Throughout its existence, it remained a puppet state of the Western Wei, Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties.

It was located in the middle Yangtze region in today's central Hubei province.

Before 555, Emperor Yuan of Liang also ruled from Jiangling before he was captured and executed by Xiao Cha and his Western Wei backers.

However, he is considered a Liang dynasty emperor rather than a Western Liang emperor because, among other things, he (at least nominally) controlled a much larger territory.

From 617 to 621, when the Sui dynasty collapsed, Xiao Cha's great-grandson Xiao Xian occupied the former Western Liang territory (and more) and proclaimed himself King of Liang, but his short-lived state is usually considered separate.