kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Ma Chu

907 CE – 951 CE · capital Changsha

The kingdom of the Ma family in Hunan, which grew rich on the tea trade with northern China before collapsing in a family war in 951.

Origins

Ma Yin, a carpenter turned soldier from Xuzhou, came to Hunan with a band of mercenaries and made himself master of the region from Changsha in 896. In 907 the Later Liang recognised him as Prince of Chu, a title he held while accepting the overlordship of the northern courts.

Rule and society

Ma Yin encouraged farming and especially tea, which was sold in large quantities to the northern dynasties in exchange for silk and war horses. He issued iron and lead coins that could not be spent outside Chu, keeping goods and silver inside the kingdom. The ruling family relied on loyal generals and on alliances with the southern Han regimes.

Decline and legacy

After Ma Yin died in 930, his many sons fought over the throne. During a civil war between Ma Xiguang and Ma Xi'e, Southern Tang invaded and in 951 took Changsha, ending the dynasty. Local commanders soon expelled the Southern Tang and held Hunan until the Song Dynasty took it in 963.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ma Chu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ma-chu
MLA
“Ma Chu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ma-chu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ma Chu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ma-chu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ma Chu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/ma-chu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻