The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a dynastic state of the

Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded by ...

in China. It was ruled by the Juqu family of Lushuihu origin (a branch of the

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

). Although

Duan Ye Duan Ye (; died 401) was the first king of Northern Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms period in Chinese history. He was of Han ethnicity, and was originally a commandery governor of Later Liang, but after Xiongnu generals Juqu Mengxun and Juqu Nanc ...

of Han ethnicity was initially enthroned as the Northern Liang ruler with support from the Juqu clan, Duan was subsequently overthrown in 401 and Juqu Mengxun was proclaimed monarch. All rulers of the Northern Liang proclaimed themselves "

wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thaila ...

" (translatable as either "prince" or "king").

History

Most Chinese historians view the Northern Liang as having ended in 439, when its capital Guzang (姑臧) in modern Wuwei,

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibe ...

fell to

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during t ...

forces and the Northern Liang ruler

Juqu Mujian Juqu Mujian (; before 420 – 447), named Juqu Maoqian (沮渠茂虔) in some sources, formally Prince Ai of Hexi (河西哀王), was a king of the Xiongnu-led Northern Liang dynasty of China—with most Chinese historians considering him the last ...

captured. However, some view his brothers

Juqu Wuhui Juqu Wuhui (; died 444) is viewed by some historians as a prince of the Xiongnu-led Northern Liang dynasty of China, as after the state's territory was largely seized by the Northern Wei in 439, and his older brother Juqu Mujian (Prince Ai) was ...

and Juqu Anzhou, who subsequently settled with Northern Liang remnants in Gaochang (高昌) in modern

Turpan Prefecture Turpan (also known as Turfan or Tulufan, , ug, تۇرپان) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 632,000 (2015). Geonyms The original name of the cit ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...

, as a continuation of the Northern Liang, and thus view the Northern Liang as having ended in 460 when Gaochang fell to

Rouran The Rouran Khaganate, also Juan-Juan Khaganate (), was a tribal confederation and later state founded by a people of Proto-Mongolic Donghu origin.*Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (2000)"Ji 姬 and Jiang 姜: The Role of Exogamic Clans in the Organizat ...

and was made a vassal. It was during the Northern Liang that the first Buddhist cave shrine sites appear in Gansu Province. The two most famous cave sites are

Tiantishan The Tiantishan Caves () are a series of rock cut Buddhist cave temples in the Liangzhou District of Wuwei, Gansu, northwest China. Excavated from the eastern cliffs of the Huangyang River () in the Qilian Mountains from the time of the Northern L ...

("Celestial Ladder Mountain"), which was south of the Northern Liang capital at Yongcheng, and Wenshushan ("Manjusri's Mountain"), halfway between Yongcheng and Dunhuang. Maijishan lies more or less on a main route connecting China and Central Asia (approximately west of modern Xi'an), just south of the Weihe (Wei River). It had the additional advantage of located not too distant from a main route that also ran N-S to Chengdu and the Indian subcontinent. In 442, remnants of the Northern Liang royal family established a new kingdom in Gaochang, known in historiography as the Northern Liang of Gaochang (; 442–460). The new state was led by

and Juqu Anzhou where they would hold on to power until 460 when they were conquered by the

. The remnants of the Juqu family were slaughtered.

Art

File:Grotta nr 275.JPG, left, Figure of Maitreya Buddha in cave 275 from Northern Liang File:1 Devas. Dunhuang mural. Cave 272, Northern Liang dynasty..jpg, Devas. Dunhuang mural. Cave 272, Northern Liang dynasty File:King Bhilanjili Jataka. Northern Liang. Mogao cave 275.jpg, King Bhilanjili Jataka. Mogao cave 275. Northern Liang.

Rulers of the Northern Liang

Rulers family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang Dynasties in Chinese history Former countries in Chinese history 397 establishments 4th-century establishments in China 5th-century disestablishments in China 460 disestablishments

History

Art

Rulers of the Northern Liang

Rulers family tree

See also

References