Chen dynasty

The Chen dynasty was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties of China, ruling from Jiankang between 557 and 589. It was founded by Chen Baxian, a general of the Liang dynasty who took the throne as Emperor Wu after the Liang state had been devastated by the rebellion of Hou Jing. Chen controlled a smaller territory than its predecessors, mainly the lower Yangtze valley and the south, and it faced constant pressure from the Northern Zhou and then the Sui. Under Emperor Wen and Emperor Xuan the dynasty recovered some strength and extended its authority into the south, but its last ruler, Chen Shubao, was famously absorbed in music and court life. Its rulers supported Buddhism, and the dynasty is remembered for consolidating southern Chinese culture before the Sui conquest. In 589 Sui armies captured Jiankang, ending the dynasty and completing the reunification of China after nearly three centuries of division.