Formation

From the fall of the Tang Dynasty in 907, a rivalry had developed between the successor Later Liang, formed by Zhu Wen, and the State of Jin, formed by Li Keyong, in present-day Shanxi. The rivalry survived the death of Li Keyong, whose son Li Cunxu continued to expand Jin territories at the expense of the Later Liang.

Li Keyong forged an alliance with the powerful Khitan, like the Shatuo a people of the northern steppe, a relationship that figured significantly in the expansion and ultimate triumph of the Shatuo. Li Cunxu was successful in overthrowing the Later Liang in 923 and proclaimed himself emperor of the Later Tang, which he referred to as the "Restored Tang". As a part of "restoring the Tang", the capital was moved back to the old Tang eastern seat of Luoyang.

Course

The Later Tang was a short-lived regime, lasting only thirteen years. Li Cunxu himself lived only three years after the founding of the dynasty, having been killed during an officer's rebellion in 926. Li Siyuan, the adopted son of Li Keyong, took over the dynasty, but relations with the Khitan had fallen sour. Internal struggles typified the remaining ten years of the dynasty, ending with its toppling in 936 when Shi Jingtang, son-in-law of Li Siyuan and a fellow Shatuo, rebelled, stormed the capital with the help of Khitan troops, and founded the Later Jin.

Extent of Later Tang territories

The Later Tang controlled considerably more territory at its height than did the Later Liang. It extended to all the northern territories controlled by the Later Liang as well as its own base in Shanxi. It also had control over the areas around Beijing and Shaanxi, which were not entirely under the control of the Later Liang. The largest expansion of the Later Tang occurred in 925 when they conquered the Former Shu State, centered in present-day Sichuan. However, as Later Tang power was waning, a Later Shu state formed in 934, a year before the fall of the Later Tang.

Rulers

Later Tang rulers family tree

歷史

立國

後唐之建立可追溯到唐朝末年龐勛之亂。龐勛之亂發生在唐懿宗咸通年間，唐政府命沙陀族的朱邪赤心領兵平亂，並賜名李國昌，編入唐朝宗籍，成為唐朝宗室。後來李國昌病故，其子李克用又協助唐室平定黃巢之亂和王行瑜之亂。李克用平亂有功，被封河東節度使，駐守太原，受封晉王。

李克用追擊黃巢時，曾被當時的宣武節度使朱溫邀請入汴梁作客，因為某些不明原因（據朱溫黨羽的說法，李克用酒後侮辱朱溫），朱溫決意趁李克用酒醉殺害他，李克用突圍而出才脫身，自此他與朱溫誓不兩立。朱溫後來篡唐建立後梁，李克用作為唐朝宗室，仍用唐天祐年號，以唐朝北都（今天的山西太原）為基地，發誓興複唐朝，事實上成為中國南北各地反梁勢力的盟主。故晉王集團成為後梁北方最大的威脅。

李克用死後，兒子李存勖繼承晉王爵位，屢敗梁軍。915年（唐天祐十二年，後梁貞明元年），梁在河北鎮守的鄴王楊師厚死，河北發生反梁兵變，李存勖乘機占據河北，晉與後梁在黃河爭峙。李存勖在923年于魏州（今河北大名縣）稱帝，宣布繼承唐朝皇統，史稱後唐，改元同光。同年唐軍直迫汴京消滅了後梁，定都洛陽，李存勖即位，成為後唐莊宗。後唐不承認後梁為正統，在其五行德運的選取上選擇恢復唐朝的「土德」。

前期

後唐莊宗定都洛陽後，力圖恢復大唐的榮光。他見前蜀王氏無道，925年派郭崇韜攻入成都，不出七十日就滅了前蜀。至此，漢地諸藩國臣服，後唐莊宗成為長城以南整個漢地公認的唯一皇帝。當時南方諸藩國深感恐慌，認為中原很快就會派大軍來削平南方的割據。

但另一方面，後唐莊宗漸自大貪逸，寵信宦官、伶人，疏遠舊將，內部矛盾激化。皇后劉氏和宦官與郭崇韜不和，向莊宗進讒言，結果郭崇韜被誤殺，引來政局動蕩和軍人反叛。一個半月內，各地起兵反叛，後唐大亂。

莊宗不得已，派李克用的養子李嗣源，往河北討伐反叛，在嗣源的女婿石敬瑭的策動下，河北軍立嗣源為帝，反攻洛陽。莊宗被伶人郭從謙所殺，史稱興教門之變，以後，李嗣源即皇帝位，是為後唐明宗。

後期

後唐明宗李嗣源即位後，也有相當治績，朝政漸為安定。但軍人安重誨專權，未能處理好與孟知祥、董璋的關係，兩人發生內鬥，孟知祥取勝，結果為後來後蜀脫離後唐獨立埋下了禍根。

明宗晚年病倒在床時，秦王李從榮以為明宗已死，起兵企圖攻入皇宮，結果事敗被殺。明宗得知秦王被殺，震驚之下駕崩，大臣妃子擁立宋王李從厚，是為後唐閔帝。

閔帝即位後，採用削藩政策，引起潞王李從珂的叛亂，叛軍攻入京師，而閔帝夫婦逃往河北，被姐夫石敬瑭設計除去其手下將士，為李從珂軍士擒殺，從珂即帝位，是為後唐末帝。

末帝與鎮守太原的河東節度使石敬瑭不和，936年末帝下詔把石敬瑭調任，引來石敬瑭的叛亂。末帝發兵攻太原，石敬瑭向契丹借兵，遼太宗耶律德光親率大軍南下，唐軍大敗，937年，契丹與石敬瑭的大軍攻入洛陽，1月11日末帝自焚而死，後唐滅亡。歷四帝共十四年。

後唐據有今河南、山東、山西、河北、陝西關中、甘肅東部、湖北北部、安徽北部。

君主

君主列表

君主世系圖