Western Liang (555–587)
The Liang, known in historiography as the Western Liang or the Later Liang to distinguish it from the earlier Liang dynasty, was a small puppet state during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, located in the middle Yangtze region in today's central Hubei province. From 555 to 557 it was subservient to the Western Wei, from 557 to 581 to the Northern Zhou, and from 581 to 587 to the Sui dynasty before the Sui annexed it.
The Western Liang's founding emperor, Xiao Cha, was a grandson of the Liang dynasty founder Emperor Wu of Liang. As a result, Western Liang is usually considered a rump state of the Liang dynasty after 557. From 555 to 557 the two states existed simultaneously: Xiao Cha ruled from Jiangling, while the Liang dynasty emperors Xiao Yuanming and Xiao Fangzhi ruled from Jiankang. Before 555, Emperor Yuan of Liang also ruled from Jiangling before he was captured and executed by Xiao Cha and his Western Wei backers. However, he is considered a Liang dynasty emperor rather than a Western Liang emperor because, among other things, he controlled a much larger territory.
The Western Liang had 3 emperors, Xiao Cha, Xiao Kui, and Xiao Cong. From 617 to 621, when the Sui dynasty collapsed, Xiao Cha's great-grandson Xiao Xian occupied the former Western Liang territory and proclaimed himself King of Liang, but his short-lived state is usually considered separate.Emperors
