Southern and Northern Dynasties: 420 years, 589 years. It is a general term for the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Dynasties. The Northern and Southern Dynasties were a period of great division in the history of China, and also a period of great national integration in the history of China. It is the link between the sixteen countries of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty, which began in the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 420 AD and ended in the Sui Dynasty in 589 AD.
The history of the Southern Dynasties is the history of the gentry from prosperity to decline. The imperial power in the Southern Dynasties was relatively strong. Although the gentry had a noble social status, they could not completely control the political situation.