JIN DYNASTY (265–420)

(Redirected from Western Jin Dynasty)

The 'Jìn Dynasty' (; 265420), 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 (司馬 pinyin: Sīmǎ). 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.

Contents
History
Figure
Sovereigns of Jìn Dynasty
Major events
See also
External links

History


The first of the two periods, the 'Western Jìn Dynasty' (ch: 西晉, 265316), was founded by Emperor Wu, better known as Sima Yan. Although providing a brief period of unity after conquering the Kingdom of Wu in AD 280, the Jìn 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 Jìn court fled from the north to the south and reestablished the Jìn 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 Jìn Dynasty' (ch: 東晉 317420) when the news of the fall of Chang'an reached the south. (Because the emperors of the Eastern Jìn Dynasty came from the Langye line, the rival Wu Hu states which did not recognize its legitimacy would at times refer to Jìn 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




Jar of the Western Jìn, with Buddhist figures.



Sovereigns of Jìn Dynasty


Posthumous namesFamily name and given namesDurations of reignsEra names and their according range of years
''Chinese convention: "Jìn" + posthumous name + "di"''
'Western Jìn Dynasty 265316'
WuSima Yan265290
★ ''Taishi'' 265274
★ ''Xianning'' 275280
★ ''Taikang'' 280289
★ ''Taixi'' January 28, 290May 17, 290
HuiSima Zhong290307
★ ''Yongxi'' May 17, 290February 15, 291
★ ''Yongping'' February 16April 23, 291
★ ''Yuankang'' April 24, 291February 6, 300
★ ''Yongkang'' February 7, 300February 3, 301
★ ''Yongning'' June 1, 301January 4303
★ ''Taian'' January 5, 303February 21, 304
★ ''Yongan'' February 22August 15, 304; December 25, 304February 3, 305
★ ''Jianwu'' August 16December 24, 304
★ ''Yongxing'' February 4, 305July 12, 306
★ ''Guangxi'' July 13, 306February 19, 307
noneSima Lun301
★ ''Jianshi'' February 3June 1, 301
HuaiSima Chi307311
★ ''Yongjia'' 307313
MinSima Ye313316
★ ''Jianxing'' 313317
'Eastern Jìn Dynasty 317420'
YuanSima Rui317323
★ ''Jianwu'' 317318
★ ''Taixing'' 318322
★ ''Yongchang'' 322323
MingSima Shao323325
★ ''Taining'' 323326
ChengSima Yan325342
★ ''Xianhe'' 326335
★ ''Xiankang'' 335342
KangSima Yue342344
★ ''Jianyuan'' 343344
MuSima Dan344361
★ ''Yonghe'' 345357
★ ''Shengping'' 357361
AiSima Pi361365
★ ''Longhe'' 362363
★ ''Xingning'' 363365
FeiSima Yi365372
★ ''Taihe'' 365372
JianwenSima Yu372
★ ''Xianan'' 372373
XiaowuSima Yao372396
★ ''Ningkang'' 373375
★ ''Taiyuan'' 376396
AnSima Dezong396419
★ ''Longan'' 397402
★ ''Yuanxing'' 402405
★ ''Yixi'' 405419
GongSima Dewen419420
★ ''Yuanxi'' 419420

Jìn era horseman (jar detail).

Jìn era Buddha image (jar detail).

Major events



War of the Eight Princes

Wu Hu ravaging

Battle of Fei

Butterfly Lovers

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



Chinese History, the Jin Dynasty 晉

Largest Jin Dynasty Tomb Discovered in NW China

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