The Southern dynasties describe a succession of Chinese empires that coexisted alongside a series of Northern dynasties. The era is generally described as the Northern and Southern dynasties, lasting from 420–589 AD after the Jin and before the Sui dynasty.
The Southern dynasties were as follows:
The Western Liang (555–587 AD) was a rump successor to the Liang dynasty and is typically not regarded as a legitimate regime that bore the Mandate of Heaven.
See main article: Northern and Southern dynasties.
| Posthumous names (Shi Hao 諡號) | Birth names | Periods of reign | Era names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according range of years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liu Song dynasty (420–479) | ||||
| Convention: Song + posthumous name, sometimes except Liu Yu who was referred using personal name. | ||||
| Wu Di (武帝 wu3 di4) | Liu Yu (劉裕 liu3 yu4) | 420–422 | Yongchu (永初 yong3 chu1) 420–422 | |
| Shao Di (少帝 shao4 di4) | Liu Yi Fu (劉義符 liu3 yi4 fu2) | 423–424 | Jingping (景平 jing3 ping2) 423–424 | |
| Wen Di (文帝 wen2 di4) | Liu Yi Long (劉義隆 liu3 yi4 long2) | 424–453 | Yuanjia (元嘉 yaun2 jia1) 424–453 | |
| Xiao Wu Di (孝武帝 xiao1 wu3 di4) | Liu Jun (劉駿 liu3 jun4) | 454–464 | Xiaojian (元嘉 xiao1 jian4) 454–456 Daming (大明 da4 ming2) 457–464 | |
| Qian Fei Di (前廢帝 qian2 fei4 di4) | Liu Zi Ye (劉子業 liu3 zi5 ye4) | 465 | Yongguang (永光 yong3 guang1) 465 Jinghe (景和 jing3 he2) 465 | |
| Ming Di (明帝 ming2 di4) | Liu Yu (劉彧 liu3 yu4) | 465–472 | Taishi (泰始 tai4 shi3) 465–471 Taiyu (泰豫 tai4 yu4) 472 | |
| Hou Fei Di (後廢帝 hou4 fei4 di4 or Cang Wu Wang (蒼梧王 cang1 wu2 wang2) | Liu Yu (劉昱 liu3 yu4) | 473–477 | Yuanhui (元徽 yuan2 hui1) 473–477 | |
| Shun Di (順帝 shun4 di4) | Liu Zhun (劉準 liu3 zhun3) | 477–479 | Shengming (昇明 sheng1 ming2) 477–479 | |
| Southern Qi dynasty 479–502 | ||||
| Convention: Qi + posthumous name | ||||
| Gao Di (高帝 gao1 di4) | Xiao Dao Cheng (蕭道成 xiao1 dao4 cheng2) | 479–482 | Jianyuan (建元 jian4 yuan2) 479–482 | |
| Wu Di (武帝 wu3 jing4 di4) | Xiao Ze (蕭賾 xiao1 ze2) | 483–493 | Yongming (永明 yong3 ming2) 483–493 | |
| Yu Lin Wang (鬱林王 yu4 lin2 wang2) | Xiao Zhaoye (蕭昭業 xiao1 zhao1 ye4) | 494 | Longchang (隆昌 long2 chang1) 494 | |
| Hai Ling Wang (海陵王 hai3 ling2 wang2) | Xiao Zhaowen (蕭昭文 xiao1 zhao1 wen2) | 494 | Yanxing (延興 yan2 xing1) 494 | |
| Ming Di (明帝 ming2 di4) | Xiao Luan (蕭鸞 xiao1 luan2) | 494–498 | Jianwu (建武 jian4 wu3) 494–498 Yongtai (永泰 yong3 tai4) 498 | |
| Dong Hun Hou (東昏侯 dong1 hun1 hou2) | Xiao Baojuan (蕭寶卷 xiao1 bao3 juan3) | 499–501 | Yongyuan (永元 yong3 yuan2) 499–501 | |
| He Di (和帝 he2 di4) | Xiao Bao Rong (蕭寶融 xiao1 bao3 rong2) | 501–502 | Zhongxing (中興 zhong1 xing1) 501–502 | |
| Liang dynasty 502–557 | ||||
| Convention: Liang + posthumous name | ||||
| Wu Di (武帝 wu3 jing4 di4) | Xiao Yan (蕭衍 xiao1 yan3) | 502–549 | Tianjian (天監 tian1 jian1) 502–519 Putong (普通 pu3 tong1) 520–527 Datong (大通 da4 tong1) 527–529 Zhongdatong (中大通 zhong1 da4 tong1) 529–534 Datong (大同 da4 tong2) 535–546 Zhongdatong (中大同 zhong1 da4 tong2) 546–547 Taiqing (太清 tai4 qing1) 547–549 | |
| Jian Wen Di (簡文帝 jian3 wen2 di4) | Xiao Gang (蕭綱 xiao1 gang1) | 549–551 | Dabao (大寶 da4 bao3) 550–551 | |
| Yu Zhang Wang (豫章王 yu4 zhang1 wang2) | Xiao Dong (蕭棟 xiao1 dong4) | 551–552 | Tianzheng (天正 tian1 zheng4) 551–552 | |
| Yuan Di (元帝 yuan2 di4) | Xiao Yi (蕭繹 xiao1 yi4) | 552–555 | Chengsheng (承聖 cheng2 sheng4) 552–555 | |
| Zhen Yang Hou (貞陽侯 zhen1 yang2 hou2) | Xiao Yuan Ming (蕭淵明 xiao1 yuan1 ming2) | 555 | Tiancheng (天成 tian1 cheng2) 555 | |
| Jing Di (敬帝 jing4 di4) | Xiao Fang Zhi (蕭方智 xiao1 fang1 zhi4) | 555–557 | Shaotai (紹泰 shao4 tai4) 555–556 Taiping (太平 tai4 ping2) 556–557 | |
| Chen dynasty 557–589 | ||||
| Convention: Chen + posthumous name | ||||
| Wu Di (武帝 wu3 di4) | Chen Ba Xian (陳霸先 chen2 ba4 xian1) | 557–559 | Yongding (永定 yong3 ding4) 557–559 | |
| Wen Di (文帝 wen2 di4) | Chen Qian (陳蒨 chen2 qian4) | 560–566 | Tianjia (天嘉 tian1 jia1) 560–566 Tiankang (天康 tian1 kang1) 566 | |
| Fei Di (廢帝 fei4 di4) | Chen Bo Zong (陳伯宗 chen2 bo2 zong1) | 567–568 | Guangda (光大 guang1 da4) 567–568 | |
| Xuan Di (宣帝 xuan1 di4) | Chen Xu (陳頊 chen2 xu1) | 569–582 | Taijian (太建 tai4 jian4) 569–582 | |
| Hou Zhu (後主 hou4 zhu3) | Chen Shu Bao (陳叔寶 chen2 shu2 bao3) | 583–589 | Zhide (至德 zhi4 de2) 583–586 Zhenming (禎明 zhen1 ming2) 587–589 | |
The Western Liang is also sometimes called the "Later Liang" (not to be confused with the Later Liang of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period).
| Temple names (Miao Hao 廟號 miào hào) | Posthumous names (Shi Hao 諡號) | Personal names | Periods of reign | Era names (Nián Hào 年號) and their relevant range of years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention: Xi Liang + posthumous name | |||||
| Note: some historians set Western Liang as a continuation of the Liang dynasty since it was founded by descendants of the Xiao's, the ruling family of the Liang dynasty. | |||||
| Zhong Zong (中宗 zhong1 zong1) | Xuan Di (宣帝 xuan1 di4) | Xiao Cha (蕭察 xiao1 cha2) | 555–562 | Dading (大定 da4 ding4) 555–562 | |
| Shi Zong (世宗 shi4 zong1) | Xiao Ming Di (孝明帝 xiao4 ming2 di4) | Xiao Kui (蕭巋 xiao1 kui1) | 562–585 | Tianbao (天保 tian1 bao3) 562–585 | |
| Did not exist | Xiao Jing Di (孝靜帝 xiao4 jing4 di4) or Ju Gong (莒公 ju3 gong1) | Xiao Cong (蕭琮 xiao1 cong2) | 585–587 | Guangyun (廣運 guang3 yun4) 562–585 | |