# Timeline of the Northern and Southern dynasties

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

## 380s

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

## 390s

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

## 400s

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

## 410s

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

## 420s

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

## 430s

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

## 440s

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

## 450s

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

## 460s

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

## 470s

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

## 480s

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

## 490s

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

## 500s

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

## 510s

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

## 520s

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

## 530s

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

## 540s

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

## 550s

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

## 560s

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

## 570s

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

## 580s

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

## 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