The Five Hu Sixteen Kingdoms and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms are all famous chaotic worlds in Chinese history, and the so-called chaotic world generally has three characteristics: first, wars are continuous, and different regimes are at war with each other; second, regimes are constantly changing, and there is no eternally strong regime, because one regime constantly replaces another; third, no one regime can unify the world, and the whole world has always maintained a state of chaos and division, which in turn leads to wars, which in turn leads to wars, which is a vicious circle.
I. The Sixteen Kingdoms of The Five Hu Dynasties (304–439)
The Five Hu sixteen kingdoms were connected to the Western Jin Dynasty and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which lasted for 135 years, counting from the beginning of the establishment of the Chenghan regime by Li Xiong of the Hu people in 304 AD, when the Western Jin Dynasty had not yet perished, and was in the late stage of the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, until the Xianbei regime northern Wei Taiwu Emperor Tuoba Tao destroyed the Northern Liang regime in 439 AD, when the Northern Wei was at its peak, and in this year, the Northern Wei basically unified northern China.
Wuhu inner migration map
Wuhu refers to the five Hu peoples of Xiongnu, Xianbei, Xianbei, Xianbei, Qi, and Qiang, and the Sixteen Kingdoms refers to the sixteen slightly more powerful regimes of Chenghan, Former Liang, Former Zhao, Later Zhao, Northern Liang, Western Liang, Later Liang, Southern Liang, Former Yan, Later Yan, Southern Yan, Northern Yan, Xia, Former Qin, Western Qin, and Later Qin.
Literally, the five Hu peoples established sixteen regimes, but in fact this is not the case, each regime is a hodgepodge, there are Han and Hu people, the ruler has only one main ethnic group, if you look at it in terms of the national attributes of the ruler:
Chenghan, Former Qin, Western Qin, Later Qin, and Later Liang were founded by the Hun people, Former Liang and Xiliang were founded by the Han people, Former Zhao was founded by the Xiongnu, Later Zhao was founded by the Xiongnu people, and Northern Liang was established by the Han people, and later seized power by the Lushui Hu people of the descendants of the Xiongnu.
The Sixteen Kingdoms of The Five Hus are also known as the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty
Southern Liang was founded by the Xianbei Tuoba clan (also known as the Bald Hair Clan), former Yan, Later Yan, and Southern Yan were founded by the Xianbei Murong clan, Northern Yan was also founded by the Xianbei Murong clan, and later seized power by the Han human rights minister Feng Bao, (Hu) Xia was founded by the Xiongnu Beibu Tiefu people, Western Qin was founded by the Xianbei Qifu clan, and Later Qin was established by the Qiang people.
Judging from the ethnic composition of the rulers, the so-called Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms should be precisely the Five Hu and One Han Sixteen Kingdoms, of which there are also two or three Han regimes, and there are some small regimes that have existed for a relatively short time, such as the Ran Wei regime established by the Han people Ran Min, the Shu regime established by the Han people, and the Zhai Wei regime established by the Ding Zero people, adding all the small political powers together, the total number of political powers reached 59.
The reason why it is called the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms is only to take out the 16 regimes and 5 Hu ethnic groups with stronger strength as representatives, most of these regimes are located in the Central Plains and the north, and in the south of the Yangtze River, the opposition to the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms is the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the eastern Jin dynasty existed from 317 to 420, a total of 103 years, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty was later replaced by the Liu Song regime established by Liu Yu.
The Former Qin dynasty once unified the entire north
Therefore, the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms were actually a divided situation of confrontation between the north and the south, the Sixteen Kingdoms in the north fell into civil strife, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the south was not stable and was controlled by the powerful ministers until it was replaced by the Liu Song regime.
2. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-979)
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms followed the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted only 72 years. Beginning with the Han Zhu Wen establishing the Later Liang regime in 907 AD to replace the Tang Dynasty, until 979 AD, when the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi destroyed the last of the Ten Kingdoms, the Northern Han Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty at this time controlled the Central Plains and unified the whole of southern China, the End of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and history entered the confrontation between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty, and soon after the northern Song Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty, and the Western Xia were at the height of the three-legged stage.
The Five Dynasties refer to: the Later Liang regime established by Zhu Wen of the Han Dynasty, the Later Tang regime established by Li Keyong and Li Cunxun of the Shatuo people, the Later Jin regime established by Shi Jingyao of the Shatuo ethnic group, the Later Han regime established by Liu Zhiyuan of the Shatuo ethnic group, the Later Zhou regime established by the Han Guo Wei, and the regime established by the five generations are all located in the core areas of the Central Plains.
Five generations and ten kingdoms
The Ten Kingdoms refers to: Former Shu, Later Shu, Southern Wu (Yang Wu), Southern Tang, Wuyue, Minguo, Southern Chu (Machu), Southern Han, Nanping (Jingnan), Northern Han and other ten divided regimes, all located in remote areas far from the Central Plains. Of the Ten Kingdoms regime, only Liu Chong, the founder of the Northern Han Dynasty, was a Shatuo, and only the Northern Han dynasty was located in the north, and the other nine regimes were all established by the Han and were all located in the south.
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there were also some separatist regimes that existed for a relatively short time or even short-lived, such as the Beiping State, the Yin State, and the Dali State, which were not counted because of their short existence and limited historical impact.
3. Similarities and differences between the Five Hu Sixteen Kingdoms and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
1, Joint points
The first is that no regime can unify the world, and it is still in a state of division after the end of the chaotic world.
Among the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, the Former Qin regime established by the Qi people was the most powerful, and unified the whole of northern China, just when the current Qin monarch Gong Jian launched the Battle of Shuishui to prepare to unify the world, but was defeated by the Eastern Jin Dynasty, this defeat directly led to the newly unified north to split again, and Zhi Jian himself was killed shortly after, and the regime closest to unification during the Sixteen Kingdoms period fell.
The Battle of Shuishui once again divided the north
And the other regimes of the Sixteen Kingdoms, even the north has not been able to unify, let alone the civil war, has always been in a situation of chaos, and the Eastern Jin regime in the south, although relatively strong, does not have the ability and strength to unify the world, so it has been maintained until the Northern Wei unified the north, the Northern Wei, although powerful, but also can unify the entire world, the later Southern and Northern Dynasties also lasted for 179 years, until the Sui Dynasty unified the world.
Among the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou occupied the Central Plains, but they also did not unify the world, and even the situation was not as good as that of the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the northern side of the Five Dynasties had the Liao Dynasty established by the powerful Khitans, and there were Ten Kingdoms regimes in the south, and the Five Dynasties regime had to face both the northern and southern regimes, and its chaotic situation was similar to that of the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and it was unable to unify the world.
Until the Northern Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin established the Northern Song Dynasty, it still failed to unify the world, although it unified the entire south, but failed to retake youzhou sixteen states, still confronted the Liao Dynasty, and later the Western Xia joined the confrontation, forming a situation of three kingdoms, which lasted until the Yuan Dynasty unified China.
Five Generations and Ten Kingdoms Situation Map
The second is that they are all hu and Han, you have me, I have you.
During the Wuhu Chaohua period, although there was a deep contradiction between the Hu people and the Han people, any of the regimes of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms were not a single ethnic group, but a mixture of Hu and Han, such as the Han Zhao (Former Zhao) proposed by Liu Yuan, whose main body was the Xiongnu, in addition, the Shi Le under him was a Xiongnu, and the Later Zhao regime established by Shi Le was mainly a Han person, and there were many Han people under him, his adopted son Ran Liang was a Han, and Ran Liang had a son named Ran Min.
Shi Le's nephew Shi Hu's Sikong Li Nong was Han Chinese, Ran Min's Situ Shenzhong was also Han Chinese, there were many Han Chinese in the Later Zhao regime, and the Ran Wei regime established by Ran Min was split from the Predominantly Later Zhao regime. In addition, there were Qiang and Qiang people under Shi, such as yao Yizhong of qiang and Qiang, who were all under Shi Hu, while Yao Yizhong's son Yao Cang established the Qiang-dominated Later Qin regime, and Yao Hong's grandson Gong Jian established the Former Qin regime.
List of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms
The Former Qin regime was even more ethnic, after the former Qin regime unified the whole of northern China, there were six ethnic groups within the Former Qin regime, namely the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Xianbei, Qiang, and Han, with the Qiang people as the ruling class, after the defeat of the Former Qin in the Battle of Shuishui, Former Qin quickly split, and different forces established political power, which was also Hu Han mixed.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms are also hu and Han mixed, its ethnic composition is not as complicated as the Five Hu period, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms are mainly Tiele and Han, other ethnic groups have integrated into the Han nationality, such as Xianbei, Xiongnu and other ethnic groups, such as the Later Tang regime was established by the Shatuo people Li Keyong, Li Cunxun father and son, Shatuo is a Branch of the Turkic race, and there are also a large number of Han people within its regime, such as the Privy Counsellor Guo Chongtao, Chen Zhou Assassin Shi Huangfuhui and other important generals are Han.
Later, Li Cunxun destroyed the Later Liang regime, which was established by the Han Zhu Wen, and the remnants of his regime were all incorporated by Li Cunxun, further Hu Han Mixed Harmony, most of the five generations of regimes, were Hu Han Mixed Sum, similar to the Five Hu sixteen kingdoms.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Emperor Relationship Diagram
Finally, regimes have not existed for long.
Among the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, Former Zhao existed for 25 years, Later Zhao existed for 33 years, Later Qin existed for 33 years, and Former Qin existed for 43 years, and the Existence of the Former Qin regime is the longest.
Among the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Later Liang regime existed for 16 years, the Later Tang dynasty for 13 years, the Later Jin Dynasty for 11 years, the Later Han Dynasty for 3 years, and the Later Zhou Dynasty for 9 years, which is shorter than the existence of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms.
2. Differences
First of all, the five hu and sixteen countries are characterized by the division and confrontation between the north and the south, the characteristics of the five generations and ten countries are that the five generations occupy the central plains, and the ten countries are divided in remote areas.
During the Period of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, except for the Former Qin regime, which was once strong enough to unify the entire north, the other regimes did not unify the north, that is, they were not strong enough, and they also confronted the north and south of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the sixteen kingdoms were basically in the northern Central Plains, that is, the area north of the Yangtze River.
The Five Hus and Sixteen Kingdoms were divided between north and south
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the five generations of regimes occupied the Central Plains, although they continued to expand outwards, but the five generations of regimes did not exist for a long time, and they failed to successfully expand abroad and perished successively, which was characterized by the center of political power inside, the division of forces outside, showing a state of internal and external separation. However, neither the confrontation between the north and the south, nor the internal and external divisions, have been able to unify the world.
Secondly, the causes of the chaotic world are different, the reason for the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms is the infighting of the ruling class of the Western Jin Dynasty, and then the foreign invasion, the main way of which is the invasion of foreign tribes, and the reason for the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms is that there are many feudal towns in the late Tang Dynasty, and the forces involved in the struggle for the world are the original Tang Dynasty's feudal forces, and their main way is local division.
After the death of Sima Yan, the founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Western Jin Dynasty began to fall into power struggles, first the auxiliary chancellor Yang Jun, then Empress Jia Nanfeng was chaotic, and finally the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, which triggered internecine warfare between the Sima clan and the imperial family, which ended up consuming the Western Jin Dynasty to death.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were divided into local areas
Then the Hu people took advantage of the void and not only destroyed the Western Jin dynasty, the Hu people successively established their own political power in the Central Plains, and the Han regime crossed south to the south of the Yangtze River to establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the two sides confronted each other across the river, forming a period of chaos and division that lasted for hundreds of years.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were formed by the tang dynasty because of the late Tang Dynasty, the central government of the Tang Dynasty was unable to control the situation, the local forces had disobeyed the orders of the central government of the Tang Dynasty, and at the same time triggered the uprising of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, which shook the last rule of the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Wen was originally a general of the Yellow Nest, and later defected to the Tang Dynasty, rose in the Zhenshou Huangchao Uprising, became the most powerful warlord at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and later directly replaced the Tang Dynasty, established the Later Liang, and opened the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
After Zhu Wen replaced the Tang Dynasty, Li Ke used to divide Hedong against Zhu Wen, and after Li Keyong's son Li Cunxun took the throne, he destroyed Later Liang and established the Later Tang regime, and the Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou regimes that appeared later came from within the Later Tang regime.
The founder of the Later Jin dynasty, Shi Jingyao, was a general and son-in-law of the Later Tang monarch Li Siyuan, and Liu Zhiyuan, who established the Later Han dynasty, was also a subordinate general of Li Siyuan, or a close confidant of Shi Jingyao, and the later Zhou founding monarch Guo Wei was a general of the Later Tang chancellor Li Jitao, and later became Liu Zhiyuan's general, all of whom were local forces of the Tang Dynasty, so the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms can be regarded as a scuffle of local forces in the Tang Dynasty.