The Southern and Northern Dynasties 南北朝 (300~600)

The Southern and Northern Dynasties Nanbeichao 南北朝 (300~600) is a group of about 30 dynasties that ruled over China between ca. 300 and 600 CE. There are several categories in which these dynasties are divided, the most important of which are the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420~589), the Northern Dynasties 北朝 (386-581), the Sixteen Barbarian States 十六國 (300~430), and the Six Dynasties 六朝 (222-589). The last term included the Wu empire 吳 (222-280), one of the Three Kingdoms 三國 (220-280) and the first empire whose capital was Jiankang 建康 or Jianye 建業 (modern Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu). The two others of the Three Kingdoms are not counted among the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The next "southern dynasty" was the Eastern Jin 東晉 (317-420), ruling from Jiankang over southern China, while the north was occupied by the Sixteen States that were mostly founded by non-Chinese chieftains. These are normally not acknowledged as "righteous" dynasties. After the demise of the Jin, southern China was ruled by four successive houses, the Southern Dynasties. The Northern Wei 北魏 (386-534), founded by the people of the Xianbei 鮮卑, unified northern China. Along with the four successor states, they are called the Northern Dynasties. After almost four hundred centuries of division China was reunited by the Sui dynasty 隋 (581-618) that is normally seen as a direct successor of the Northern Dynasties.

The long centuries of division under different political and social conditions created a clear distinction of northern China as a poor country with a crude culture of a warrior elite, and southern China as a rich and culturally advanced country under the leadership of an educated elite.