Southern and Northern Dynasties

This article is part of the
History of China series.

Shang Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

Han Dynasty

Three Kingdoms

Jin Dynasty

Southern and Northern Dynasties

Sui Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period

Song Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

History of the Republic of China

History of the PRC (1949-1976)

History of the PRC (1976-present)

Timeline of Chinese History

Southern and Northern Dynasties (南北朝 Nan2bei3zhao1 420-589) followed Jin Dynasty and preceded Sui Dynasty in China and was an age of civil wars and disunity.

During this period the process of sinicization accelerated among the non-Chinese arrivals in the north and among the aboriginal tribesmen in the south. This process was also accompanied by the increasing popularity of Buddhism (introduced into China in the first century A.D.) in both north and south China.

Despite the political disunity of the times, there were notable technological advances. The invention of gunpowder (at that time for use only in fireworks) and the wheelbarrow is believed to date from the sixth or seventh century. Advances in medicine, astronomy, and cartography are also noted by historians.

Southern and Northern Dynasties

See also