550 BOTANICON SINICUM. 
(present Nan king). 16 small foreign kingdoms or dynasties 
were then established in the northern provinces. They were 
all subsequently destroyed by the Pei Wei. 
The 4 $i Pei (Northern) Wei dynasty [386-558] was 
of Tungus origin. It swayed Southern Mongolia and the 
northern part of China, and, encroaching upon the dominions 
of the Southern Sung and the other Southern Dynasties 
[v. infra], finally occupied also Mid China as far as the 
Yang tsz‘. Political division of the empire : 113 4h] chou 
(corresponding to the present fu or prefectures), 519 PK hin 
(departments) and 1,352 hien (districts). The capital was 
at first at ft} Tai (now Ta t‘ung fu in Shan si), In 495 it 
was moved to Lo yang. In 532 the Pei Wei dynasty split 
into two branches—the Tung or Eastern Wei [532-550], 
capital at #8 Ye (present Chang te fu in N. Ho nan) and ie 
the Si or Western Wei [532-558] with the capital at Ch‘ang = 
an. These two Wei dynasties wero finally overthrown by 
two other short-lived dynasties :— 
The $f #§ Pei (Northern) Ts‘ dynasty [550-577] 
replaced the Eastern Wei ; the JE Ja] Pei (Northern) — 
Chou dynasty [558-581] replaced the Western Wei 
and in 577 overthrew the Pei Ts‘i. The Pei Chou 
was itself destroyed by the Sui [v. infra]. : 
The Pei Wei, Pei Ts‘ and Pei Chou are known 
in Chinese history under the general name of 4] — 
Pei ch‘ao (Northern Dynasties). 
In the Southern half of China the Tsin dynasty was — 
replaced by the RF Sung dynasty, more generally termed — 
ME Nan (Southern) Sung dynasty, to distinguish it from 
the Sung dynasty which reigned ix China from the 10th 
to the 13th century. The dominions of this Nan Sung 
dynasty at first comprised South and Mid China and present 
Shan tung. Political division : 22 chow or provinces with 
277 kin and 1,857 hien. The capital was at gt fe Kien 
