Western Liang (555–587)

Liang, known in historiography as the Western Liang (Chinese: 西梁) or the Later Liang (Chinese: 後梁), was an imperial dynasty of China during the Northern and Southern dynasties era of Chinese history. Throughout its existence, it remained a puppet state of the Western Wei, Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties.^[1] The Western Liang dynasty was ruled by members of the same imperial clan as the Liang dynasty. It was located in the middle Yangtze region in today's central Hubei province.

Liang 梁
555–587
Western Liang and neighbors
Status	Puppet state of Western Wei, Northern Zhou, and Sui dynasty Rump state of Liang dynasty (after 557)
Capital	Jiangling
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 555–562	Xiao Cha
• 562–585	Xiao Kui
• 585–587	Xiao Cong
History
• Established	555
• Disestablished	587
Preceded by Succeeded by Liang dynasty Sui dynasty
Today part of	China

The Western Liang's founding emperor, Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan), was a grandson of the Liang dynasty founder Emperor Wu of Liang.^[1] As a result, Western Liang is usually considered a rump state of the Liang dynasty after 557. From 555 to 557 the two states claiming the political orthodoxy of the Liang dynasty existed simultaneously: Xiao Cha ruled from Jiangling, while Xiao Yuanming and Xiao Fangzhi ruled from Jiankang. Before 555, Emperor Yuan of Liang also ruled from Jiangling before he was captured and executed by Xiao Cha and his Western Wei backers. However, he is considered a Liang dynasty emperor rather than a Western Liang emperor because, among other things, he (at least nominally) controlled a much larger territory.^{[citation needed]}

The Western Liang had 3 emperors, Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan), Xiao Kui (Emperor Ming), and Xiao Cong (Emperor Jing). From 617 to 621, when the Sui dynasty collapsed, Xiao Cha's great-grandson Xiao Xian occupied the former Western Liang territory (and more) and proclaimed himself King of Liang, but his short-lived state is usually considered separate.^[1]

Emperors

Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miào hào)	Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 )	Personal Names	Period of Reigns	Era Names (Nián Hào 年號) and their relevant range of years
Convention: Xi Liang + posthumous name
Note: some historians consider Western Liang as a continuation of the Liang dynasty since it was founded by Xiao Cha (Emperor Xuan), a grandson of Xiao Yan (Emperor Wu), the founder of the Liang dynasty.
Zhong Zong (中宗 zhōng zōng)	Xuan Di	蕭詧 xiāo chá	555-562	Dading (大定 dà dìng) 555–562
Shi Zong (世宗 shì zōng)	Xiao Ming Di	蕭巋 xiāo kuī	562-585	Tianbao (天保 tiān bǎo) 562–585
Did not exist	Xiao Jing Di	蕭琮 xiāo cóng	585-587	Guangyun (廣運 guǎng yùn) 585–587

References

1. Dillon, Michael (2016). Encyclopedia of Chinese History. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 387. ISBN 9781317817161. Retrieved 10 September 2019.