Chinese History: The Jin Dynasty

There is simply nothing more colorful and richer than Chinese history. In an era that was highlighted by great emperors, lasting dynasties, brave warriors, and unsung heroes, Chinese history has truly contributed a lot to the Chinese culture, traditions, and beliefs—as well as to the world.

Chinese history had a lot of dynasties—both from the ancient era, and the imperial era. The imperial era is both eventful and had a lot of climactic moments that truly redefined and shaped the China that we know of today. In imperial Chinese history the Jin Dynasty was established between the years 265 and 420, and is known as one of the dynasties that was responsible for the creation of exquisite ceramic and china that have become valuable over the years.

How the Western Jin Dynasty was Founded

Sima Yan founded the Western Jin Dynasty after forcing Wei’s emperor Cao Huan to give the throne to him in 265 CE. Yan then called himself Emperor Wu, and preceded conquering Eastern Wu. In Chinese history the Jin Dynasty allowed China to experience reunification in 280 CE that lasted 10 years. This reunification was cut short because of corruption and other political instability. After a series of hostile uprising, Emperor Wu’s Western Jin dynasty ended.

The Emergence of Emperor Yuan and the Eastern Jin Dynasty

After the Western Jin dynasty’s fall, Sima Rui, later known as Emperor Yuan, founded the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 317 CE. He controlled almost half of today’s Southern China. This era in Chinese history the Jin Dynasty had a lot of people moving from the central plain to the north, therefore leading to a mix of culture and beliefs among its citizens. The Eastern Jin Dynasty lasted for almost 104 years, only to be cut short because of political unrest between its military and royals.

The Fall of the Jin Dynasty

As the political turmoil between the rebellion of generals and the royal family became more evident, it became clear that the dynasty’s civilian administration suffered. Militarist Qiao Zong contributed to the dynasty’s fall when he founded a new kingdom in Eastern Jin’s Shu region, named Western Shu. Another contributor to the fall of Jin was rebellion leader Liu Yu’s claiming of the throne that eventually led to the Liu Song Dynasty.

The Jin Dynasty Contributions

In imperial Chinese History the Jin Dynasty was well-known for its ceramics. The dynasty, throughout its history, made celadon porcelain jars—which are definitely valuable in today’s market. Marking its Buddhist influence in Imperial Chinese history the Jin Dynasty also contributed to the success of porcelain-making, ceramicware, and china today.

The Jin Dynasty truly had an eventful history, as well as a lot of contributions to modern China. The dynasty’s reunification of China proved to be one of its many highlights, and the birth of new tradition and culture can also be attributed to the Jin Dynasty. While the dynasty’s reign is not that long as compared to the other imperial dynasties, it’s always going to be remembered for its rich and colorful past.