<P> The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (simplified Chinese: 五代 十 国; traditional Chinese: 五代 十 國; pinyin: Wǔdài Shíguó) was an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty . During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were established, mainly in the south . However, only ten are traditionally listed, hence the era's name, "Ten Kingdoms". Some historians, such as Bo Yang, count eleven, including Yan and Qi, but not Northern Han, viewing it as simply a continuation of Later Han . This era also led to the founding of the Liao Dynasty . </P> <P> After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, China was without effective central control during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period . China was divided into several autonomous regions . Support for Buddhism was limited to a few areas . The Hua - yen and T'ien - t'ai schools suffered from the changing circumstances, since they had depended on imperial support . The collapse of T'ang society also deprived the aristocratic classes of wealth and influence, which meant a further drawback for Buddhism . Shenxiu's Northern Chán School and Henshui's Southern Chán School didn't survive the changing circumstances . Nevertheless, Chán emerged as the dominant stream within Chinese Buddhism, but with various schools developing various emphasises in their teachings, due to the regional orientation of the period . The Fayan school, named after Fa - yen Wen - i (885--958) became the dominant school in the southern kingdoms of Nan - T'ang (Jiangxi, Chiang - hsi) and Wuyue (Che - chiang). </P> <P> The Song Dynasty is divided into two distinct periods: the Northern Song and Southern Song . During the Northern Song (Chinese: 北宋, 960--1127), the Song capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of inner China . The Southern Song (Chinese: 南宋, 1127--1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of northern China to the Jin dynasty . During this time, the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze River and established their capital at Lin'an (now Hangzhou). Although the Song Dynasty had lost control of the traditional birthplace of Chinese civilization along the Yellow River, the Song economy was not in ruins, as the Southern Song Empire contained 60 percent of China's population and a majority of the most productive agricultural land . </P> <P> During the Song Dynasty, Chán (禪) was used by the government to strengthen its control over the country, and Chán grew to become the largest sect in Chinese Buddhism . An ideal picture of the Chán of the Tang period was produced, which served the legacy of this newly acquired status . </P>

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