Background Northern and Southern dynasties

after collapse of united china under han dynasty in 220 due in large part yellow turban , 5 pecks of rice rebellions, china coalesced 3 kingdoms. of these, cao wei strongest, followed eastern wu , shu han, in relatively stable formation. after 249 coup sima yi, sima family controlled cao wei , conquest of shu wei rapidly followed.

following failed coup ruling cao family against sima family, final cao ruler abdicated. sima yan founded jin dynasty emperor wu of jin , conquest of wu jin occurred in 280, ending 3 kingdoms period , reuniting china.

the jin dynasty severely weakened after war of 8 princes 291-306. during reigns of emperor huai , emperor min, country put grave danger uprising of northern non-han people collectively known 5 barbarians. invading non-han armies destroyed dynasty in disaster of yongjia of 311, when 5 barbarians sacked luoyang. chang met similar fate in 316.

however, scion of royal house, sima rui, prince of langya, fled south of huai river salvage left in order sustain empire, establishing himself emperor yuan. cementing power in south, jin established jiankang on existing site of jianke (now nanjing) new capital, renaming dynasty eastern jin since new capital located southeast of luoyang.

in north, 5 barbarians established numerous kingdoms, leading period being known sixteen kingdoms. eventually, northern wei conquered rest of northern states in 386. although eastern jin , successive southern dynasties well-defended northern states placement of naval fleets along yangtze, there still various problems faced building , maintaining military strength. designation of specific households military service in tuntian system led falling out in social status, causing widespread desertion of troops on many occasions. faced shortage of troop numbers, jin generals sent on campaigns capture non-chinese people in south in order draft them military. eastern jin dynasty fell not because of external invasion, however, because general liu yu seized throne emperor gong , establishing himself emperor wu of liu song (r. 420–422), officially began northern , southern dynasties.