Eastern Jin (317–420)

Lacquer screen, from the tomb of Sima Jinlong, 484 CE. Untypical of Northern Wei styles, it
was probably brought from the court of the Jin dynasty by Sima Jinlong's father. [5]
Alternatively, it could be a Northern Wei work strongly influenced by Jin artistic styles, such
as the work of Gu Kaizhi.[6]

Establishment
See also: Sixteen Kingdoms

After the fall of Chang'an and the execution of Emperor Min of Jin, Sima Rui,
posthumously known as Emperor Yuan, was enthroned as Jin emperor in 318. He
reestablished the Jin government at Jiankang (present-day Nanjing), which became
the dynasty's new capital. This marked the start of the Eastern Jin period.[2] One of
Sima Rui's titles was the prince of Langya, so the recently established northern states,
who denied the legitimacy of his succession, occasionally referred to his empire as
"Langya".

The Eastern Jin period witnessed the pinnacle of menfa (門閥, "gentry clans")
politics. The authority of the emperors was limited, while national affairs were
controlled by powerful immigrant elite clans like the Wang (王) clans of Langya and
Taiyuan, the Xie (謝) clan of Chenliu, the Huan (桓) clan of Qiao Commandery, and
the Yu (庾) clan of Yingchuan. Among the people, a common remark was that "Wang
Dao and Sima Rui, they dominate the nation together" (王與馬，共天下).[7] It was
said that when Emperor Yuan was holding court, he even invited Wang Dao to sit by
his side so they could jointly accept congratulations from ministers, but Wang Dao
declined the offer.[8]

Wars with the north

See also: Battle of Fei River, Liu Yu's Northern Expeditions, and Huan Wen's Northern
Expeditions

In order to recover the lands lost during the fall of the Western Jin, the Eastern Jin
dynasty launched several military campaigns against the northern states, such as the
expeditions led by Huan Wen from 354–369. Most notably, in 383, a heavily
outnumbered Eastern Jin force inflicted a devastating defeat on the state of Former
Qin at the Battle of Fei River. After this battle, the Former Qin—which had recently
unified northern China—began to collapse, and the Jin dynasty recovered the lands
south of the Yellow River. Some of these lands were later lost, but the Jin regained
them once more when Liu Yu defeated the northern states in his northern expeditions
of 409–416.

Despite successes against the northern states like the Battle of Fei River, paranoia in
the royal family and a constant disruptions to the throne often caused loss of support
for northern campaigns. For example, lack of support by the Jin court was a major
cause of Huan Wen's failure to recover the north in his expeditions. Additionally,
internal military crises—including the rebellions of generals Wang Dun and Su Jun,
but also lesser fangzhen (方鎮, "military command") revolts—plagued the Eastern Jin
throughout its 104 year existence.

Mass migration to the south

The local aristocrat clans of the south were often at odds with the immigrants from the
north. As such, tensions increased, and rivalry between the immigrants and southern
locals loomed large in the domestic politics of the Jin. Two of the most prominent
local clans, the Zhou (周) clan of Yixing and the Shen (沈) clan of Wuxing, were
dealt a bitter blow from which they never quite recovered. There was also conflict
between the various northern immigrant clans. This led to a virtual balance of power,
which somewhat benefited the emperor's rule.

Special "commanderies of immigrants" and "white registers" were created for the
massive amounts of northern Han Chinese who moved south during the Eastern Jin.[9]
The southern Chinese aristocracy was formed from the offspring of these migrants.[10]
Particularly in the Jiangnan region, Celestial Masters and the nobility of northern
China subdued the nobility of southern China during the Jin dynasty.[11] Southern
China overtook the north in population due to depopulation of the north and the
migration of northern Chinese to southern China.[12][13] Different waves of migration of
aristocratic Chinese from northern China to the south at different times resulted in
distinct groups of aristocratic lineages.[14]

Celadon jar, Eastern Jin, 317–420 CE.

Demise

In 403, Huan Xuan, the son of esteemed general Huan Wen, usurped the Jin throne
and declared the dynasty of Huan Chu. Huan Xuan was soon toppled by Liu Yu, who
reinstated Jin rule by installing Sima Dezong on the throne, posthumously known as
Emperor An (the "Peaceful Emperor of Jin"). Meanwhile, the civilian administration
suffered, as there were further revolts led by Sun En and Lu Xun, and Western Shu
became an independent kingdom under Qiao Zong. In 419, Liu Yu had Sima Dezong
strangled and replaced by his brother Sima Dewen, posthumously known as Emperor
Gong (the "Respectful Emperor of Jin"). Finally, in 420, Sima Dewen abdicated in
favor of Liu Yu, who declared himself the ruler of the new Song dynasty (which is
referred to as the Liu Song dynasty by historians in order to prevent confusion with
the Song dynasty established in 960). Sima Dewen was then asphyxiated with a
blanket in the following year. In the north, Northern Liang, the last of the Sixteen
Kingdoms, was conquered by the Northern Wei in 439, ushering in the Northern
dynasties period.

The Xianbei Northern Wei accepted the Jin refugees Sima Fei (司馬朏) and Sima
Chuzhi (司馬楚之). They both married Xianbei princesses. Sima Fei's wife was
named Huayang (華陽公主), who was a daughter of Emperor Xiaowen; Sima
Chuzhi's son was Sima Jinlong (司馬金龍), who married a Northern Liang princess
who was a daughter of Xiongnu King Juqu Mujian.[15] More than fifty percent of
Tuoba Xianbei princesses of the Northern Wei were married to southern Han Chinese
men from the imperial families and aristocrats from southern China of the Southern
dynasties who defected and moved north to join the Northern Wei.[16] Much later,
Sima Guang (1019–1086), who served as prime minister to the Song, claimed descent
from the Jin dynasty (specifically, Sima Fu, brother of Sima Yi).

Government and demography

Menfa Politics: Administrative divisions of Eastern Jin dynasty, as of 382 AD

Qiaoren and Baiji

The uprising of the five barbarians led to one in eight northerners migrating to the
south. These immigrants were called "qiaoren (僑人, literally the lodged people)",
accounting for one sixth of the then people living in the south. Considering most
property of these refugees had been lost or exhausted as they arrived, they were
privileged to be free from diao (調), a special poll tax that was paid via the silk or
cotton cloth in ancient China, and other services. Their registers which were bound in
white papers were called baiji (白籍). The ordinary ones which were bound in yellow
papers were called huangji (黃籍) in comparison.

When the situation settled down, the preferential treatment not only was a heavy
burden for the nation, but also aroused dissatisfaction from the natives. Hence, tu
duan was an increasingly important issue for the Eastern Jin.

Lodged administrative divisions

The Eastern Jin court established the lodged administrative divisions which served as
strongholds of the qiaoren. More effective administration for them was a realistic
starting point for that. Consisting of three levels: qiaozhou (僑州, the lodged
province), qiaojun (僑郡, the lodged commandery), and qiaoxian (僑縣, the lodged
county), these lodged administrative divisions were merely nominal without
possessing actual domain, or rather, they were local government in exile; what could
scarcely be denied was their significance in Jin's legitimacy for the northern territory
as somewhat an announcement. Furthermore, it was also an action done to appease
the refugees' homesickness, which was evoking their desire to resume what had been
lost.

Ornamental plaque, Eastern Jin dynasty, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

During the rule of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, the lodged
administrative divisions were concentrated in the area south of the Huai River and the
Lower Yangtze Plain. At first there was the lodged Langya Commandery within
lodged Fei County in Jiankang, but when it began is not exactly known. Then the
lodged Huaide County was also established in Jiankang, around 320. According to the
Book of Song:

晉永嘉大亂，幽、冀、青、並、兗州及徐州之淮北流民，相率過淮，亦有過江
在晉陵郡界者……又徙流民之在淮南者于晉陵諸縣，其徙過江南及留在江北
者，並立僑郡縣以司牧之。徐、兗二州或治江北，江北又僑立幽、冀、青、並
四州……(After Disaster of Yongjia, the refugees from You, Ji, Qing, Bing, Yan and
Xu provinces came across the Huai River, some even came across the Yangtze River
and stayed in Jinling Commandery... The lodged administrative divisions were
established to govern them. The seats of Xu and Yan provinces perhaps were moved
to the area north of the Yangtze River, where the lodged You, Ji, Qing, Bing
provinces were established.)[17]

The lodged Pei, Qinghe, Xiapi, Dongguang, Pingchang, Jiyin, Puyang, Guangping,
Taishan, Jiyang, and Lu commanderies were established when Emperor Ming ruled.
The rebellions and invasions occurring in Jianghuai area led to more refugees
switching to settle in the south of the Yangtze River, where the lodged Huainan
Commandery was established afterwards.

However, carrying these out was more complex than the policy was formulated.
Several actual counties were under the jurisdiction of the lodged commanderies.

A few lodged administrative divisions are still retained in China nowadays. For
instance, Dangtu County was originally located in the area of Bengbu, however, the
lodged Dangtu County was established in where it is now, and the latter replaced the
former, inheriting its place name.

Tu Duan policy

The tu duan (土斷) is the abbreviation for yi tu duan (以土斷, means classifying
people according to their present habitation to register). It was a policy to ensure the
ancient hukou system working since the Western Jin. These terms were first recorded
in the biographies of Wei Guan and Li Chong included in the Book of Jin:

今九域同規，大化方始，臣等以為宜皆蕩除末法，一擬古制，以土斷，定自公
卿以下，皆以所居為正，無復懸客遠屬異土者。[18]

然承魏氏凋弊之跡，人物播越，仕無常朝，人無定處，郎吏蓄於軍府，豪右聚
於都邑，事體駁錯，與古不同。謂九品既除，宜先開移徙，聽相並就。且明貢
舉之法，不濫於境外，則冠帶之倫將不分而自均，即土斷之實行矣。[19]

Hence, it was perhaps initially proposed by these two people, but was only seriously
implemented during the Eastern Jin and the Southern dynasties.

Society and culture

Religion
Scene of the Admonitions Scroll, traditionally considered as a Jin court painting by Gu Kaizhi
(ca. 345–406)

Taoism was polarized in the Jin dynasty. The Jin emperors repressed Taoists harshly,
but also tried to exploit it, given the way it had been used near the end of the Han era
in the poor peasants' revolts. Amidst the political turmoil of the era, many successful
merchants, small landowners, and other moderately comfortable people found great
solace in Taoist teachings and a number of major clans and military officers also took
up the faith. Ge Hong emphasized loyalty to the emperor as a Taoist virtue; he even
taught that rebels could never be Taoist immortals,[20] which made Taoism more
palatable to the imperial hierarchy. As a result, popular Taoist religions were
considered heterodoxy while the official schools of the court were supported, but the
popular schools like Tianshi Taoism were still secretly held dear and promulgated
amongst ordinary people.

Disunity, disintegration, and chaos also made Buddhism more popular, in part due to
the focus on addressing suffering. The Jin dynasty marked a critical era for Mahayana
in China. Dharmarakṣa’s 286 translation of the Lotus Sutra was the most important
one before Kumārajīva’s 5th-century translation. It was said that there were 1,768
Buddhist temples in the Eastern Jin.[21]

Furthermore, Taoism advanced chemistry and medicine in China, whereas the

contribution of Mahayana was concentrated in philosophy and literature.

List of emperors and eras

See also: Emperor's family tree and Family tree of Sima Yi

Family
name Era names and their
Posthumous Durations
and according range of Territories
names of reigns
given years
names

Western Jin dynasty 266–316

 Taishi 266– Western Jin

274
 Xianning 275–
280
Sima
Wu 266–290  Taikang 280–
Yan 289
 Taixi January
28, 290 – May
17, 290
 The Jin Empire (yellow), c. 280
(Western Jin)

Traditional Chinese 西晉

 Yongxi May 17, 290 –

February 15, 291
 Yongping February 16 – April
23, 291
 Yuankang April 24, 291 –
February 6, 300
 Yongkang February 7, 300 –
February 3, 301
 Yongning June 1, 301 –
January 4, 303
Sima
Hui 290–307  Taian January 5, 303 –
Zhong February 21, 304
 Yongan February 22 – August
15, 304; December 25, 304 –
Transcriptions February 3, 305
 Jianwu August 16 – December
24, 304
 Yongxing February 4, 305 –
July 12, 306
 Guangxi July 13, 306 –
February 19, 307

Sima  Jianshi February 3 – June 1,

none 301
Lun 301

Sima
Huai 307–311  Yongjia 307 – 313
Chi

Sima
Min 313–316  Jianxing 313–316
Ye

Eastern Jin dynasty 317–420

 Jianwu 317–
318
Sima 317–  Taixing 318–
Yuan
Rui 323 322
 Yongchang
322–323
 Eastern Jin

The Jin Empire (yellow), c. 400

(Eastern Jin)

Traditional Chinese 東晉

Simplified Chinese 东晋

Ming Sima Shao 323–325  Taining 323–326

 Xianhe 326–335
Cheng Sima Yan 325–342
 Xiankang 335–342

Kang Sima Yue 342–344  Jianyuan 343–344

 Yonghe 345–357
Mu Sima Dan 344–361
 Shengping 357–361

 Longhe 362–363
Ai Sima Pi 361–365
Transcriptions  Xingning 363–365

none Sima Yi 365–372  Taihe 365–372

Jianwen Sima Yu 372  Xianan 372–373

 Ningkang 373–375
Xiaowu Sima Yao 372–396
 Taiyuan (太元) 376–396

 Longan 397–402
An Sima Dezong 396–419  Yuanxing 402–405
 Yixi 405–419

Gong Sima Dewen 419–420  Yuanxi 419–420

Major events
Jin dynasty

Traditional Chinese 晉朝

Simplified Chinese 晋朝

Transcriptions

Sima Jin

Traditional Chinese 司馬晉

Simplified Chinese 司马晋

Transcriptions

Liang Jin

Traditional Chinese 兩晉

Simplified Chinese 两晋

Literal meaning Two Jins

Transcriptions

 Battle of Fei River

 Butterfly Lovers
 War of the Eight Princes
 Wu Hu people

See also

 China portal

 History portal

 Chinese sovereign
 Ge Hong
 List of tributaries of Imperial China
 Liu Song dynasty
 Northern dynasties
 Northern Wei dynasty
 Romance of the Three Kingdoms
 Six Dynasties
 Sixteen Kingdoms
 Southern dynasties