The Jiedushi (T: 節度使 S: 节度使) were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their titles on hereditarily. Powerful jiedushi eventually eclipsed the power of the central government, ushering in the political division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, a period marked by continuous infighting among rival kingdoms, dynasties, and regional regimes established by rival jiedushi.
Notable jiedushi:
