The
Jin dynasty (, ) was a Chinese dynasty lasting between the years AD 265 to 420. There are two main divisions in the history of the dynasty, the first being Western Jin (, 265–316) and the second Eastern Jin (, 317–420). Western Jin was founded by
Sima Yan, with its capital at
Luoyang, while Eastern Jin was begun by
Sima Rui, with its capital at
Jiankang. The two periods are also known as
Liang Jin (; literally: two Jin) and
Sima Jin by scholars, to distinguish this dynasty from other dynasties that use the same Chinese character, such as the
Later Jin dynasty .