Later Tang

Later Tang is not the same as the Tang dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 907. In history books, this dynasty is known as the Later Tang, or Hòu Táng in pinyin.

The Later Tang was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China. It was the second of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history.

Except for its final ruler, the Later Tang was ruled by emperors of the Shatuo Turk (沙陀) ethnic group. The dynasty used the name Tang to present itself as the restorer of the Tang dynasty. Its official start is in the year 923.

Founding of the dynasty

Li Cunxu, son of Shatuo Turk chief Li Keyong, conquered the Later Liang. After he inherited the Jin state, he fought a long war against the Later Liang. It ended in 923 with the fall of the Liang capital, Daliang (Kaifeng). His victory was the first of the Five Dynasties' changes of dynasty.

The Later Tang was officially proclaimed in 923, though it grew out of the earlier Jin dynasty (907–923), known to historians as the Former Jin. Li Cunxu already had the Li surname, which he shared with the Tang emperors. The Shatuo Li clan had received this surname from Emperor Xianzong of Tang as a reward for their loyalty and military service. By adopting the Tang name and stressing this family link, the Shatuo Turk ruler strengthened his regime's legitimacy.

Destruction of the dynasty

Although the Later Tang began with strong armies, it eventually fell apart. Uprisings within the empire, poor government management, and pressure from the Khitan-led Liao dynasty all played a part. After founding the dynasty, Li Cunxu spent more of his time on theatre than on governing, which weakened the central government. He also could not control the powerful regional military governors, known as jiedushi (节度使), and many people became unhappy.

After Li Cunxu was assassinated in 926 AD, later rulers, including Mingzong (Li Siyuan), faced problems such as corruption and fighting between groups at court. The dynasty's final collapse came in 937, when Shi Jingtang, a rebellious jiedushi, allied with the Khitan to overthrow Li Congke. Shi then founded the Later Jin dynasty and gave the Sixteen Prefectures to the Liao, which ended the Later Tang.

Religion

The Later Tang emperors, especially Li Cunxu, supported Buddhism, just as the Tang dynasty had done before them. Buddhist monasteries stayed important, but the Later Tang did not run as many large state-funded Buddhist projects as the earlier Tang did.

Rulers

Later Tang rulers family tree