Liang Dynasty 梁 (502-557)

The Liang dynasty 梁 (502-557) was the third of the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420~589). It was founded by Xiao Yan 蕭衍 (464-549), known as Emperor Wu 梁武帝 (r. 502-549), who was a famous poet and patron of Buddhism.

As regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province Yongzhou 雍州 at the border to the Northern Wei empire 北魏 (386-534), Xiao Yan was an experienced military leader. After founding his own dynasty, he switched over to a mild civilian government. He spared the old princes of the Southern Qi dynasty 南齊 (479-502), where Xiao Daocheng 蕭道成 (427-482), founder of the Qi, had exterminated all princes of the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479). Emperor Wu neither provoked his own princes and commandery governors by having them spied out by the infamous document clerks (dianqian 典簽), nor did he try to suppress the ambitions of the local gentry to obtain high governmental posts. Members of the Xiao family also married into the local elites. He replaced the nine-rank system (jiupin 九品) of state officials from the Wei period 魏 (220-265) by sixteen classes (shiliuban 十六班) that could only be achieved after graduating from the National University (taixue 太學), where the Confucian Classics constituted the curriculum. Emperor Wu was an erudite scholar himself. He composed poems and essays and patronised writers, poets, and artists. During his long rule, important anthologies (Wenxuan 文選, Yutai xinyong 玉臺新詠) and literary critiques (Shipin 詩品, Wenxin diaolong 文心雕龍) were compiled.

He also promoted the spread of Buddhism among the southern aristocracy and supported the Daoist Shangqing School 上清派. Emperor Wu also issued two new legal codes, Liang lü 梁律, and Liang ling 梁令, and had a catalogue of the imperial library compiled. The latter was essential for documenting the survival of ancient texts in the pre-Tang period.

The peaceful international environment allowed for the intensification of overseas trade with the realms in Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Trade relations were also established with the steppe federation of the Rouran 柔然, the city-states of the Tarim Basin, and Tibet.

During Emperor Wu's reign, the Northern Wei empire disintegrated, and countless refugees from north China court sought refuge in the south, looking for political support. An example from the northern nobility is Yuan Hao 元顥 (494-529), whom the Liang empire supported in the conquest of the northern capital Luoyang 洛陽 (in today's Henan province). A refugee from the Eastern Wei empire 東魏 (534-550), Hou Jing 侯景 (503-552), supported Emperor Wu in his ambitions to reconquer the north to reunite China. Hou Jing later conspired with Xiao Zhengde 蕭正德 (d. 549), the Prince of Linhe 臨賀王, to overthrow Emperor Wu and assembled a large army of rebels. The rebels captured the capital Jiankang 建康 (today's Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu), and during the siege, Emperor Wu starved to death. Hou Jing penetrated the palace and made Xiao Zhengde emperor, then Xiao Wang 蕭網 (503-551; posthumous title Emperor Jianwen 梁簡文帝, r. 549-550), afterwards Xiao Dong 蕭棟 (d. 552; the Prince of Yuzhang 豫章王, r. 551), and finally made himself emperor of a Han dynasty 漢. Yet instead of fighting against the usurper, the Liang princes contended among each other for the throne. Some even sought support from one of the two Northern Dynasties 北朝 (386~581). Since the beginning of the Eastern Jin period, this was the first time that the lower Yangtze area was seriously devastated by military activities.

The power struggles continued after Hou Jing died in 552. They were carried out by the princes Xiao Lun 蕭綸 (507-551), Xiao Ji 蕭紀 (508-553; Prince of Wuling 武陵王, r. 552), Xiao Yi 蕭繹 (508-555; posthumous title Emperor Yuan 梁元帝, r. 552-555), Xiao Yuanming 蕭淵明 (d. 556; Marquis of Zhenyang 貞陽侯, r. 556), and Xiao Cha 蕭詧 (519-562; Emperor Xuan 梁宣帝, r. 555-562) – who was installed by Yuwen Tai 宇文泰 (505-556), the invader from the Western Wei 西魏 (535-556). The in-fights were finally ended by Chen Baxian 陳霸先 (503-559), who made Xiao Fangzhi 蕭方智 (543- 558; posthumous title Emperor Jing 梁敬帝, r. 555-557) emperor. In 557, Chen Baxian deposed Xiao Fangzhi and founded his own dynasty named Chen 陳 (557-589).