Song conquest of Southern Han

The Conquest of Southern Han by Song (Chinese: 宋滅南漢之戰) occurred in 971, when Northern Song forces captured the Southern Han capital of Guangzhou in present-day Guangdong Province. The conquest marked the end of the Southern Han dynasty, a short-lived kingdom established during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in southern China. The Northern Song's victory was a significant step in the reunification of China, which had been fragmented for nearly a century. The conquest was led by Song general Pan Mei, who employed a combination of military force and diplomacy to achieve his goal. After a series of battles, the Southern Han forces were defeated and their emperor, Liu Chang, surrendered. The conquest of Southern Han was a decisive victory for the Northern Song, and it helped to solidify their position as the dominant power in China.