Jiankang (Chinese: 建康; pinyin: Jiànkāng), or Jianye (建業; Jiànyè), as it was originally called, was the capital city of the Eastern Wu (229–265 and 266–280 CE), the Jin dynasty (317–420 CE) and the Southern Dynasties (420–552), including the Chen dynasty (557–589 CE). Its walls are extant as ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing. Jiankang was an important city of the Song dynasty. Its name was changed to Nanjing during the Ming dynasty.
Map of Jiankang as the capital of the Southern Dynasties. Drawing by Chen Yi of the Ming dynasty
Before the Eastern Jin the city was known as Jianye, and it was the capital of the kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. It was renamed Jiankang during the Jin dynasty, in order to observe the naming taboo for Emperor Min of Jin.
Renamed Jiankang in 313 CE, it served as the capital of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, following the retreat from the north due to Xiongnu raids.[1] It rivaled Luoyang in population and commercial activity, and at its height, in the sixth century, it was home to around one million people.[2] In 549 CE, during the rebellion of Hou Jing, Jiankang was captured after a year-long siege that devastated the city: most of the population were killed or starved to death. During the national reunification under the Sui dynasty it was almost completely destroyed, and was renamed Jiangzhou (蔣州) and then Danyang Commandery (丹陽郡). Under the Tang dynasty, the city regained its prosperity and the name became Jinling (金陵). By the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period it was called Jiangning (江寧); in the Southern Song dynasty the name of Jiankang was revived.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, founded the Ming dynasty in 1368, he made Jiankang the capital of China, renaming it Nanjing, "Southern Capital".
Six Dynasties
The Tang historian Xu Song (許嵩, Xǔ Sōng), in his work Jiankang Shilu (建康實錄, Jiànkāng Shílù), coined the term "Six Dynasties" for the various regimes that had centred their power on the site:
In the 6th century, Jiankang may well have been the largest city in the world, with a population of probably more than one million people. At that time, Rome had a population of less than 100,000, Constantinople had about 500,000, and Luoyang had more than 500,000.[2]
References
^Grousset, Rene (1970). The Empire of the Steppes. Rutgers University Press. pp. 56–57. ISBN0-8135-1304-9.
^ abShufen Liu, "Jiankang and the Commercial Empire of the Southern Dynasties", in Pearce, Spiro, Ebrey eds. Culture and Power, 2001:35.
jiankang, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scho. For other uses see Jiankang disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Jiankang news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Jiankang Chinese 建康 pinyin Jiankang or Jianye 建業 Jianye as it was originally called was the capital city of the Eastern Wu 229 265 and 266 280 CE the Jin dynasty 317 420 CE and the Southern Dynasties 420 552 including the Chen dynasty 557 589 CE Its walls are extant as ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing Jiankang was an important city of the Song dynasty Its name was changed to Nanjing during the Ming dynasty Map of Jiankang as the capital of the Southern Dynasties Drawing by Chen Yi of the Ming dynastyHistory Edit A pixiu from the Yongning Tomb of Emperor Wen of Chen ca 566 Qixia District Before the Eastern Jin the city was known as Jianye and it was the capital of the kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period It was renamed Jiankang during the Jin dynasty in order to observe the naming taboo for Emperor Min of Jin Renamed Jiankang in 313 CE it served as the capital of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties following the retreat from the north due to Xiongnu raids 1 It rivaled Luoyang in population and commercial activity and at its height in the sixth century it was home to around one million people 2 In 549 CE during the rebellion of Hou Jing Jiankang was captured after a year long siege that devastated the city most of the population were killed or starved to death During the national reunification under the Sui dynasty it was almost completely destroyed and was renamed Jiangzhou 蔣州 and then Danyang Commandery 丹陽郡 Under the Tang dynasty the city regained its prosperity and the name became Jinling 金陵 By the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period it was called Jiangning 江寧 in the Southern Song dynasty the name of Jiankang was revived When Zhu Yuanzhang the Hongwu Emperor founded the Ming dynasty in 1368 he made Jiankang the capital of China renaming it Nanjing Southern Capital Six Dynasties Edit The Tang historian Xu Song 許嵩 Xǔ Sōng in his work Jiankang Shilu 建康實錄 Jiankang Shilu coined the term Six Dynasties for the various regimes that had centred their power on the site Eastern Wu 222 280 CE Jin 317 420 CE Liu Song dynasty 420 479 CE Southern Qi 479 502 CE Liang 502 557 CE Chen 557 589 CE In the 6th century Jiankang may well have been the largest city in the world with a population of probably more than one million people At that time Rome had a population of less than 100 000 Constantinople had about 500 000 and Luoyang had more than 500 000 2 References Edit Grousset Rene 1970 The Empire of the Steppes Rutgers University Press pp 56 57 ISBN 0 8135 1304 9 a b Shufen Liu Jiankang and the Commercial Empire of the Southern Dynasties in Pearce Spiro Ebrey eds Culture and Power 2001 35 Coordinates 32 03 30 N 118 47 47 E 32 05837 N 118 79647 E 32 05837 118 79647 This article related to the history of China is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jiankang amp oldid 1146926401, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
