Southern and Northern Dynasties

The Dynasties of the South and North were another lengthy period of disunity and internal strife for China. It lasted from 317-589A.D. During this time period, the north and south were split and two separate successions of dynasties formed. In both the north and the south, there were different groups of rulers. Many of the dynasties overlapped each other in terms of time. 

The northern dynasties consisted of the Northern Wei (386-533A.D.), the Eastern Wei (534-550A.D.), the Western Wei (535-557A.D.), the Northern Qi (550-577A.D.) and the Northern Zhou (557-588). The southern dynasties consisted of the Song (420-478 A.D.), the Qi (479-501 A.D.), the Liang (502-556 A.D.) and the Chen (557-588 A.D.). 

In the north especially, Buddhism flourished. This was due partly to the fact that the nobles who had been the main followers of Confucianism moved south. The tenets of Buddhism appealed to the country people for a number of reasons, but especially because of Buddhism's promise of an afterlife, which is nonexistent in Confucianism. The poor who had suffered under the wealthy were offered hope in Buddhism's reincarnation to a better life if one lived their current life well. This meant the nobles who had oppressed them would come back to a harder life and they would come back to a better life. Another factor in the spread of Buddhism was China was ruled by non-Chinese, who were not already committed to the Confucian religion or the traditional shamanistic religions of China.

Emperors of the Southern Dynasties

Posthumous Names

Born Names

Period of Reigns

Era  Names     

Range of years

Liu Song Dynasty (420-479)

 Wu Di            

武帝

Liu Yu

劉裕

420-422   

Yongchu

永初

420-422

Shao Di

少帝

Liu Yi Fu                                             

劉義符

423-424

Jingping                                                  

景平

423-424

Wen Di

文帝

Liu

Yi Long

劉義隆

424-453

Yuanjia

元嘉

424-453

Xiao Wu Di

孝武帝

Liu Jun

劉駿

454-464

Xiaojian

孝建

454-456

Daming

大明

457-464

Qian Fei Di

前廢帝

Liu Zi Ye

劉子業

465

Yongguang

永光

465

Jinghe

景和

465

Ming Di

明帝

Liu Yu

劉彧

465-472

Taishi

泰始

465-471

Taiyu

泰豫

472

Hou Fei Di

後廢帝

Liu Yu

劉昱

473-477

Yuanhui

元徽

473-477

Shun Di

順帝

Liu Zhun

劉準

477-479

Shengming

昇明

477-479

Southern Qi Dynasty 479-502

Gao Di

高帝

Xiao Dao Cheng

蕭道成

479-482

Jianyuan

建元

479-482

Wu Di

武帝

Xiao Ze

蕭賾

483-493

Yongming

永明

483-493

Yu Lin Wang

鬱林王

Xiao Zhaoye

蕭昭業

494

Longchang

隆昌

494

Hai Ling Wang

海陵王

Xiao Zhao

wen

蕭昭文

494

Yanxing

延興

494

Ming Di

明帝

Xiao Luan

蕭鸞

494-498

Jianwu

建武

494-498

Yongtai

永泰

498

Dong Hun Hou

東昏侯

Xiao Baojuan

蕭寶卷

499-501

Yongyuan

永元

499-501

He Di

和帝

Xiao Bao

Rong

蕭寶融

501-502

Zhongxing

中興

501-502

Liang Dynasty 502-557

Wu Di

武帝

Xiao Yan

蕭衍

502-549

Tianjian

天監

502-519

Putong

普通

520-527

Datong

大通

527-529

Zhong

datong

中大通

529-534

Datong

大同

535-546

Zhong

datong

中大同

546-547

Taiqing

太清

547-549

Jian Wen Di

簡文帝

Xiao Gang

蕭綱

549-551

Dabao

大寶

550-551

Yu Zhang Wang

豫章王

Xiao Dong

蕭棟

551-552

Tianzheng

天正

551-552

Yuan Di

元帝

Xiao Yi

蕭繹

552-555

Cheng

sheng

承聖

552-555

Zhen Yang Hou

貞陽侯

Xiao Yuan Ming

蕭淵明

555

Tiancheng

天成

555

Jing Di

敬帝

Xiao Fang Zhi

蕭方智

555-557

Shaotai

紹泰

555-556

Taiping

太平

556-557

Chen Dynasty 557-589

Wu Di

武帝

Chen Ba Xian

陳霸先

557-559

Yongding

永定

557-559

Wen Di

文帝

Chen Qian

陳蒨

560-566

Tianjia

天嘉

560-566

Tiankang

天康

566

Fei Di

廢帝

Chen Bo Zong

陳伯宗

567-568

Guangda

光大

567-568

Xuan Di

宣帝

Chen Xu

陳頊

569-582

Taijian

太建

569-582

Hou Zhu

後主

Chen Shu Bao

陳叔寶

583-589

Zhide

至德

583-586

Zhenming

禎明

587-589

Emperors of the Nan Liang Dynasty 555-587

Temple Names

Posthumous Names

Personal Names

Period of Reigns

Era Names and their relevant range of years

Zhong Zong

中宗

Xuan Di

宣帝

Xiao Cha

蕭察

555-562

Dading (大定) 555-562

Shi Zong

世宗

Xiao Ming Di

孝明帝

Xiao Kui

蕭巋

562-585

Tianbao (天保) 562-585

Did not exist

Xiao Jing Di or Ju Gong

孝靜帝 or莒公

Xiao Cong

蕭琮

585-587

Guangyun (廣運) 562-585

 Emperors of the Northern Dynasties

Posthumous Names   

  Born Names

Period of Reigns

Era Names

range of years

Northern Wei Dynasty 386-535

Dao Wu Di

道武帝

Tuoba Gui

拓拔珪

386-409

Dengguo

登國

386-396

Huangshi

皇始

396-398

Tianxing

天興

398-404

Tianci

天賜

404-409

Ming Yuan Di

明元帝

Tuoba Si

拓拔嗣

409-423

Yongxing

永興

409-413

Shenrui

神瑞

414-416

Taichang

泰常

416-423

Tai Wu Di

太武帝

Tuoba Tao

拓拔燾

424-452

Shiguang

始光

424-428

Shenjia

神加

428-431

Yanhe

延和

432-434

Taiyan

太延

435-440

Taipingzhenjun

太平真君

440-451

Zhengping

正平

451-452

Nan An Wang

南安王

Tuoba Yu

拓拔余

452

Yongping or

Chengping

永平or

承平

452

Wen Cheng Di

文成帝

Tuoba Jun

拓拔濬

452-465

Xingan

興安

452-454

Xingguang

興光

454-455

Taian

太安

455-459

Heping

和平

460-465

Xian Wen Di

獻文帝

Tuoba Hong

拓拔弘

466-471

Tianan

天安

466-467

Huangxing

皇興

467-471

Xiao Wen Di

孝文帝

Yuan Hong

元宏

471-499

Yanxing

延興

471-476

Chengming

承明

476

Taihe

太和

477-499

Xuan Wu Di

宣武帝

Yuan Ke

元恪

500-515

Jingming

景明

500-503

Zhengshi

正始

504-508

Yongping

永平

508-512

Yanchang

延昌

512-515

Xiao Ming Di

孝明帝

Yuan Xu

元詡

516-528

Xiping

熙平

516-518

Shengui

神龜

518-520

Zhengguang

正光

520-525

Xiaochang

孝昌

525-527

Wutai

武泰

528

Xiao Zhuang Di

孝莊帝

Yuan Zi You

元子攸

528-530

Jianyi

建義

528

Yongan

永安

528-530

Chang Guang Wang or Jing Di

長廣王 or敬帝

Yuan Ye

元曄

530-531

Jianming

建明

530-531

Jue Min Di

節閔帝

Yuan Gong

元恭

531-532

Putai

普泰

531-532

An Ding Wang or Chu Di

出帝

Yuan Lang

元朗

531-532

Zhongxing

中興

531-532

Xiao Wu Di

孝武帝

Yuan Xiu

元脩

532-535

Taichang

太昌

532

Yongxing

永興

532

Yongxi

永熙

532-535

Eastern Wei Dynasty 534-550

Xiao Jing Di

孝靜帝

Yuan Shan Jian

元善見

534-550

Tianping

天平

534-537

Yuanxiang

元象

538-539

Xinghe

興和

539-542

Wuding

武定

543-550

Northern Qi Dynasty 550-577

Wen Xuan Di

文宣帝

Gao Yang

高洋

550-559

Tianbao

天保

550-559

Fei Di

廢帝

Gao Yin

高殷

560

Qian Ming

乾明

560

Xiao Zhao Di

孝昭帝

Gao Yan

高演

560-561

Huangjian

皇建

560-561

Wu Cheng Di

武成帝

Gao Zhan

高湛

561-565

Taining

太寧

561-562

Heqing

河清

562-565

Hou Zhu

後主

Gao Wei

高緯

565-577

Tiantong

天統

565-569

Wuping

武平

570-576

Longhua

隆化

576

You Zhu

幼主

Gao Heng

高恆

577

Chengguang

承光

577

Fan Yang Wang

范陽王

Gao Shao Yi

高紹義

577-579?

Did not exist

Western Wei Dynasty 535-556

Wen Di

文帝

Yuan Bao Ju

元寶炬

535-551

Datong    

大統

535-551

Fei Di

廢帝

Yuan Qin

元欽

552-554

Did not exist

Gong Di

恭帝

Yuan Kuo

元廓

554-556

Did not exist

Northern Zhou Dynasty 557-581

Xiao Min Di

孝閔帝

Yuwen Jue

宇文覺

557

Did not exist

Xiao Ming Di

孝明帝

Yuwen Yu

宇文毓

557-560

Wucheng

武成

559-560

Wu Di

武帝

Yuwen Yong

宇文邕

561-578

Baoding

保定

561-565

Tianhe

天和

566-572

Jiande

建德

572-578

Xuanzheng

宣政

578

Xuan Di

宣帝

Yuwen Yun

宇文贇

578-579

Dacheng

大成

579

Jing Di

靜帝

Yuwen Chan

宇文闡

579-581

Daxiang

大象

579-581

Dading

大定

581

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