	Period of Reigns	Reign periods and dates
Convention for this kingdom only : Nan (Southern) Tang + posthumous names. Hou Zhu was referred to as Li Hou Zhu (李後主 Lǐ Hòu Zhǔ)
Liè Zǔ or Xian Zhu (先主 Xiān Zhǔ)	Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign	李昪 Lǐ Biàn	937–943	Shengyuan (昇元 Shēng Yuán) 937–943
Yuan Zong or Zhong Zhu (中主 Zhōng Zhǔ)	Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign	李璟 Lǐ Jǐng	943–961	Baoda (保大 Bǎo Dà) 943–958 Jiaotai (交泰 Jiāo Tài) 958 Zhongxing (中興 Zhōng Xīng) 958
Hou Zhu (後主 Hòu Zhǔ) or Wu Wang (吳王 Wú Wáng)	None	李煜 Lǐ Yù	961–975	(Under Li Yu, the Southern Tang did not have its own titles for reign periods)

Southern Tang and Wu rulers family tree

Southern Tang and Wu

– Wu emperors;   – Southern Tang emperors Yang Xingmi 杨行密 874–905 Taizu 太祖 902–905 Xu Wen 徐溫 862–927 Yizu 義祖 Yang Wo 杨渥 886–908 Liezu 烈祖 (905–)907–908 Yang Longyan 897–920 Gaozu 高祖 908–920 Yang Pu 杨溥 900–938 Ruidi 睿帝 920–937 Li Bian 李昪 888–943 Liezu 烈祖 937–943 Xú Zhīxùn (elder) 徐知訓 d. 918 Xú Zhīxùn (younger) 徐知詢 d. 934 Kang of Donghai 東海康王 Yang Lian 杨琏 d. 940 Jing of Hongnong 弘農靖王 Princess Yongxing 永兴公主 917–940 Princess Shangrao 上饶公主 d. 937 Xu Jingqian 徐景遷 919–937 Ding of Chu 楚定王 Li Jing 李璟 916–961 Yuanzong 元宗 943–961 Li Jingsui 李景遂 920–958 Cr. Prince Wencheng 文成太弟 Li Jingda 李景達 924–971 Cr. Prince Zhaoxiao 昭孝太弟 Li Yu 李煜 937–978 Houzhu 后主 961–975

See also

• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
• Suppression of the Southern Tang

References

Sources

• Kurz, Johannes L. (2011). China's Southern Tang Dynasty (937-976). Routledge. ISBN 9780415454964.
• Mote, F. W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 0674012127.
• Wu, John C. H. (1972). The Four Seasons of Tang Poetry. Charles E. Tuttle. ISBN 978-0804801973.

External links

• Chinaknolwedge.de
• China.org.cn