Southern Tang
| Great Qi / Great Tang / Jiangnan | ||||||||||
| 大齊 / 大唐 / 江南 | ||||||||||
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| Capital |
Jinling (briefly Nanchang) |
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| Languages | Middle Chinese | |||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
| Emperor/King | ||||||||||
| • | 937-943 | Emperor Liezu | ||||||||
| • | 943-961 | Emperor Yuanzong | ||||||||
| • | 961-976 | King of Jiangnan | ||||||||
| Historical era | Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period | |||||||||
| • | Coup d'etat | 937 937 | ||||||||
| • | Renamed from "Qi" to "Tang" | 939 | ||||||||
| • | Became a vassal of Later Zhou | 958 | ||||||||
| • | Renamed from "Tang" to "Jiangnan" | 971 | ||||||||
| • | Surrendered to Song | 976 976 | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
 China
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Southern Tang (Chinese: 南唐; pinyin: Nán Táng; also referred to as Nantang), later known as Jiangnan (江南), was one of the Ten Kingdoms in Southern China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937–976. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian (a.k.a. Xu Zhigao) deposed the emperor Yang Pu.
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.
Southern Tang was conquered in 976 by the Song Dynasty.
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). Thus, the Southern Tang began as an empire, however under Li Jing it was no longer diplomatically possible to claim the title of emperor in facing other states, thus he assumed the title of king instead, thus technically lowering the political status of the realm.
The state was at first relatively large and prosperous compared to the other Ten States of that period. Li Bian's rule was comparatively stable and prosperous.
Li Jing took over when his father Li Bian died in 943.
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Wikipedia