Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Southern and Northern Dynasties was a period in the history of China, following the Jin Dynasty (265 420) and followed by the Sui Dynasty. It was an age of civil war and political disunity. However it was also a time of flourishing in the arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spread of foreign Mahayana Buddhism and native Daoism. Distinctive Chinese Buddhism was also matured during this time and shaped by the northern and southern dynasties alike.