Although he belonged to the imperial family, he altered the name of the dynasty, and reigned from 502 as the first emperor of the "Liang dynasty".

Photo H. Hammer-Morrisson.] 4 The Liang dynasty (A.D. 502-556)

Wars began also in the west, where the Toba tried to cut off the access of the Liang to the caravan routes to Turkestan.

The first emperor of the Liang dynasty, who assumed the name Wu Ti (502-549), became well known in the Western world owing to his love of literature and of Buddhism.

One of these leaders, Hou Ching, who had become powerful as a military leader in the north, tried in 547 to conclude a private alliance with the Liang to strengthen his own position.

At the same time the ruler of the northern state of the "Northern Ch'i", then in process of formation, himself wanted to negotiate an alliance with the Liang, in order to be able to get rid of Hou Ching.

Hou Ching, who had been getting into difficulties, now negotiated with a dissatisfied prince in Liang, invaded the country in 548 with the prince's aid, captured the capital in 549, and killed Emperor Wu.

He was at war with the new rulers in the northern empire, and his own army, which was not very large, melted away; above all, he proceeded with excessive harshness against the helpers who had gained access for him to the Liang, and thereafter he failed to secure a following from among the leading cliques at court.

In this situation the generals in the east made themselves independent, and this naturally produced tension at once between the east and the west of the Liang empire; this tension was now exploited by the leaders of the Chou state then in the making in the north.

On the invitation of a clique in the south and with its support, the Chou invaded the present province of Hupei and in 555 captured the Liang emperor's capital.

It began by liquidating the quasi-feudal state of the "Later Liang".

Many emperors in this period, especially Wu Ti of the Liang dynasty, inclined to Buddhism.

Earlier Liang (Chinese) 313-376 13.

Northern Liang (Hsiung-nu) 397-439 14.

Western Liang (Chinese?)

Later Liang (Tibetans) 386-403 16.

Southern Liang (Hsien-pi) 379-414 17.

The family itself claimed to be descended from the ruling family of the Western Liang.

Soon after this, however, the emperor fell into the hands of Chu Ch'üan-chung, who killed the whole entourage of the emperor, particularly the eunuchs; after a time he had the emperor himself killed, set a puppetas had become customaryon the throne, and at the beginning of 907 took over the rule from him, becoming emperor in the "Later Liang dynasty".

The capital of the first of the five northern dynasties (once more a Liang dynasty, but not to be confused with the Liang dynasty of the south in the sixth century) was, moreover, quite close to the territories of the southern dynasties, close to the site of the present K'ai-feng, in the fertile plain of eastern China with its good means of transport.

The capital of the first of the five northern dynasties (once more a Liang dynasty, but not to be confused with the Liang dynasty of the south in the sixth century) was, moreover, quite close to the territories of the southern dynasties, close to the site of the present K'ai-feng, in the fertile plain of eastern China with its good means of transport.

To these dangers from abroad threatening the Later Liang state internal troubles were added.

They then marched against the Liang state, where a crisis had been produced in 912 after the murder of Chu Ch'üan-chung by one of his sons.

The Liang generals saw no reason why they should fight for the dynasty, and all of them went over to the enemy.

The Chin who had thus come into possession of the cultivable land and at the same time of the wealth of the towns, began a sort of competition with each other for the best winnings, especially after the government had returned to the old Sung capital, Pien-liang (now K'ai-feng, in eastern Honan).