Timeline of the Northern and Southern dynasties

See also: Timeline of the Jin dynasty (266–420) and the Sixteen Kingdoms (304–439) and Timeline of the Sui dynasty

China in 460 AD

This is a timeline of the Northern and Southern dynasties in China.

380s

Year	Date	Event
386		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui revives the Tuoba state[1]
		Later Qin: Yao Chang declares himself emperor[1]
387		Later Liang: Lü Guang declares himself Duke of Jiuquan[1]

390s

Year	Date	Event
393		Wei: Conquered by Later Yan[2]
394		Later Qin: Conquers Former Qin[1]
		Later Yan: Conquers Western Yan[1]
395		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui defeats Later Yan at Canhepi (east-northeast of Liangcheng, Inner Mongolia)[1]
396		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui takes Bingzhou from Later Yan[1]
		Emperor Xiaowu of Jin dies and is succeeded by Sima Dezong (Emperor An of Jin)[1]
397		Southern Liang: Tufa Wugu declares himself Prince of Xiping[1]
		Northern Liang: Duan Ye declares himself Duke of Jiankang in Zhangye[1]
398		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui moves his capital to Pingcheng[1]
399		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui declares himself emperor[1]
		Sun En revolts[1]
		Faxian leaves for India[1]

400s

Year	Date	Event
400		Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms): Li Gao declares himself Duke of Liang in Dunhuang[1]
		Western Qin: Submits to Southern Liang and then Later Qin[3]
		Southern Yan: Murong De declares himself emperor in Guanggu[4]
401		Northern Liang: Juqu Mengxun kills Duan Ye and declares himself Duke of Zhangye[4]
402		Huan Xuan sacks Jiankang and Sun En dies, but his lieutenant Lu Xun takes over[4]
403		Later Liang: Surrenders to Later Qin[4]
404		Huan Xuan declares himself emperor and dies the same year[4]
405		Qiao Zong declares himself Prince of Chengdu[4]
407		Xia: Helian Bobo declares himself Heavenly King[4]
		Northern Yan: Gao Yun is set up as heavenly king and replaces Later Yan[4]
409		Western Qin: Revived[3]

410s

Year	Date	Event
410		Liu Yu conquers Southern Yan[4]
411		Rebel Lu Xun dies[4]
412		Faxian returns from India[4]
413		Jin recovers Sichuan and Qiao Zong commits suicide[4]
414		Western Qin: Conquers Southern Liang[4]
416		Jin takes Luoyang from Later Qin[4]
		Huiyuan dies[4]
417		Jin conquers Later Qin and Liu Yu takes Chang'an[4]
418		Jin troops retreat from Chang'an[4]
		Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms): Helian Bobo takes Chang'an[4]
419		Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms): Helian Bobo leaves Chang'an[4]

420s

Year	Date	Event
420		Liu Yu (Emperor Wu of Liu Song) replaces the Jin dynasty with the Song dynasty[5]
421		Northern Liang: Juqu Mengxun conquers Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)[6]
422		Emperor Wu of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Yifu, Emperor Shao of Liu Song[5]
423		Kou Qianzhi sets up the Celestial Master at Pingcheng[5]
424		Emperor Shao of Liu Song is deposed and succeeded by Liu Yilong (Emperor Wen of Liu Song)[5]
426		Northern Wei: Attacks Xia[5]
427		Northern Wei: Takes Chang'an and sacks the Xia capital, Tongwan[5]
428		Xia: Retakes Chang'an[5]

430s

Year	Date	Event
430		Northern Wei: Takes Luoyang from Liu Song
		Western Qin: Abandons Yuanchuan and Fuhan to the Tuyuhun and relocates to Pingliang and Anding[5]
431		Xia: Conquers Western Qin and are in turn conquered by the Tuyuhun[5]
433		Xie Lingyun is killed[5]
434		Northern Wei: Enters a marriage alliance with the Rouran[5]
		Song retakes Hanzhong from Chouchi[5]
435		Northern Wei: Attacks Northern Yan[5]
436		Northern Wei: Conquers Northern Yan, whose sovereign Feng Hong flees to Goguryeo[5]
439		Northern Wei: Conquers Northern Liang; so ends the Sixteen Kingdoms[5]

440s

Year	Date	Event
442		Northern Wei: Tuoba Tao takes part in a Daoist ritual to receive talisman registers[7]
445		Northern Wei: Ge Wu rebels in Guanzhong[7]
446		Northern Wei: Ge Wu dies[7]
		Northern Wei: Cui Hao instigates proscription campaigns against Buddhism[7]
449		Northern Wei: Defeats the Rouran in battle[7]

450s

Year	Date	Event
450		Northern Wei: Cui Hao is killed[7]
		Liu Song launches a campaign against Northern Wei[7]
451		Northern Wei: Tuoba Tao leads his army south to Guabu (southeast of Luhe, Jiangsu)[7]
		Pei Songzhi dies[7]
453		Emperor Wen of Liu Song is killed by Liu Shao, who is killed Liu Jun (Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song)[7]
		Northern Wei: Construction of the Yungang Caves begin[7]
458		Liu Song launches a campaign against Buddhism[7]

460s

Year	Date	Event
464		Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Ziye (Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song)[7]
465		Northern Wei: Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei dies and is succeeded by Tuaba Hong (Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei)[7]
		Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song dies[7]
466		Liu Yu (Emperor Ming of Liu Song) takes power[7]
		Bao Zhao is killed[7]
467		Northern Wei: Conquers territory north and west of the Huai River[7]
469		Northern Wei: Takes Qingzhou and Jizhou (冀州) (north Jiangsu)[7]

470s

Year	Date	Event
471		Northern Wei: Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei abdicates in favor of Yuan Hong (Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei)[7]
472		Emperor Ming of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Yu (Emperor Houfei of Liu Song)[8]
477		Emperor Houfei of Liu Song is killed by Xiao Daocheng and is succeeded by Liu Zhun (Emperor Shun of Liu Song)[8]
479		Xiao Daocheng (Emperor Gao of Southern Qi) replaces Liu Song with the Southern Qi[8]

480s

Year	Date	Event
482		Emperor Gao of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Ze (Emperor Wu of Southern Qi)[8]
485		Northern Wei: The equal-field system is implemented[8]
486		Northern Wei: The Three Chiefs system is implemented[8]

490s

Year	Date	Event
493		Emperor Wu of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Zhaoye[8]
		Northern Wei: Li Chong starts constructions in Luoyang[8]
494		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moves to Luoyang[8]
		Northern Wei: Construction on the Longmen Caves begin[8]
495		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei bans Xianbei language in court[8]
498		Emperor Ming of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Baojuan[8]
499		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei dies and is succeeded by Yuan Ke (Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei)[8]

500s

Year	Date	Event
500		Northern Wei: Conquers territory south of the Huai River[8]
501		Emperor He of Southern Qi is enthroned in Jiangling as a rival to Xiao Baojuan[8]
502		Xiao Baojuan is killed in Jiankang and Xiao Yan kills Emperor He of Southern Qi, founding his own Liang dynasty[8]
504		Northern Wei: Conquers Yiyang[8]
506		Northern Wei: Annexes Chouchi[9]
507		Northern Wei: Is defeated by Liang dynasty at Zhongli (northeast of Fengyang, Anhui)[8]

510s

Year	Date	Event
512		Northern Wei: Loses Qushan (southwest of Lianyungang, Jiangsu) to Liang dynasty[10]
518		Northern Wei: Song Yun departs for the Western Regions[10]

520s

Year	Date	Event
520		Northern Wei: Yujiulü Anagui takes shelter[10]
522		Northern Wei: Song Yun returns from India with 170 Buddhist sutras[10]
523		Northern Wei: The Six Frontier Towns rebel under Poliuhan Baling[10]
525		Northern Wei: Yujiulü Anagui defeats Poliuhan Baling[10]
		Northern Wei: Du Luozhou rebels in north Hebei[10]
526		Northern Wei: Ge Rong rebels in north Hebei[10]
527		Northern Wei: Xiao Baoyin rebels in Guanzhong and kills Li Daoyuan[10]
528		Northern Wei: Erzhu Rong kills Yuan Zhao and enthrones Yuan Ziyou (Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei)[10]
		Northern Wei: Ge Rong is defeated[10]
529		Emperor Wu of Liang enters the Tongtai Monastery[10]

530s

Year	Date	Event
530		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei kills Erzhu Rong but is killed by Erzhu Zhao[10]
532		Northern Wei: Gao Huan enthrones Yuan Xiu (Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei)[10]
533		Northern Wei: Erzhu Zhao kills himself[10]
534		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei escapes to Chang'an[10]
		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan sets up Yuan Shanjian as Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei[10]
535		Western Wei: Yuwen Tai kills Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei and enthrones Yuan Baoju (Emperor Wen of Western Wei)[11]
536		Tao Hongjing dies[11]
		Eastern Wei: Chan Buddhism founder Bodhidharma dies[11]
537		Battle of Shayuan: Yuwen Tai defeats Gao Huan[11]

540s

Year	Date	Event
541		Lý Bôn rebels and attacks Liang officials[12]
543		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan defeats Yuwen Tai at Luoyang[11]
544		Lý Bôn establishes the Early Lý dynasty and becomes Lý Nam Đế (Southern Emperor)[12]
545		Chen Baxian drives Lý Nam Đế into the mountains, where he is eventually killed, but resistance continues under Lý Thiên Bảo[12]
547		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan dies and Hou Jing defects to Liang dynasty[11]
548		Hou Jing rebels in Shouyang and lays siege to Jiankang[11]
549		Hou Jing seizes Taicheng[11]
		Emperor Wu of Liang dies and is succeeded by Xiao Gang (Emperor Jianwen of Liang)[11]
		Xiao Cha defects to Western Wei[11]
		Eastern Wei: Conquers area south of the Huai River[11]

550s

Year	Date	Event
550		Western Wei: Conquers area east of the Han River (Hubei)[11]
		Northern Qi: Gao Yang (Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi) replaces Eastern Wei with Northern Qi and conquers areas east of Luoyang[11]
		The fubing system is introduced[11]
551		Hou Jing kills Emperor Jianwen of Liang and declares himself emperor[11]
552		Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian take Jiankang[13]
		Hou Jing is killed[13]
		Xiao Ji declares himself emperor in Jiangling[13]
553		Xiao Ji is killed by Emperor Yuan of Liang's generals[13]
		Western Wei: Conquers Sichuan[13]
		Northern Qi: Rouran submit after behind being defeated by Turks[13]
554		Emperor Yuan of Liang is captured by Western Wei and killed[13]
555		Western Liang: Xiao Cha declares himself emperor in Jiangling[13]
		Wang Sengbian sets up Xiao Yuanming but Chen Baxian kills Sengbian and sets up Xiao Fangzhi (Emperor Jing of Liang)[13]
556		Northern Qi: Attack on Jiankang fails[13]
		Western Wei: Yuwen Tai dies[13]
557		Northern Zhou: Yuwen Hu replaces Western Wei with Northern Zhou[13]
		Chen Baxian replaces the Liang dynasty with the Chen dynasty[13]
558		Western Liang: Takes Changsha and Wuling[13]
559		Chen Baxian dies and is succeeded by Chen Qian (Emperor Wen of Chen)[13]

560s

Year	Date	Event
560		Northern Zhou: Yuwen Hu kills Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou and sets up Yuwen Yong (Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou)[13]
		Northern Qi: Gao Yan (Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi) ousts Emperor Fei of Northern Qi and sets himself up as emperor[13]
561		Northern Zhou: North Hubei is lost to the Chen dynasty[13]
		Northern Qi: Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi dies and is succeeded by Gao Zhan (Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi)[13]
565		Northern Qi: An attack by Northern Zhou is repulsed[14]
		Northern Qi: Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi abdicates to Gao Wei[14]
566		Emperor Wen of Chen dies and is succeeded by Chen Bozong (Emperor Fei of Chen)[14]
568		Emperor Fei of Chen is deposed[14]
569		Chen Xu (Emperor Xuan of Chen) takes power[14]

570s

Year	Date	Event
570		Chen dynasty establishes trade relations with the Early Lý dynasty[12]
572		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou kills Yuwen Hu[14]
573		Northern Qi: Loses areas north of the Changjiang to the Chen dynasty, including the Huai River valley[14]
574		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou launches proscription against Buddhism[14]
575		Northern Qi: Forces are defeated by Chen dynasty at Lüliang[14]
		Northern Zhou: Attacks Northern Qi[14]
576		Northern Zhou: Takes Jinyang[14]
577		Northern Zhou: Annexes Northern Qi[14]
578		Northern Zhou: Repulses a Chen attack on Pengcheng and captures Wu Mingche[14]
		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou dies and is succeeded by Yuwen Yun (Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou)[14]
579		Northern Zhou: Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou abdicates to Yuwen Chan (Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou)[14]

580s

Year	Date	Event
580		Northern Zhou: Seizes area north of the Changjiang[14]
		Northern Zhou: Yang Jian becomes de facto holder of power[14]
		Northern Zhou: Yuchi Jiong and Wang Qian rebel but fail[14]
581		Sui dynasty: Yang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui) replaces the Northern Zhou with the Sui dynasty[15]
582		Emperor Xuan of Chen dies and is succeeded by Chen Shubao[15]
583		Sui dynasty: Emperor Wen of Sui moves into Daxingcheng (Xi'an, Shaanxi) and abolishes the commanderies while promulgating the Kaihuang Code[15]
584		Sui dynasty: Digs the Guangtong Canal[14]
587		Sui dynasty: Annexes Western Liang[15]
588		Sui dynasty: Launches expedition against the Chen dynasty[15]
589		Sui dynasty: Takes Jiankang and annexes the Chen dynasty; so ends the Northern and Southern dynasties[15]

Gallery

• 
  Liu Song
• 
  Northern Wei in 464 AD
• 
  Korea in 476 AD
• 
  497 AD
• 
  Uprisings of Northern Wei (523–528)
• 
  541 AD
• 
  562 AD
• 
  572 AD
• 
  Korea in 576 AD

References

1. Xiong 2009, p. xcvii.
2. Xiong 2009, p. 123.
3. Xiong 2009, p. 547.
4. Xiong 2009, p. xcviii.
5. Xiong 2009, p. xcix.
6. Xiong 2009, p. 273.
7. Xiong 2009, p. c.
8. Xiong 2009, p. ci.
9. Xiong 2009, p. 414.
10. Xiong 2009, p. cii.
11. Xiong 2009, p. ciii.
12. Taylor 2013.
13. Xiong 2009, p. civ.
14. Xiong 2009, p. cv.
15. Xiong 2009, p. cvi.

Bibliography

• Crespigny, Rafe (2007), A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD), Brill
• Taylor, K.W. (2013), A History of the Vietnamese, Cambridge University Press
• Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2009), Historical Dictionary of Medieval China, United States of America: Scarecrow Press, Inc., ISBN 978-0810860537