Later Jin Dynasty (Five Dynasties)

"Note that there are four periods of Chinese history using the name "Jin" (see clarification here.)"

Infobox Former Country
native_name = 晉
conventional_long_name = Jin
common_name = Later Jin Dynasty (Five Dynasties)|
continent = Asia
region = China
country = China
era = Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
status = Empire
status_text =
empire =
government_type = Monarchy|
year_start = 936
year_end = 947|
event_start = Established
date_start = 936
event_end = Ended by Liao
date_end = 950|
event1 =
date_event1 =
event2 =
date_event2 =
event3 =
date_event3 =
event4 =
date_event4 = |
p1 = Later Tang Dynasty
s1 = Later Han Dynasty (Five Dynasties)
s2 = Liao_Dynasty|


image_map_caption = |
capital = Kaifeng
latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW= |
national_motto =
national_anthem =
common_languages = Chinese
religion = Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion
currency = Chinese cash, Chinese coin, copper coins etc.|
leader1 = Emperor Gaozu
leader2 = Emperor Chudi
year_leader1 = 936-942
year_leader2 = 942-947
title_leader = Emperor|
stat_year1 =
stat_area1 =
stat_pop1 =
stat_year2 =
stat_area2 =
stat_pop2 =
stat_year3 =
stat_area3 =
stat_pop3 =
stat_year4 =
stat_area4 =
stat_pop4 =
stat_year5 =
stat_area5 =
stat_pop5 =
footnotes =

The Later Jìn (Simplified Chinese: 后晋; Traditional Chinese: 後晉; Pinyin: Hòu Jìn) (936-947) was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Shi Jingtang, posthumously known as Gaozu of Later Jin. Note that there are four periods of Chinese history using the name "Jin" (see clarification here).

Founding of the Later Jin

The first of the Shatuo Turk dynasties was founded in 923 by Li Cunxu, the son of the great Shatuo Turk chieftain Li Keyong. Called the Later Tang Dynasty, it extended Shatuo Turk domains from their base in Shanxi to most of northern China, and into Sichuan. After Li Cunxu’s death, his adopted son, Li Siyuan became emperor. However, the relationship with the Khitan, which was vital to the rise of the Shatuo Turks to power, had soured.

Shi Jingtang, son-in-law of Li Cunxu, rebelled against him, and with the help of the Khitan, declared himself emperor the Later Jin Dynasty in 936.

Territorial Extant

The Later Jin Dynasty held essentially the same territories as the Later Tang Dynasty, except for Sichuan in the southwest, which was lost by Later Tang in its waning years (as the region became independent as Later Shu).

The other major exception was a region known as the Sixteen Prefectures. By this time in history, the Khitan had formed the Liao Empire out of their steppe base. They had also become a major power broker in northern China. They forced the Later Jin to cede the strategic “Sixteen Prefectures” to the Liao. Consisting of a region about 70 to 100 miles wide and including modern-day Beijing and points westward, it was considered a highly strategic region, and gave the Liao even more influence in northern China.

Relations with the Khitan

The Later Jin had often been criticized for being a puppet of the emerging Liao empire. The help of their powerful northern neighbors was vital in the formation of the Later Jin Dynasty, and the cession of the Sixteen Prefectures led to their derision as being the servants of the Khitan.

However, after the death of the founder of the dynasty, Shi Jingtang, Emperor Shi Chonggui defied the Khitan, resulting in the latter invading the territory of the Later Jin in 946 and 947, resulting in the destruction of the Later Jin Dynasty.

Rulers of the Later Jin

References

*cite book|title=|author=Mote, F.W.|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1999