Dali Kingdom
Dali Kingdom 大理國 Dablit Guaif | |||||||||||||
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Classic Chinese Bai | |||||||||||||
Religion | Buddhism | ||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
Emperor | |||||||||||||
• 937–944 | Duan Siping | ||||||||||||
• 1081–1094 | Duan Zhengming | ||||||||||||
• 1096–1108 | Duan Zhengchun | ||||||||||||
• 1172–1200 | Duan Zhixing | ||||||||||||
• 1251–1254 | Duan Xingzhi | ||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 937 | ||||||||||||
• Coup d'etat by Gao Shengtai | 1094 | ||||||||||||
• Reestablished | 1096 | ||||||||||||
• Conquered by the Mongol Empire | 1253 | ||||||||||||
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Today part of | China Laos Myanmar |
Dali Kingdom | |
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Chinese name | |
Hán-Nôm | 王國大理 |
Bai name | |
Bai | Dablit Guaif |
Part of a series on the |
History of China |
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The Dali Kingdom, also known as the Dali State (simplified Chinese: 大理国; traditional Chinese: 大理國; pinyin: Dàlǐ Guó; Bai: Dablit Guaif), was a dynastic state situated in modern Yunnan province, China from 937 until 1253. In 1253, it was conquered by the Mongols but members of its former ruling house continued to administer the area as tusi chiefs under the auspices of the Yuan dynasty until the Ming conquest of Yunnan in 1382.[1] Today the former capital of the Dali Kingdom is still called Dali in modern Yunnan Province.
Name
The Dali Kingdom takes its name from Dali City. Famed for its high quality marble, Dali (dàlǐ 大理) literally means "marble" in Chinese.[2]
Dali marble is famous throughout Asia and among collectors of gemstones all over the world. For a few square inches of Shuimohuashi, a particularly precious type of marble, dealers in Hong Kong or Shanghai can charge up to $20,000. For more than 1,000 years Dali has been known as the town of marble; indeed, the Chinese word dali means “marble.”[2]
— Barbara A. West
History
Origins
Nanzhao was overthrown in 902 and three dynasties followed in quick succession before Duan Siping seized power in 937, establishing himself at Dali.[3] The Duan clan professed to have Han ancestry.[4] Yuan dynasty records said the Duan family came from Wuwei in Gansu:
Yuan records claim that the Dali kingdom’s Duan rulers originally came from Wuwei Commandery in modern-day Gansu Province, but this is not confirmed by Song or Dali sources. A significant change from Nanzhao is apparent in Dali rulers’ naming practices, which generally do not follow the patronymic linkage system. This suggests that the Dali elites presented themselves as more “Chinese” than their Nanzhao counterparts.[5]
— Megan Bryson
Relations with the Song dynasty
Dali's relationship with the Song was cordial throughout its entire existence. Dali congratulated the Song dynasty on the
Dali relations with the Song differed markedly from Nanzhao-Tang relations. When the first Song emperor, Taizu, came to power, he declared that, in light of Tang difficulties in the Southwest, he would forfeit the Yue and Sui Commanderies and use the Dadu River as the border with Dali. His successors followed this policy, so contact between the Song and Dali was minimal. Song records show reluctance to engage with Dali directly in any way, even through the standard tributary relationship of vassal (Dali) and lord (Song). Because of Song officials’ wariness, Dali was only allowed to offer tribute at the Song court on three occasions. Their requests to offer tribute were repeatedly rejected on the grounds that they would cause trouble for Song, as Nanzhao had for Tang.[7]
— Megan Bryson
Dali's primary importance to the Song dynasty was its horses, which were highly prized and sought after as military assets, especially after the fall of the Northern Song. They were described by a Song official in the following passage:
These horses possess a shape [that is] quite magnificent. They stand low with a muscular front, very similar to the shape of a chicken. The diaphragm is broad, shoulders thick, waist flat, and back round. They are trained to squat on their rear ends like a dog. They easily climb steep terrain on command and possess both speed and agility in chase. They have been raised on bitter buckwheat, so they require little to maintain. How could a horse like this not be considered a good horse?[8]
Dazhong Kingdom (1094-1096)
In 1094, the former prime minister Gao Shengtai forced King Duan Zhengming to relinquish the throne to him and renamed the Dali Kingdom to "Dazhong Kingdom". Gao Shengtai ruled briefly until his death in 1096, after which the throne was returned to the Duan family. Duan Zhengming's younger brother, Duan Zhengchun, became the new ruler and restored the kingdom's former name.[7]
The Gao of Beisheng claimed descent from Gao Shengtai 高昇泰, who usurped the throne of the Dali kingdom c.1094 for approximately one year. According to the Yuan History, Gao Zhisheng 高智升 sent his grandson, Gao Dahui 高大惠, to administer the area after the fall of the Nanzhao kingdom. The Gao served as the Native Officials of Beisheng sub-prefecture for eleven generations during the Ming dynasty. The Ming appointed the first Gao Ce 高策 in recognition of his meritorious military service in 1389, and the eleventh Gao Shichang 高世昌 inherited the position of Vice Magistrate of rank four in 1630.[9]
— Huang Caiwen
Intervention in Đại Việt
According to a Vietnamese stone inscription[
Fall
In 1252
Yunnan under the Yuan dynasty
The Duan family governed Yunnan's various indigenous peoples for eleven generations until the end of Mongol rule. They willingly contributed soldiers to the Mongol campaign against the Song dynasty. In 1271, they aided the Yuan dynasty in putting down a Mongol rebellion in Yunnan.[13]
In 1274, Ajall Shams al-Din Omar was assigned by Kublai to stabilize Yunnan. He instituted a native chieftain system that came to be known as tusi which assigned ranks and posts to native chieftains. Under this institution of "rule based on native customs" the locals retained much of their autonomy with the exception of three obligations. One, they would provide surrendered troops to the Yuan government. Two, local chieftains would provide tribute to the Yuan court. Three, they would follow the rules of appointment, succession, promotion, degradation, reward, and punishment of native chieftains created by the Yuan court.[13]
Yuan rule also introduced a significant Muslim influence into Yunnan.[13]
The King of Dali Duan Gong was married to the Mongol Borjigin princess Agai, daughter of the Yuan dynasty Prince of Liang, Basalawarmi. They had a son and a daughter, Duan Sengnu.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] their children were also called Duan Qiangna and Duan Bao.[24] However the Mongols feared the power of Duan Gong and killed him. Duan Sengnu raised Duan Bao to take revenge against Basalawarmi for the killing of Duan Gong.[25][26] A play was made based on these events.[27][28] According to Yuan documents, the Duan family were originally ethnic Han from Wuwei commandery, Gansu.[5][29][30] Other Duan families also originated from Wuwei.[31][32]
Conquest of Yunnan by the Ming dynasty
In 1381, the Ming dynasty dispatched 300,000 troops to crush the Yuan remnants in Yunnan.
The Duan clan, who helped the Yuan dynasty against a
Government
Under the influence of Chinese officials present from early times,[34] the Dali elite used Chinese script supplemented by Bai characters, which were themselves constructed based on Chinese characters.[35] The Dali court granted hereditary fiefs to pre-existing clan chiefs, in particular the Duan, Gao, Yang, and Dong clans, to win over their support. Some administrative units were designated semi-autonomous military divisions. Similarly to the Nanzhao military, the Dali military consisted of a standing army, townsfolk peasant-soldiers and indigenous militia.[36]
The rulers of Dali continued the traditions of Nanzhao, such as the royal title piaoxin (Lord of Pyu), the use of the same tall crowns, and taking Acuoye Guanyin as their tutelary deity. They also used the title emperor (huangdi).[37]
Language and ethnicity
Extant sources from Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom show that the ruling elite used Chinese script.[38] The vast majority of Dali sources are written in Classical Chinese.[39] However the ruling elite also used Bai language for communication, but no attempt was made to standardize or popularize the script, and it remained an unofficial writing system.[40]
Today, most Bai people trace their ancestry to Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom, but records from those kingdoms do not mention the Bai. The earliest references to "Bai people", or the "Bo", are from the Yuan dynasty. During the Ming dynasty, the Bai were also known as "Minjia" (civilians). A Bai script using Chinese characters was mentioned during the Ming dynasty.[41]
According to Stevan Harrell, while the ethnic identity of Nanzhao's ruling elite is still disputed, the subsequent Yang and Duan dynasties were both definitely Bai.[42]
Religion
A version of Buddhism known as
Fan Chengda (1126-1193) encountered a Dali trade mission and noted that they sought Chinese literature, medical texts, Buddhist scriptures, and dictionaries in return for horses. He marveled that "these people all possessed proper etiquette, and carried and recited Buddhist scriptural books."[44]
Gallery
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Duan Zhixing (r. 1171–1200)
Family tree of monarchs
Family Tree of the Emperors of Dali | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Art
Gallery
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Lacquered armour of the Dali Kingdom
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Dali religious painting
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Dali procession of nobles and soldiers
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Pagoda of Chongsheng Temple, the royal temple of the Dali
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Dharani pillar of Dali, 1220
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Bronze statue of Guanyin from Dali
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Dali vajra sceptre (jingangchu)
Citations
- ^ Theobald, Ulrich (17 August 2012), "Dali 大理", China Knowledge.
- ^ a b West 2009, p. 79.
- ^ a b Yang 2008a.
- ISBN 978-0-674-01212-7.
- ^ a b Bryson 2016, p. 41.
- ISBN 978-9004366152.
- ^ a b Bryson 2016, p. 38.
- ^ Herman 2007, p. 40.
- ^ Huang 2020, p. 80.
- ^ Fan 2011, p. 196.
- ^ Yang 2008c.
- ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2.
- ^ a b c d Yang 2008b.
- ISBN 978-1317515623.
- ISBN 978-0765643162.
- ISBN 978-9814620550.
- ISBN 978-9814620536.
- ISBN 9787800494970. Retrieved Sep 9, 2008.
- ^ Mao yi yu lü you: Trade and tours. 1986. p. 19. Retrieved Jul 31, 2007.
- ^ Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (1991). Cina, Volumes 23-25. Istituto italiano per il medio ed estremo oriente. pp. 157, 159. Retrieved Jun 13, 2011.
- ^ Cina, Volumes 15-16. Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. Istituto italiano per il medio ed estremo oriente. 1979. p. 295. Retrieved Jun 13, 2011.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Cina, Volumes 15-16. Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. Istituto italiano per il medio ed estremo oriente. 1979. p. 295. Retrieved Jun 13, 2011.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ISBN 9781108482448.
- ^ Bryson 2016, p. 212.
- ISBN 978-1317515623.
- ISBN 978-0765643162.
- ISBN 9004090983.
- ISBN 978-9004370715.
- ISBN 0674012127.
- ISBN 0674445155.
- ISSN 0893-6870. Retrieved Sep 9, 2008.
- ISBN 978-9811392016.
- ^ Du Yuting; Chen Lufan. "Did Kublai Khan's conquest of the Dali Kingdom give rise to the mass migration of the Thai people to the south?" (PDF) (Institute for Asian Studies, Kunming ed.). Retrieved 2019-02-18.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ISBN 978-9004366152.
- ISBN 978-9027269584.
- ISBN 978-9004282483.
- ISBN 9789004510227.
- ^ Bryson 2013, p. 7.
- ^ Bryson 2016, p. 40-41.
- ^ Wang 2004, p. 280.
- ^ Bryson 2013, p. 6-7.
- ^ Harrell 1995, p. 87.
- ^ "Nanzhao State and Dali State". City of Dali. Archived from the original on 2006-09-03.
- ^ Bryson 2016, p. 40.
References
- Bryson, Megan (2013), Baijie and the Bai
- Bryson, Megan (2016), Goddess on the Frontier: Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Southwest China, Stanford University Press, ISBN 978-1503600454
- ISBN 978-0-29599-079-8.
- Harrell, Stevan (1995), The History of the History of the Yi, University of Washington Press, pp. 63–91, JSTOR j.ctvbtzm9s.5
- Herman, John E. (2007), Amid the Clouds and Mist China's Colonization of Guizhou, 1200–1700, Harvard University Asia Center, ISBN 978-0-674-02591-2
- Huang, Caiwen (2020), The Lancang Guard and the Construction of Ming society in northwest Yunnan
- Wang, Feng (2004). "Language policy for Bai". In Zhou, Minglang (ed.). Language policy in the People's Republic of China: Theory and practice since 1949. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 278–287. ISBN 978-1-4020-8038-8.
- West, Barbara A. (2009), Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania
- Yang, Bin (2008a), "Chapter 3: Military Campaigns against Yunnan: A Cross-Regional Analysis", Between Winds and Clouds: The Making of Yunnan (Second Century BCE to Twentieth Century CE), Columbia University Press
- Yang, Bin (2008b), "Chapter 4: Rule Based on Native Customs", Between Winds and Clouds: The Making of Yunnan (Second Century BCE to Twentieth Century CE), Columbia University Press
- Yang, Bin (2008c), "Chapter 5: Sinicization and Indigenization: The Emergence of the Yunnanese", Between Winds and Clouds: The Making of Yunnan (Second Century BCE to Twentieth Century CE), Columbia University Press
External links
- Media related to Dali Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons