The Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms is a great period in Chinese history, which occurred between the end of the Western Jin Dynasty and the unification of the north by the Northern Wei Dynasty, from 304 to 439 AD. This period was characterized by a number of nomadic peoples in the north taking advantage of the political turmoil in the Central Plains to establish political power, among which the five main ethnic groups were the Xiongnu, Qian, Xianbei, Di and Qiang, so they were called "Wuhu".
There are a total of 16 of these regimes, including Qianliang, Chenghan, Qianzhao, Houzhao, Qianyan, etc., the name "Sixteen Kingdoms" comes from the book "Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen Kingdoms" written by the Northern Wei historian Cui Hong, which selected the sixteen regimes with greater influence at that time to record, but this does not mean that it is limited to these sixteen countries, in fact, there are far more than sixteen secession regimes in that era.
They appeared and changed in North China and Sichuan. The following is a chronology of the main countries and their approximate start and end times:
Cheng Han (304 - 347), founded by Li Xiong.
Former Zhao (304 - 329), founded by Liu Yuan, was originally known as Han Zhao.
Later Zhao (319 - 351), Shile was founded.
Qianliang (318 - 376), founded by Zhang Yu.
Northern Liang (397 - 439), Fuqu Mengxun was founded.
Xiliang (400 - 421), founded by Li Hui.
Later Liang (386 - 403), Lü Guang founded.
Nanliang (397 - 414), bald black lonely established.
In Qianyan (337 - 370), Murong Diao laid the foundation, and Murong Hao officially established the state.
Later Yan (384 - 409), founded by Murong Chui.
Southern Yan (398 - 410), founded by Murong De.
Northern Yan (407 - 436), founded by Feng Ba.
Xia (407 - 431), founded by Helian Bobo, also known as Hu Xia or Great Xia.
Former Qin (351 - 394), Fu Jian was founded.
Later Qin (384 - 417), Yao Chang was founded.
Western Qin (385 - 431), founded by Qifu Guoren.
It should be noted that the actual time of rule and mutual relations between these countries is very complex and does not follow the order described above.
In addition, during the same period, there were many other short-lived or small secessionist regimes such as Qiuchi Yang, Daiguo Tuoba (later Northern Wei), Ran Wei, Western Yan, Zhai Wei, and many other short-lived or incomplete secessionist regimes in the region.
The historical period of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms,It can be roughly divided into the following stages
Initiation stage: This period began in 304, when civil strife and weakness in the Western Jin Dynasty led to the opportunity for non-Han tribes in the north to establish their own regime. Liu Yuan and Li Xiong established the Han Zhao (later known as the Former Zhao) and the Cheng Han respectively, marking the beginning of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms.
Stages of national change and developmentDuring this period, different ethnic groups such as the Xiongnu, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, and Di established multiple regimes in North China, Sichuan, Shu, and Liaodong, and there were frequent wars and annexations between these regimes. Among them, Cui Hong's "Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen Kingdoms" records sixteen of them, hence the name "Wuhu and Sixteen Kingdoms". But in reality, the number of countries in this period was much more than sixteen.
End phase: The period of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms ended in 439, and the Northern Wei Dynasty unified the north, ending the long-term ** situation in the north and opening the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
The historical background and main features of the Wuhu and Sixteen Kingdoms include:
Historical Context: The formation of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms was directly related to the civil strife and weakness of the Western Jin Dynasty. The rebellion of the Eight Kings of the Western Jin Dynasty led to the emptiness of national power, and the loss of local control gave the non-Han tribes in the north the opportunity to establish their own political power.
: The main contradiction in this period was the conflict and struggle between the Hu and Han people, that is, the non-Han and the Han Chinese. Wuhu Chaohua refers to the invasion and rule of the Hu people in the Central Plains during this period.
Regime change: The regimes of the Wuhu and Sixteen Kingdoms changed frequently, each of which did not exist for a long time, and there were often wars and annexations between them, which led to long-term turmoil in the north.
Geographical distribution: These regimes were mainly located in present-day North China and the Sichuan Basin, and their centers were mostly in important cities or geographically important areas in these regions.
Cultural blendingAlthough the period of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms was accompanied by war and chaos, it was also a period of national and cultural integration. Exchanges between different ethnic groups have promoted the development of cultural pluralism.
In the end, this period ended with the unification of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was established by the Xianbei Tuoba Department, which unified the north, ended the ** situation of the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms, and opened the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms was an important turning point in Chinese history, which not only marked a great upheaval in ancient Chinese society, but also laid the foundation for later ethnic integration and cultural development.
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