Gaozu of Later Jin

Shi Jingtang 石敬瑭 was the founder of the , the third of the that controlled much of northern China from 907 to 960. The was the second of three successive dynasties that made up the middle three of the Five Dynasties.

Overthrow of the Later Tang Dynasty

Shi Jingtang was the son-in-law of Later Tang Dynasty emperor and was a general of the dynasty. Relations between the Khitans, who were formally allies of the Shatuo Turks, and the Li family, which dates back to 905 when made a brotherhood pact with Li Keyong, father of the founder of the Later Tang Dynasty. By the time his son, Li Cunxu, died, relations between the two had fallen out.

Shi Jingtang was the military commissioner of present-day before colluding with the to the north in his rebellion against the Later Tang Dynasty. With the Khitan assistance of Emperor Taizu of Liao's forces, Shi was able to declare himself the founding emperor of the .

Rule

Shi Jingtang moved the capital to Bian, now known as Kaifeng. During his reign, the ceded the strategic Sixteen Prefectures to the expanding . Due to this, and Khitan support for his dynasty, the is often derided as being a puppet of the Khitans.

Shi would continue to rule the until his death in 942.