Northern Zhou

Zhou 周
557–581
Kyrgyzs CHAM- PA 576 CHENLA FIRST TURKIC KHAGANATE SASANIAN EMPIRE ALCHON HUNS CHALU- KYAS LATER GUPTAS NORTH. ZHOU NORTH. QI ZHANGZHUNG CHEN BYZANTINE EMPIRE AVAR KHAGANATE TUYUHUN Khitans Paleo-Siberians Tungus GOGU- RYEO TOCHA- RIANS The Northern Zhou ( ) and main contemporary polities in Asia c. 576
Northern Zhou territories in light blue
Capital	Chang'an
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 557	Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou
• 557–560	Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou
• 560–578	Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
• 578–579	Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou
• 579–581	Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
History
• Established	15 February[1] 557
• Disestablished	4 March[2] 581
Area
577[3]	1,500,000 km2 (580,000 sq mi)
Currency	Chinese coin, Chinese cash
Preceded by Succeeded by Western Wei Northern Qi Sui dynasty
Today part of	China Mongolia

Zhou (/dʒoʊ/), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (Chinese: 北周; pinyin: Běi Zhōu), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty and was eventually overthrown by the Sui dynasty.