Liu-Song Dynasty 劉宋 (420-479)

The Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479) was the first of the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420~589). It was founded by Liu Yu 劉裕 (363-422).

Liu Yu (posthumous title Emperor Wu of the Song 宋武帝, r. 420-422) had achieved greatest merits as a military commander of the elite Army of the Northern Headquarters (beifubing 北府兵) during his long-lasting fights against the non-Chinese states in the north, particularly the Later Qin 後秦 (384-417) and the Southern Yan 南燕 (398-410) empires. He also contributed to the defeat of the powerful regent Huan Xuan 桓玄 (369-404) and the rebel leaders Sun En 孫恩 (d. 402) and Lu Xun 盧循 (d. 411). At the court of the Eastern Jin empire 東晉 (317-420) in Jiankang 建康 (modern Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu), Liu Yu was able to overcome the powerful regents and finally dethroned Emperor Gong 晉恭帝 (r. 418-420) and founded his own dynasty in 420. His network included influential figures from the educated upper class of the Jin empire like Wang Hong 王弘 (379-432), Fu Liang 傅亮 (374-426) or Xie Hui 謝晦 (390-426).

One of the first measures he implemented was to put the most critical troops directly under imperial command (taijun 臺軍), thereby depriving the eminent families (menfa shizu 門閥士族, gaomen shizu 高門士族, or guizu haoqiang 貴族豪強) of their base of power. Furthermore, he decided that important posts of the regional inspectors (cishi 刺史) were to be assigned to members of the imperial family (zongshi 宗室, huangzu 皇族) only and that the most significant offices of the central government were almost not accessible to members of the gentry, but only to people of lower social classes (hanmen 寒門, hanren 寒人). Emperor Wu also settled northern refugees in the territories he controlled and so built up a basis of loyal subjects. His measures initiated two centuries of a political culture in which patron-client ties played a more critical role than merit in the bureaucratic apparatus. Yet this also means that the emperors of the Southern dynasties could never control the whole population in their realms.

Another feature of the Southern dynasties was the disregard for the principle of throne succession by the oldest sons. Instead, bloody infighting of the imperial houses determined who would mount the throne. Military force determined who came to power. Moreover, the quick succession of dynasties was made easier by the custom of abdication of the throne (shanrang 禪讓), which followed the paradigm of the Wei 曹魏 (220-265) and Jin dynasties.

In order to control and to observe the imperial princes in their princedoms (wangguo 王國) who concurrently served as regional inspectors, Liu Yu installed so-called document clerks (dianqian 典簽, 典籤 or zhushuai 主帥) that regularly submitted critical reports on the former's performance and activities. Though these document clerks were only officials of a low rank, they had substantial influence on the political rise and fall of princes because they had a clear insight into their activities. While, on the one hand, they were able to unveil plans of rebellions before these could be carried out, they also had the power to slander persons they disliked. This kind of harassment often led to political resistance among the Song princes, or to their emigration to the Northern Wei empire 北魏 (386-534) in north China.

After Liu Yu's untimely death, his teenage son Liu Yifu 劉義符 (406-424) became an "Infant Emperor" (Shaodi 少帝, r. 422-423), but he was soon replaced by his younger brother Liu Yilong 劉義隆 (407-453; posthumous title Emperor Wen 宋文帝, r. 424-453). Emperor Wen was assisted in government by the triumvirate Fu Liang, Xie Hui, and Xu Xianzhi 徐羡之 (364-426). Under their administration, a land reform clearly defined how the gentry was allowed to acquire new land. At the same time, the immigrants from the north who had come to the lower Yangtze region with the foundation of the Eastern Jin dynasty were now fully incorporated into the normal household register system. After the assassination of Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang on imperial orders, Emperor Wen – supported by Tan Daoji 檀道濟 (394-436) and Dao Yanzhi 到彥之 (d. 433) - abolished the ban on members of the gentry to occupy government posts. Another measure of Emperor Wen was to give key command in the provinces to imperial princes and give military positions superiority over civilian posts. Rebellions of military garrisons were made less probable by downsizing them. The ensuing court intrigues that involved some of the emperor's brothers and his crown prince, fortunately, did not affect the general economic development. Historians, therefore, speak of the peaceful and booming years of the Yuanjia reign-period 元嘉 (424-454) – notwithstanding the bloody machinations concerning the succession to the throne.

The time of Emperor Wen was also characterised by literary achievements. Apart from producing many types of poetry, scholars of the Liu-Song period engaged in the compilation of commentaries on the history books Houhanshu 後漢書 and Sanguozhi 三國志. Most famous is Liu Yiqing's 劉義慶 (403-444) story collection Shishuo xinyu 世說新語.

In the military realm, the Liu-Song empire launched an unsuccessful campaign against the Northern Wei in 431. In the 430s, several wars were faought against the realm of Qiuchi 仇池 in the upper Han River 漢水 valley, where Yang Nandang 楊難當 (r. 436-442) had assumed the title of emperor. In the 440s, the Liu-Song invaded the state of Champa in what is today thetoday's central region of Vietnam. The Song state also systematically made incursions into the hill regions of south China to enslave the native Man tribes. In 450, the Northern Wei, under personal command of xxx, conquered the Huai River region and threatened the capital Jiankang (Nanjing).

When Emperor Wen fell ill, his brother Liu Yikang 劉義康 (409-451), the Prince of Pengcheng 彭城王, was entrusted with government affairs. The Prince purged Tan Daoji, but, fearing a putsch by his brother, Emperor Wen had him executed.

In 454, Prince Liu Shao 劉劭 (424-453) murdered his imperial father and grabbed the throne, but in the same year, he was toppled by his brother Liu Jun 劉駿 (430-464; posthumous title Emperor Xiaowu 宋孝武帝, r. 453-464). Emperor Xiaowu was able to defeat the rebellion of his uncles Liu Yixuan 劉義宣 (415-454), the Prince of Nanjun 南郡王, and Liu Yigong 劉義恭 (413-465), the Prince of Jiangxia 江夏王. Liu Jun hired engaged people of lower social background (suzu 素族) like Shen Qingzhi 沈慶之 (386-465), Liu Yuanjing 柳元景 (406-465） or Zhu Xiuzhi 朱脩之 (d.464) for his advisors, rather than members of the gentry, as his father had done. His measure was caused by the mistrust in the credibility of his relatives and their military powers. Still, it resulted in the rebellions of Liu Dan 劉誕 (433-459), the Prince of Jingling 竟陵王, and Liu Xiumao 劉休茂 (455-461), the Prince of Hailing 海陵王, which were brutally suppressed.

Emperor Xiaowu's son Liu Ziye 劉子業 (449-466), the so-called "First Deposed Emperor" (Qianfeidi 宋前廢帝, r. 464-465), supported by the regents Liu Yidong, Liu Yuanjing, and Yan Shibo 顏師伯 (419-465), tried to extirpate potential rivals within his own family but was soon murdered himself by Liu Yu 劉彧 (439-472; posthumous title Emperor Ming 宋明帝, r. 465-472), who, on his own part, used the same bloody method to eliminate other claimants to the throne. Chinese historian used to call this the "war between uncles and nephews" (shuzhi zhi zheng 叔侄之爭).

While the Song court was engaged in fratricidal strife, the Northern Wei empire managed to conquer vast tracts of land in the River Huai 淮河 region, but their attempts to to occupy the all of southern China ultimately failed.

When Liu Yu died, he left the throne to an under-age heir apparent, Liu Yu 劉昱 (463-477), who was not able to keep the throne for more than four years and was therefore called the "Second Deposed Emperor" (Houfeidi 宋後廢帝, r. 472-476). The commander of the Right Guard (youwei jiangjun 右衛將軍), Xiao Daocheng 蕭道成 (427-482), killed him and enthroned Liu Zhun 劉準 (posthumous title Emperor Shun 宋順帝, r. 477-479) and acted as the regent of the Song empire. In 479, he dethroned Liu Zhun and assumed himself the title of emperor, thereby founding the (Southern) Qi dynasty 南齊 (479-502). Shen Youzhi 沈攸之 (d. 478) was the only commander loyal to the Song dynasty, but Xiao defeated him.