The Conquest of Southern Han by Song () occurred in 971, when

Northern Song The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

forces captured the

Southern Han Southern Han ( zh , t = 南漢 , p = Nán Hàn , j=Naam4 Hon3; 917–971), officially Han ( zh , t = 漢 , links=no), originally Yue ( zh , c = 越 , links=no), was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms that existed during the ...

capital of

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

in present-day

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Province. The conquest marked the end of the

dynasty, a short-lived kingdom established during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in southern China. The Northern Song's victory was a significant step in the reunification of China, which had been fragmented for nearly a century. The conquest was led by Song general Pan Mei, who employed a combination of military force and diplomacy to achieve his goal. After a series of battles, the Southern Han forces were defeated and their emperor, Liu Chang, surrendered. The conquest of Southern Han was a decisive victory for the Northern Song, and it helped to solidify their position as the dominant power in China.

References

{{Reflist 970s conflicts 971 Wars involving the Song dynasty Wars of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Southern Han