A Dwindling Mandate of Heaven五代十國The fall of the Tang dynasty was attributed to the devolution of power to local military governors, known as Jiedushi, an individual

The fall of the Tang dynasty was attributed to the devolution of power to local military governors, known as Jiedushi, an individual who was once appointed by the Central Court of the Tang Empire, by the end of the Tang dynasty reeked of nepotism and clientelism.

The Jiedushi appointed their own armies countering the 'Palace Armies' who bear allegiance to the Emperor of Tang.

The devolved Jiedushi supported anti-Tang rebellions that reached their climax during the Lushan rebellion, often considered the end of the line for the Tang Dynasty.

The independent Jiedushi that succeeded to grow independent from Tang rule were geographically separated along the Central Plains. Each and every Jiedushi amassed power over local administrative structures and proclaimed their independence from their Tang patrons who built the local governance, now under the control of Jiedushi. 

Basically, there were stages to this modus operandi of devolution from Tang by local Jiedushi and later independence. 

Initially, the rebellious regime demanded sovereignty from Tang rule. This was usually filled with war and bickering between the palace and Jiedushi armies. Later, Jiedushi would gain stability over the geography where they had an administrative authority and later declared independence from Tang's suzerainty by amassing power over local governance. 

Within this dynamic, five dynasties and ten kingdoms emerged along with the Tang Dynasty. Most of these kingdoms adopted the name of the former Chinese dynasties with the aim of eventually gaining rule over the Central Plain. These five dynasties were: Liang,  Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou. These dynasties were based in the Central Plain region. 

However, southern China had its own dynamic. The ten kingdoms that emerged here were relatively peaceful and less revisionist. The ten kingdoms were: Yang Wu, Wuyue, Min, Ma Chu, Southern Han, Later Shu, Jingnan, Southern Tang, and Northern Han. 

The seed of consolidation of all different polities was done by the Song Dynasty. The Emperor Taizu of Song usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty in 960 and carried out a series of conquests starting from 960 to 979. 

By 979, the Song Dynasty unified most of China and thus started the era of prosperity of China under the rule of the Song Dynasty. 

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: 907 AD-979 AD

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