Southern Dynasties

[YingZheng]

In the south there were four consecutive dynasties over 160 years: the
Song, Qi, Liang and Chen, all of whose capital cities were based in the
current Nanjing City. During this time, hereditary, big families
underwent a downfall after long-time social prominence since the
Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). Although such families still held a
noble status, they could no longer meddle in state affairs. Meanwhile,
the scholars enjoyed the most favorable opportunities and were
entrusted important assignments by the ruling class. The emperors
retrieved complete power over the nation.

This was a period of both disturbances and developments in Chinese
history, especially during the Three Kingdoms and the two Jin dynasties
when political struggles were acute and civil wars frequent. Ethnic
minorities in the north entered the Central Plains and set up
governments there. The result was a long period of confrontations
between the minority regimes and regimes established by the Han Chinese
in the south. The economy in the south made some progress during this
time and the northern regimes accepted the Han political system and
culture to varying degrees. This marked the beginning of a merger
between the Han and minority cultures. China's contact with foreign
countries also became more pronounced. Buddhist culture of the Western
Regions, in particular, was introduced to China on a large scale,
exerting a far-reaching influence on Chinese culture. Great progress
was made in science and technology, and literature and art reached an
important stage linking the past to the future.