Yin (Five Dynasties period)

Great Yin
大殷
943–945
Map of Yin, 943
Map of Yin, 943
Map of Yin, early 945
Map of Yin, early 945
CapitalJian Prefecture (modern Jian'ou)
Common languagesMiddle Chinese
Medieval Min Chinese
GovernmentMonarchy
Emperor 
• 943–945
Wang Yanzheng
Historical eraFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
• Rebellion of Yin by Wang Yanzheng
943
• Ended by Southern Tang
945
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Min
Southern Tang
Today part ofChina

The Yin (Chinese: ; pinyin: Yīn), officially the Great Yin (大殷), was a short-lived Empire during China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period which lasted from 907 to 960 and bridged the time between the fall of the Tang dynasty and the foundation of the Song dynasty.

Rebellion from Min

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The Min kingdom was founded in 909 after the Tang dynasty collapsed. However, after the founder of the kingdom, Wang Shenzhi, died in 925, the sons squabbled with one another. In 943, that led to an all out rebellion as one of Wang Shenzhi's sons, Wang Yanzheng, rebelled and carved out the Yin Kingdom out of the northwestern part of the Min kingdom.

Territorial extent

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The Yin kingdom was rather small, occupying an area in present-day northern Fujian and southern Zhejiang. It was bounded by Wuyue to the north, Min to the south and east and the Southern Tang to the west.

End of Yin as separate entity

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In 944, Wang Yanzheng's brother and rival as the Emperor of Min, Wang Yanxi, was assassinated. Wang Yanxi's general Zhu Wenjin claimed the Min throne. In 945, Zhu was assassinated, and his army pledged allegiance to Wang Yanzheng as the Emperor of Min and asked him to return to the Min capital Changle. Wang Yanzheng claimed the Min throne, ending Yin's existence as a separate state, but did not return to Changle; rather, he remained at his base of Jian Prefecture, which Southern Tang besieged later in the year, forcing his surrender.[1][2]

Ruler

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Emperor in Yin Empire 943–945
Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號) Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 ) Personal Names Period of Reigns Era Names (Nian Hao 年號) and their according range of years
Did not exist Tian De Di (天德帝 Tiān Dédì) (as Emperor of Yin) 王延政 Wáng Yánzhèng 943–945 Tiande (天德 Tiān Dé) 943–945

References

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  1. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 284.
  2. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 285.
  • Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900–1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 11, 16. ISBN 978-0-674-01212-7.