Song | ||||||||||
宋 | ||||||||||
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Liu Song dynasty colored in gray, covering majority of Southern China.
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Capital | Jiankang | |||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
Emperor | ||||||||||
• | 420–422 | Emperor Wu | ||||||||
• | 424–453 | Emperor Wen | ||||||||
• | 453–464 | Emperor Xiaowu | ||||||||
• | 465–472 | Emperor Ming | ||||||||
• | 473–477 | Emperor Houfei | ||||||||
• | 477–479 | Emperor Shun | ||||||||
History | ||||||||||
• | Established | 7 July 420 | ||||||||
• | Disestablished | 31 May 479 | ||||||||
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Today part of |
The Liu Song dynasty (simplified Chinese: 刘宋朝; traditional Chinese: 劉宋朝; pinyin: Liú Sòng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Liu Sung Ch'ao), also known as Former Song (前宋) (420-479 CE), was first of the four Southern Dynasties in China, succeeding the Eastern Jin and followed by the Southern Qi.
The dynasty was founded by Liu Yu (劉裕) (363–422), whose surname together with "Song" forms the most commonly used name for the dynasty, the Liu Song . This appellation is used to distinguish it from a later dynasty of the same name, the Song dynasty (960–1279, whose ruling family was ), which is better known and more significant. The Liu Song is also at times referred to as the "Southern Song" (南宋), as it is one of the Southern Dynasties period, i.e., one of those with its capital at Jiankang (modern Nanjing). However, the later Song dynasty, after 1127, when it moved its capital south to Lin'an (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang), is most commonly referred to as "Southern Song" (南宋). Thus, for the shorter dynasty which is the subject of this article, "Liu Song" has become the term preferred in most contexts.