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Chao K'uang-yin[jou kwAng-yin] Pronunciation Key, Chinese emperor (960–79), founder of the Sung dynasty. A leading general during the short-lived Later Chou dynasty (951–60), he usurped the throne, and by the time of his death he had reunited most of China proper. Chao's reign followed the Five Dynasties period (907–60), an era of frequent political change. His greatest accomplishment, and the reason for the longevity of the Sung, was his replacement of the system of autonomous local military commanders with large professional armies under the control of the central government.
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