Timeline of the Northern and Southern dynasties

See also: Timeline of the Jin dynasty (266–420) and the Sixteen Kingdoms (304–439) and Timeline of the Sui dynasty

This is a timeline of the Northern and Southern dynasties in China.

China in 460 AD

380s

Year	Date	Event
386		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui revives the Tuoba state[1]
		Later Qin: Yao Chang declares himself emperor[1]
387		Later Liang: Lü Guang declares himself Duke of Jiuquan[1]

390s

Year	Date	Event
393		Wei: Conquered by Later Yan[2]
394		Later Qin: Conquers Former Qin[1]
		Later Yan: Conquers Western Yan[1]
395		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui defeats Later Yan at Canhepi (east-northeast of Liangcheng, Inner Mongolia)[1]
396		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui takes Bingzhou from Later Yan[1]
		Emperor Xiaowu of Jin dies and is succeeded by Sima Dezong (Emperor An of Jin)[1]
397		Southern Liang: Tufa Wugu declares himself Prince of Xiping[1]
		Northern Liang: Duan Ye declares himself Duke of Jiankang in Zhangye[1]
398		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui moves his capital to Pingcheng[1]
399		Northern Wei: Tuoba Gui declares himself emperor[1]
		Sun En revolts[1]
		Faxian leaves for India[1]

400s

Year	Date	Event
400		Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms): Li Gao declares himself Duke of Liang in Dunhuang[1]
		Western Qin: Submits to Southern Liang and then Later Qin[3]
		Southern Yan: Murong De declares himself emperor in Guanggu[4]
401		Northern Liang: Juqu Mengxun kills Duan Ye and declares himself Duke of Zhangye[4]
402		Huan Xuan sacks Jiankang and Sun En dies, but his lieutenant Lu Xun takes over[4]
403		Later Liang: Surrenders to Later Qin[4]
404		Huan Xuan declares himself emperor and dies the same year[4]
405		Qiao Zong declares himself Prince of Chengdu[4]
407		Xia: Helian Bobo declares himself Heavenly King[4]
		Northern Yan: Gao Yun is set up as heavenly king and replaces Later Yan[4]
409		Western Qin: Revived[3]

410s

Year	Date	Event
410		Liu Yu conquers Southern Yan[4]
411		Rebel Lu Xun dies[4]
412		Faxian returns from India[4]
413		Jin recovers Sichuan and Qiao Zong commits suicide[4]
414		Western Qin: Conquers Southern Liang[4]
416		Jin takes Luoyang from Later Qin[4]
		Huiyuan dies[4]
417		Jin conquers Later Qin and Liu Yu takes Chang'an[4]
418		Jin troops retreat from Chang'an[4]
		Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms): Helian Bobo takes Chang'an[4]
419		Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms): Helian Bobo leaves Chang'an[4]

420s

Year	Date	Event
420		Liu Yu (Emperor Wu of Liu Song) replaces the Jin dynasty with the Song dynasty[5]
421		Northern Liang: Juqu Mengxun conquers Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)[6]
422		Emperor Wu of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Yifu, Emperor Shao of Liu Song[5]
423		Kou Qianzhi sets up the Celestial Master at Pingcheng[5]
424		Emperor Shao of Liu Song is deposed and succeeded by Liu Yilong (Emperor Wen of Liu Song)[5]
426		Northern Wei: Attacks Xia[5]
427		Northern Wei: Takes Chang'an and sacks the Xia capital, Tongwan[5]
428		Xia: Retakes Chang'an[5]

430s

Year	Date	Event
430		Northern Wei: Takes Luoyang from Liu Song
		Western Qin: Abandons Yuanchuan and Fuhan to the Tuyuhun and relocates to Pingliang and Anding[5]
431		Xia: Conquers Western Qin and are in turn conquered by the Tuyuhun[5]
433		Xie Lingyun is killed[5]
434		Northern Wei: Enters a marriage alliance with the Rouran[5]
		Song retakes Hanzhong from Chouchi[5]
435		Northern Wei: Attacks Northern Yan[5]
436		Northern Wei: Conquers Northern Yan, whose sovereign Feng Hong flees to Goguryeo[5]
439		Northern Wei: Conquers Northern Liang; so ends the Sixteen Kingdoms[5]

440s

Year	Date	Event
442		Northern Wei: Tuoba Tao takes part in a Daoist ritual to receive talisman registers[7]
445		Northern Wei: Ge Wu rebels in Guanzhong[7]
446		Northern Wei: Ge Wu dies[7]
		Northern Wei: Cui Hao instigates proscription campaigns against Buddhism[7]
449		Northern Wei: Defeats the Rouran in battle[7]

450s

Year	Date	Event
450		Northern Wei: Cui Hao is killed[7]
		Liu Song launches a campaign against Northern Wei[7]
451		Northern Wei: Tuoba Tao leads his army south to Guabu (southeast of Luhe, Jiangsu)[7]
		Pei Songzhi dies[7]
453		Emperor Wen of Liu Song is killed by Liu Shao, who is killed Liu Jun (Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song)[7]
		Northern Wei: Construction of the Yungang Caves begin[7]
458		Liu Song launches a campaign against Buddhism[7]

460s

Year	Date	Event
464		Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Ziye (Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song)[7]
465		Northern Wei: Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei dies and is succeeded by Tuaba Hong (Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei)[7]
		Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song dies[7]
466		Liu Yu (Emperor Ming of Liu Song) takes power[7]
		Bao Zhao is killed[7]
467		Northern Wei: Conquers territory north and west of the Huai River[7]
469		Northern Wei: Takes Qingzhou and Jizhou (冀州) (north Jiangsu)[7]

470s

Year	Date	Event
471		Northern Wei: Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei abdicates in favor of Yuan Hong (Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei)[7]
472		Emperor Ming of Liu Song dies and is succeeded by Liu Yu (Emperor Houfei of Liu Song)[8]
477		Emperor Houfei of Liu Song is killed by Xiao Daocheng and is succeeded by Liu Zhun (Emperor Shun of Liu Song)[8]
479		Xiao Daocheng (Emperor Gao of Southern Qi) replaces Liu Song with the Southern Qi[8]

480s

Year	Date	Event
482		Emperor Gao of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Ze (Emperor Wu of Southern Qi)[8]
485		Northern Wei: The equal-field system is implemented[8]
486		Northern Wei: The Three Chiefs system is implemented[8]

490s

Year	Date	Event
493		Emperor Wu of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Zhaoye[8]
		Northern Wei: Li Chong starts constructions in Luoyang[8]
494		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moves to Luoyang[8]
		Northern Wei: Construction on the Longmen Caves begin[8]
495		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei bans Xianbei language in court[8]
498		Emperor Ming of Southern Qi dies and is succeeded by Xiao Baojuan[8]
499		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei dies and is succeeded by Yuan Ke (Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei)[8]

500s

Year	Date	Event
500		Northern Wei: Conquers territory south of the Huai River[8]
501		Emperor He of Southern Qi is enthroned in Jiangling as a rival to Xiao Baojuan[8]
502		Xiao Baojuan is killed in Jiankang and Xiao Yan kills Emperor He of Southern Qi, founding his own Liang dynasty[8]
504		Northern Wei: Conquers Yiyang[8]
506		Northern Wei: Annexes Chouchi[9]
507		Northern Wei: Is defeated by Liang dynasty at Zhongli (northeast of Fengyang, Anhui)[8]

510s

Year	Date	Event
512		Northern Wei: Loses Qushan (southwest of Lianyungang, Jiangsu) to Liang dynasty[10]
518		Northern Wei: Song Yun departs for the Western Regions[10]

520s

Year	Date	Event
520		Northern Wei: Yujiulü Anagui takes shelter[10]
522		Northern Wei: Song Yun returns from India with 170 Buddhist sutras[10]
523		Northern Wei: The Six Frontier Towns rebel under Poliuhan Baling[10]
525		Northern Wei: Yujiulü Anagui defeats Poliuhan Baling[10]
		Northern Wei: Du Luozhou rebels in north Hebei[10]
526		Northern Wei: Ge Rong rebels in north Hebei[10]
527		Northern Wei: Xiao Baoyin rebels in Guanzhong and kills Li Daoyuan[10]
528		Northern Wei: Erzhu Rong kills Yuan Zhao and enthrones Yuan Ziyou (Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei)[10]
		Northern Wei: Ge Rong is defeated[10]
529		Emperor Wu of Liang enters the Tongtai Monastery[10]

530s

Year	Date	Event
530		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei kills Erzhu Rong but is killed by Erzhu Zhao[10]
532		Northern Wei: Gao Huan enthrones Yuan Xiu (Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei)[10]
533		Northern Wei: Erzhu Zhao kills himself[10]
534		Northern Wei: Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei escapes to Chang'an[10]
		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan sets up Yuan Shanjian as Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei[10]
535		Western Wei: Yuwen Tai kills Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei and enthrones Yuan Baoju (Emperor Wen of Western Wei)[11]
536		Tao Hongjing dies[11]
		Eastern Wei: Chan Buddhism founder Bodhidharma dies[11]
537		Battle of Shayuan: Yuwen Tai defeats Gao Huan[11]

540s

Year	Date	Event
541		Lý Bôn rebels and attacks Liang officials[12]
543		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan defeats Yuwen Tai at Luoyang[11]
544		Lý Bôn establishes the Early Lý dynasty and becomes Lý Nam Đế (Southern Emperor)[12]
545		Chen Baxian drives Lý Nam Đế into the mountains, where he is eventually killed, but resistance continues under Lý Thiên Bảo[12]
547		Eastern Wei: Gao Huan dies and Hou Jing defects to Liang dynasty[11]
548		Hou Jing rebels in Shouyang and lays siege to Jiankang[11]
549		Hou Jing seizes Taicheng[11]
		Emperor Wu of Liang dies and is succeeded by Xiao Gang (Emperor Jianwen of Liang)[11]
		Xiao Cha defects to Western Wei[11]
		Eastern Wei: Conquers area south of the Huai River[11]

550s

Year	Date	Event
550		Western Wei: Conquers area east of the Han River (Hubei)[11]
		Northern Qi: Gao Yang (Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi) replaces Eastern Wei with Northern Qi and conquers areas east of Luoyang[11]
		The fubing system is introduced[11]
551		Hou Jing kills Emperor Jianwen of Liang and declares himself emperor[11]
552		Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian take Jiankang[13]
		Hou Jing is killed[13]
		Xiao Ji declares himself emperor in Jiangling[13]
553		Xiao Ji is killed by Emperor Yuan of Liang's generals[13]
		Western Wei: Conquers Sichuan[13]
		Northern Qi: Rouran submit after behind being defeated by Turks[13]
554		Emperor Yuan of Liang is captured by Western Wei and killed[13]
555		Western Liang: Xiao Cha declares himself emperor in Jiangling[13]
		Wang Sengbian sets up Xiao Yuanming but Chen Baxian kills Sengbian and sets up Xiao Fangzhi (Emperor Jing of Liang)[13]
556		Northern Qi: Attack on Jiankang fails[13]
		Western Wei: Yuwen Tai dies[13]
557		Northern Zhou: Yuwen Hu replaces Western Wei with Northern Zhou[13]
		Chen Baxian replaces the Liang dynasty with the Chen dynasty[13]
558		Western Liang: Takes Changsha and Wuling[13]
559		Chen Baxian dies and is succeeded by Chen Qian (Emperor Wen of Chen)[13]

560s

Year	Date	Event
560		Northern Zhou: Yuwen Hu kills Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou and sets up Yuwen Yong (Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou)[13]
		Northern Qi: Gao Yan (Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi) ousts Emperor Fei of Northern Qi and sets himself up as emperor[13]
561		Northern Zhou: North Hubei is lost to the Chen dynasty[13]
		Northern Qi: Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi dies and is succeeded by Gao Zhan (Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi)[13]
565		Northern Qi: An attack by Northern Zhou is repulsed[14]
		Northern Qi: Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi abdicates to Gao Wei[14]
566		Emperor Wen of Chen dies and is succeeded by Chen Bozong (Emperor Fei of Chen)[14]
568		Emperor Fei of Chen is deposed[14]
569		Chen Xu (Emperor Xuan of Chen) takes power[14]

570s

Year	Date	Event
570		Chen dynasty establishes trade relations with the Early Lý dynasty[12]
572		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou kills Yuwen Hu[14]
573		Northern Qi: Loses areas north of the Changjiang to the Chen dynasty, including the Huai River valley[14]
574		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou launches proscription against Buddhism[14]
575		Northern Qi: Forces are defeated by Chen dynasty at Lüliang[14]
		Northern Zhou: Attacks Northern Qi[14]
576		Northern Zhou: Takes Jinyang[14]
577		Northern Zhou: Annexes Northern Qi[14]
578		Northern Zhou: Repulses a Chen attack on Pengcheng and captures Wu Mingche[14]
		Northern Zhou: Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou dies and is succeeded by Yuwen Yun (Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou)[14]
579		Northern Zhou: Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou abdicates to Yuwen Chan (Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou)[14]

580s

Year	Date	Event
580		Northern Zhou: Seizes area north of the Changjiang[14]
		Northern Zhou: Yang Jian becomes de facto holder of power[14]
		Northern Zhou: Yuchi Jiong and Wang Qian rebel but fail[14]
581		Sui dynasty: Yang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui) replaces the Northern Zhou with the Sui dynasty[15]
582		Emperor Xuan of Chen dies and is succeeded by Chen Shubao[15]
583		Sui dynasty: Emperor Wen of Sui moves into Daxingcheng (Xi'an, Shaanxi) and abolishes the commanderies while promulgating the Kaihuang Code[15]
584		Sui dynasty: Digs the Guangtong Canal[14]
587		Sui dynasty: Annexes Western Liang[15]
588		Sui dynasty: Launches expedition against the Chen dynasty[15]
589		Sui dynasty: Takes Jiankang and annexes the Chen dynasty; so ends the Northern and Southern dynasties[15]

Gallery

• 
  Liu Song
• 
  Northern Wei in 464 AD
• 
  Korea in 476 AD
• 
  497 AD
• 
  Uprisings of Northern Wei (523–528)
• 
  541 AD
• 
  562 AD
• 
  572 AD
• 
  Korea in 576 AD