Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)

For the unrelated "Western Liang" (西梁) in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, see Liang Dynasty.

Western Liang (西涼)
涼
Vassal of Later Qin, Jin Dynasty (265-420), Northern Wei, Liu Song
400–421
Capital		Dunhuang (400-405, 420-421) Jiuquan (405-420)
Government		Monarchy
Duke
•	400-417	Li Gao
•	417-420	Li Xin
•	420-421	Li Xun
History
•	Established	400
•	Fall of Jiuquan	420
•	Disestablished	421
Preceded by Succeeded by Northern Liang Northern Liang

The Western Liang (traditional Chinese: 西涼; simplified Chinese: 西凉; pinyin: Xī Liáng; 400-421) was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China, one of the "Five Liang" (Wu Liang) of this era. Western Liang was founded by the Li family of the Han Chinese. The founder of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu), traced his patrilineal ancestry to the Western Liang rulers, and traced the ancestry of the Western Liang rulers to Li Guang and Laozi in the paternal line. The Li family of Western Liang were known as the Longxi Li lineage (隴西李氏).

All rulers of the Western Liang proclaimed themselves "wang".

Rulers of the Western Liang

Temple names	Posthumous names	Family names and given name	Durations of reigns	Era names and their according durations
Chinese convention: use family and given names
Taizu (太祖 Tàizǔ)	Wuzhao (武昭 Wǔzhāo)	Li Gao (李暠 Lǐ Gǎo)	400-417	Gengzi (庚子 Gēngzǐ) 400-405 Jianchu (建初 Jiànchū) 406-417
Did not exist	Houzhu (後主 Hòuzhǔ)	Li Xin (李歆 Lǐ Xīn)	417-420	Jiaxing (嘉興 Jīaxīng) 417-420
Did not exist	Houzhu (後主 Hòuzhǔ)	Li Xun (李恂 Lǐ Xún)	420-421	Yongjian (永建 Yǒngjiàn) 420-421

Rulers family tree

Western Liang rulers family tree

See also

• Dunhuang
• Han Chinese
• Jiuquan
• Gansu
• Liangzhou District
• List of past Chinese ethnic groups
• Sixteen Kingdoms
• Wuwei, Gansu
• Wu Hu