Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Southern Tang Kingdom - 937 to 975 - 38 Years

Founding of the Southern Tang Kingdom Southern Tang (also referred to as Nantang) was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian (a.k.a. Xu Zhigao) deposed the emperor Yang Pu.

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. In 940, he changed his name back to Li Bian and renamed the state to Tang (history would refer to it as Southern Tang). Li Jing took over when his father Li Bian died in 943.

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

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 Kingdom 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 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 Ma family had internal squabbles. The Southern Tang sent in an army in 951 and removed the ruling family to their own capital in Nanjing, and absorbed the territory. However, Li Jing suffered a setback from the Later Zhou Dynasty between 956 and 958, and ceded away all of its land north of the Yangtze River. Li Jing became a vassal of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Fall of the Southern Tang Kingdom Li Houzhu (a.k.a Li Yu) took over Southern Tang from his father upon his death in 961. Li Houzhu was more interested in poetry than ruling. After surrendering to the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Houzhu was taken to the Song capital. Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the Northern Song Dynasty.