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The Jin (or Kin) Dynasty (265-420) was established by Wanyan Aguda of the Jurchen (Nuzhen) tribe and was headed by nine successive emperors.

 Establishment of the Jin Dynasty

Pillow with bird and tiger design of the Jin Dynasty

The ancestors of the Jurchen people lived in the Changbai Mountains and the Helongjiang Valley. The name "Jurchen" did not appear in historical records until theFive Dynasties Period(907-960) when it was under the control of the Khitan. During the early years of theLiao (916-1125), the clan community of the Primary Society was still dominant within the tribe. With the widespread adoption of iron tools and the fast-growing population, the tribe achieved a position of great influence. Near the end of the Liao, the Jurchen tribe had become a formidable power in Northern China.

Jadeware called Spring River of the Jin Dynasty

The Jurchen tribe consisted of dozens of clans where the Wanyan clan was the largest. In 1113, as chieftain of the clan union Wanyan Aguda succeeded to unite all of them, marking a new era in Jurchen tribal history.

In 1114, Wanyan performed a ritual with his armies on the banks of the Lailiu River (Jianlalin River between Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces), declaring war on the Liao. Emerging victorious in Ningjiang and Chuhedian, Wanyan established a new dynasty -- the Great Jin Dynasty -- in 1115, proclaiming himself emperor. Historical records refer to Aguda as Emperor Taizu.

Initially, the Jin Dynasty established its capital city in Huining Prefecture (Baicheng, south of Acheng, Heilongjiang Province), later moving to Yanjing (Beijing City). Lastly, the capital was moved to Bianjing on the site of modern Kaifeng City in Henan Province.