Liang dynasty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liang 梁
502–557
Liang alongside Western Wei and Eastern Wei after 534.
Capital	Jiankang (502–552, 555–557) Jiangling (552–555)
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 502–549	Emperor Wu of Liang
• 549–551	Emperor Jianwen of Liang
• 552–555	Emperor Yuan of Liang
History
• Established	30 April 502
• Jiankang's fall to Hou Jing	24 April 549
• Jiangling's fall to Western Wei	7 January 555
• Emperor Jing's yielding the throne to Chen Baxian	16 November 557
• Disestablished	16 November 557
Currency	Chinese cash coins (Taiqing Fengle cash coins)
Preceded by Succeeded by Southern Qi Chen dynasty Northern Qi Western Wei Western Liang (555–587)
Today part of	China Vietnam

History of China
ANCIENT
Neolithic c. 8500 – c. 2070 BCE
Xia dynasty c. 2070 – c. 1600 BCE
Shang dynasty c. 1600 – c. 1046 BCE
Zhou dynasty c. 1046 – 256 BCE
Western Zhou
Eastern Zhou
Spring and Autumn
Warring States
IMPERIAL
Qin dynasty 221–206 BCE
Han dynasty 206 BCE – 220 CE
Western Han
Xin dynasty
Eastern Han
Three Kingdoms 220–280
Wei, Shu and Wu
Jin dynasty 265–420
Western Jin
Eastern Jin	Sixteen Kingdoms
Southern and Northern Dynasties 420–589
Sui dynasty 581–618
Tang dynasty 618–907
(Wu Zhou interregnum 690–705)
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907–960	Liao dynasty 907–1125
Song dynasty 960–1279
Northern Song		W. Xia
Southern Song	Jin
Yuan dynasty 1271–1368
Ming dynasty 1368–1644
Qing dynasty 1644–1911
MODERN
Republic of China 1912–1949
People's Republic of China 1949–present	Republic of China on Taiwan 1949–present
Related articles Chinese historiography Timeline of Chinese history Dynasties in Chinese history Linguistic history Art history Economic history Education history Science and technology history Legal history Media history Military history Naval history

The Liang dynasty (Chinese: 梁朝; pinyin: Liáng Cháo) was an important period in Chinese history. It was also known as the Southern Liang or Xiao Liang. This dynasty was the third of four "Southern dynasties" during a time called the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It started after the Southern Qi dynasty and was followed by the Chen dynasty. A smaller part of the Liang dynasty, called Western Liang, lasted until the year 587.

The Liang Dynasty: A Time of Change

The Liang dynasty ruled parts of China from 502 to 557 CE. It was a time of both cultural growth and political challenges. Many important events shaped the future of China during this period.

Key Events and Rulers

The Liang dynasty saw several emperors and many power struggles. Let's look at some of the main events.

The Hou Jing Rebellion

In 548, a prince named Hou Jing started a big rebellion. He joined forces with Xiao Zhengde, who was a nephew of the ruling Emperor Wu of Liang. Hou Jing managed to take control of the capital city, Jiankang, in 549. He put Emperor Wu under house arrest, meaning the emperor was held captive in his own home.

Emperor Wu died in 550. Hou Jing then made Emperor Wu's son, Crown Prince Gang, the new emperor. However, Emperor Jianwen was also kept under house arrest. Hou Jing tried to control everyone who didn't agree with him.

Struggles Among Princes

While Hou Jing was in power, the Liang princes fought among themselves. They should have worked together to defeat Hou Jing. Instead, they weakened each other. For example, Xiao Yi, one of Emperor Wu's sons, fought against his own relatives. These fights sometimes led to princes asking for help from other kingdoms, like Western Wei or Northern Qi.

The End of Hou Jing's Rule

In 551, Hou Jing forced Emperor Jianwen to give up his throne. Then, Hou Jing killed Emperor Jianwen. Hou Jing tried to start his own new dynasty called Han. But in 552, another Liang prince, Xiao Yi, defeated Hou Jing. Xiao Yi then became the new emperor, known as Emperor Yuan of Liang. He moved the capital to Jiangling.

The Fall of Liang

The relationship between Emperor Yuan and the Western Wei kingdom became very bad. In 555, the Western Wei army attacked Jiangling. They captured Emperor Yuan and killed him and his sons. Western Wei then put Xiao Cha on the throne as the emperor of a smaller "Western Liang" state.

Meanwhile, in Jiankang, Liang generals tried to crown Xiao Fangzhi, the only living son of Emperor Yuan, as the new emperor. But the Northern Qi army interfered. Eventually, a general named Chen Baxian took control. He made Xiao Fangzhi the emperor, known as Emperor Jing of Liang.

In 557, Chen Baxian started his own powerful dynasty, the Chen dynasty. This marked the official end of the main Liang dynasty. The small Western Liang state continued until 587, when it was conquered by the Sui dynasty. Later, in 617, another member of the Liang royal family, Xiao Xian, tried to bring back the Liang dynasty, but his kingdom was also defeated.

Art and Culture

The Liang dynasty was a rich period for Chinese art and literature. Many important works were created during this time.

Famous Paintings

One very special artwork from this period is the Portraits of Periodical Offering of Liang. This painting was made by Emperor Yuan of Liang himself in the 6th century. It shows foreign ambassadors who visited China to pay tribute. The original painting is lost, but a copy from the Song dynasty (11th century) still exists. It is kept at the National Museum of China.

The painting shows ambassadors from many different places. These include people from Persia, Korea, Japan, and other regions. It helps us understand how China connected with other parts of the world back then.

The Portraits of Periodical Offering of Liang with descriptions on the back of each ambassador. Song dynasty copy of Liang dynasty original from 526-539 CE, in the National Museum of China.

Ancient Tombs and Statues

Many tombs of the Liang dynasty's royal family can still be found near Nanjing. These tombs often have amazing stone statues. The best example is the tomb of Xiao Xiu, who was a brother of Emperor Wu. His tomb has large, impressive statues that show the art style of the Liang dynasty. These statues often include mythical creatures like the bixie, which looks like a winged lion.

• Tombs of the Liang Dynasty
• 

  A turtle-borne stele and a pillar; tomb of Xiao Hong

• 

  A turtle-borne stele; tomb of Xiao Dan

• 

  A bixie (winged lion); tomb of Xiao Hui

• 

  A bixie near the tomb of Xiao Jing, widely regarded as Nanjing's icon

• 

  A stele-bearing turtle; tomb of Xiao Xiu

• 

  Two bixies near the tomb of Xiao Zhengli

Important Writings

The Liang dynasty is known for having many written works that still exist today. These include official histories of earlier dynasties, like the Book of Song. There was also a famous poetry collection called Wenxuan. Another important work was Wenxin diaolong, which discussed how literature should be written. These texts help us understand the thoughts and ideas of people from that time.

Emperors of Liang

The Liang dynasty had several emperors during its rule. Here is a list of the main emperors:

Rulers' family tree

See also

SASANIAN
EMPIRE

BYZANTINE
EMPIRE

NORTHERN
WEI

LIANG

Alchon
Huns

Nezaks

Tocharians

GUPTA
EMPIRE

HEPHTHALITE
EMPIRE

JUAN-JUAN KHAGANATE

Gaoju Turks

The Liang dynasty and contemporary Central, South and West Asian polities c. 500 CE.

• King of Liang
• Chen dynasty
• Book of Liang
• History of Northern Dynasties
• History of Southern Dynasties
• Zizhi Tongjian