In the long history of China, dynasty changes are a common phenomenon. The Eastern Jin Dynasty, as a stage of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties period, marked the beginning of an important turning point in Chinese ancient history with its extinction - the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. This article will explore in detail the collapse of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and its duration.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty was a continuation of the Jin Dynasty, beginning with Sima Rui's accession to the throne in Jiankang (now Nanjing) in 317 AD and ending with Liu Yu replacing the Jin Dynasty and establishing the Song Dynasty in 420 AD, lasting approximately 103 years. A characteristic of this period was that the north was mostly ruled by non-Han dynasties, while the Eastern Jin Dynasty maintained Han culture and institutions in the south. However, as time went on, internal conflicts and external pressures intensified, and the power of the Eastern Jin Dynasty gradually declined.

The collapse of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was not an overnight process. Its political situation was always unstable, with internal strife, external threats, and popular revolts intertwining, ultimately leading to its collapse. In this process, the autocratic power of powerful officials was particularly crucial. Liu Yu, a general from humble beginnings but with outstanding military achievements, gradually gained control of the real power of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After eliminating other separatist forces and recovering lost territory through northern expeditions, he replaced the Jin Dynasty in 420 AD and established the Liu Song Dynasty, marking the official end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The collapse of the Eastern Jin Dynasty ushered in the era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in Chinese history. The Five Dynasties refer to the subsequent five brief and rapidly changing dynasties: Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, and Zhou. Although each of these dynasties had its own characteristics, none of them were able to achieve long-term unity. The Ten Kingdoms refer to ten relatively powerful separatist regimes distributed throughout China at that time, each governing independently outside the framework of the Five Dynasties. The political situation of this period was exceptionally complex, with frequent wars, but it also gave birth to the diversity of local cultures and partial economic development.

In summary, the Eastern Jin Dynasty, as a dynasty bridging the past and the future, existed for approximately 103 years. Its collapse was not only the result of a combination of its own political, economic, and cultural factors, but also laid the groundwork for the emergence of the special historical stage of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The transition from the decline of the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the strife of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms demonstrates the complexity and variability of ancient Chinese society, while also laying a new foundation for subsequent unification.

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