Later Zhao

The Later Zhao was a dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms that ruled much of northern China from 319 to 351. It was founded by Shi Le, a Jie chieftain who had served as a general of the Han-Zhao state before turning against his former masters. The original capital was at Xiangguo, but in 335 Shi Hu moved the court to Yecheng, which remained the seat of government for the rest of the dynasty apart from a brief attempt to revive the state at Xiangguo. After defeating the Han-Zhao in 329 the Later Zhao controlled a large part of the north and reduced the Former Liang and Dai to vassals; only the Former Yan in Liaoning stayed outside its orbit. For about twenty years the dynasty held a stalemate with the Eastern Jin along the southern frontier. Its armies were noted for their cavalry, and the state supported a substantial programme of construction and patronage at Yecheng. The rapid collapse that followed the death of Shi Hu in 349 was accelerated by a savage succession struggle within the imperial family, and the territory was soon divided among rival claimants and the victorious Former Yan. In historiography the prefix "Later" separates it from the Han-Zhao, also called the Former Zhao.