Alternate Chinese Dynastic Names

Alternate dynastic names

  • Xu 鄦

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Shen 沈

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Xi 息

    Votes: 2 5.4%
  • Xing 邢

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • Hua 滑

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lai 萊

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lu 鲁

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cai 蔡

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cao 曹

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Wu 吳

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Yong 雍

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hui 辉

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Xiao 霄

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Hong 宏

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Chong 崇

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • Rong 荣

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Xiong 雄

    Votes: 2 5.4%
  • Guang 廣

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • An 安

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Ling 灵

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    37

Dorozhand

Banned
Which is the coolest of these alternate Chinese dynastic names?

1-10 are the names of spring and autumn period/warring states period kingdoms of the kind which were used by the earlier dynasties, while 11-20 are auspicious words of the kind used by the later dynasties.
 
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Wu was an actual dynastic name. Sun Quan set up Eastern Wu in 229.

I went with Chong because the other names refer to states that are too insignificant or concepts that are too specific.
 
My uninformed vote goes for Chong, cuz I'm watching an Elton Chong movie tonight after dinner. (Also, after looking 崇 up on Wiktionary, I like the meaning.)
 
There are many ways you can name your dynasty. It depends on how you get your throne: as an usurper? Or as a warlord?

If you are an usurper, you most likely have already gotten a title of prince-hood from the previous emperor, which most likely is based on one of the ancient states.

If you are an warlord, you might like to name your dynasty after a name associated with actual region/province your army is based. Like Qin(Shaanxi), Han(Sichuan), Wu(Lower Yangtze), Qi(Shandong Peninsular), Liao (Liaodong Peninsular). You can even use names such as Guang(Guangdong), Xu(Xuzhou), Min(Fujian) or Tai(Taiwan:rolleyes:) if it sound nice and you actually started there. Then you get the emperor to appoint you as the "prince" of this region.

But either way, you have to get the emperor to appoint you a title of prince-hood of X, and then he need to abdicate in favour of you (Shànràng), than you can name your dynasty after X. That's why sounds illegitimate to name your dynasty after an adjective.

In that respect, Shen 沈 Xing 邢 Lai 萊 Lu 鲁 Cai 蔡Cao 曹 are all good.

And Guang 廣 is good because it could be associated with Guangdong. I’ve long been curious of an Cantonese-led unification of China. They failed twice IOTL (Taiping and ROC)

I wouldn't name my dynasty after a overtly powerful or major ancient states or ancient dynasty. They would steal my thunder. Therefore Wu is out, because I don't want to compete with Fuchai or Sun Quan.
 
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Don't forget the shift towards certain radical names by the fall of the Yuan; the Ming, are, after all, the Dynasty of Perpetual Brightness.
 
Don't forget the shift towards certain radical names by the fall of the Yuan; the Ming, are, after all, the Dynasty of Perpetual Brightness.

I think the reason why some more recent dynasties are named after Adjectives instead of place names is because they lacked the process of Shànràng.

Legally, the usurper had to get the emperor to appoint his a title of prince-hood of X, and then the emperor need to abdicate in favour of him (Shànràng). And then he can name his dynasty after X.

That's why it sounds illegitimate to name your dynasty after an adjective.
 

Dorozhand

Banned
I like Xing too. It feels like a nice, respectable name. It especially fits as a name for an alternate post-Song dynasty if the Mongol invasions never occurred.
 
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