Western Jin: Map & History
The Jin dynasty or the Jin Empire, officially Jin, sometimes distinguished as the Sima Jin or the Two Jins, was an imperial dynasty in China that existed from 266 to 420 CE.
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The Jin dynasty or the Jin Empire, officially Jin, sometimes distinguished as the Sima Jin or the Two Jins, was an imperial dynasty in China that existed from 266 to 420 CE. It was founded by Sima Yan, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Jin, who previously served as the regent of the Cao Wei dynasty.
Modern Countries Once Part of Western Jin
At its mapped extent, Western Jin covered territory in 5 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Hong Kong S.A.R.283–425 CE · nearly all
- Macau S.A.R283–425 CE · nearly all
- China265–425 CE · most
- North Korea265–312 CE · a large part
- Vietnam283–425 CE · a large part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Western Jin's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Western Jin in Depth
History
During the Three Kingdoms period, the Sima clan—with its most accomplished individual being Sima Yi—rose to prominence within the kingdom of Cao Wei that dominated northern China. Sima Yi was the regent of Cao Wei, and in 249 he instigated a coup d'état known as the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, after which the Sima clan began to surpass the imperial Cao clan's power in the kingdom. After Sima Yi's death in 251, Sima Yi's eldest son Sima Shi succeeded his father as regent of Cao Wei, maintaining the Sima clan's tight grip on the Cao Wei political scene. After Sima Shi's death in 255, Sima Shi's younger brother Sima Zhao became the regent of Cao Wei. Sima Zhao further assisted his clans' interests by suppressing rebellions and dissent.
Government and demography
The uprising of the five barbarians led to one in eight northerners migrating to the south. These immigrants were called qiaoren (僑人 'lodged people'), accounting for one-sixth of the population of the south at the time. With consideration of the material loss refugees had experienced before arrival, they were exempt from the diao (調) tax, and other services. Those whose registers were bound in white paper were called baiji (白籍), while the others with registers bound in yellow paper were called huangji (黃籍). When the crisis had subsided, this preferential increasingly seemed a heavy burden on the people, arousing dissatisfaction in the natives. Hence, tu duan was an increasingly important issue for the Eastern Jin.
Society and culture
Taoism was polarised 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 Yellow Turban Rebellion. 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, which made Taoism more palatable to the imperial hierarchy.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Jin dynasty (266–420) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Western Jin: Key Facts
| Capital | Luoyang |
|---|---|
| Currency | ancient Chinese coinage |
| Founded | 266 CE |
| Dissolved | 420 CE |
Preceded by
- Three Kingdoms
Succeeded by
- Northern and Southern dynasties
Facts from Wikidata Q7352 (CC0).
Western Jin Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Western Jin appears, with the other states of the time.
Western Jin Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 4,372,893 km² in 284 CE.
Western Jin: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Western Jin exist?
Western Jin is dated to 265 CE – 425 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Western Jin?
The capital of Western Jin was Luoyang (266–311), Chang'an (312–316), Jiankang (317–420).
How large was Western Jin at its peak?
At its peak in 284 AD Western Jin covered about 4,372,893 km².
How did the map of Western Jin change over time?
Western Jin appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 300 CE to 400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.