The Northern Han (951โ979 AD) was a small but strategically vital state that served as the final holdout of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Liu Min (Liu Chong), the younger brother of the Later Han's founder Liu Zhiyuan, it was established in the rugged highlands of Shanxi after the Later Han fell to Guo Wei's Later Zhou.
Despite its limited size and meager resources, Northern Han survived for nearly three decades by acting as a loyal vassal to the powerful Khitan Liao Empire, relying on Khitan cavalry to repel repeated southern invasions. Its capital, Taiyuan, was one of the most formidable fortresses in East Asia, famously resisting several massive sieges.
The state was a persistent thorn in the side of both the Later Zhou and the rising Song Dynasty, particularly after its involvement in the Battle of Gaoping. It was only in 979 that Emperor Taizong of Song personally led a massive campaign to finally subdue the kingdom, marking the definitive end of the era of fragmentation and the complete reunification of China under the Song.