The Triệu dynasty or Zhao dynasty (; ; 茹趙) ruled the kingdom of
Nanyue
Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...
, which consisted of parts of southern
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
as well as northern
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. Its capital was
Panyu, in modern
Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
. The founder of the dynasty,
Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (), rendered as Triệu Đà in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, was a Qin dynasty Chinese general and first emperor of Nanyue. He participated in the conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam. After ...
(Triệu Đà), was a Chinese general
from
Hebei
Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
and originally served as a military governor under the
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...
. He asserted the state's independence in 207 BC as the Qin dynasty was collapsing. The ruling elite included both native
Yue and immigrant
Han peoples.
[Snow, Donald B., ]
Cantonese as written language: the growth of a written Chinese vernacular
' (2004), Hong Kong University Press, p. 70. Zhao Tuo conquered the Vietnamese state of
Âu Lạc and led a coalition of Yuè states in a
war against the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
, which had been
expanding southward. Subsequent rulers were less successful in asserting their independence and the Han dynasty finally conquered the kingdom in 111 BC.
[.]
Historiography
The scholar Huang Zuo produced the first detailed published history of Nanyue in the fifteenth century.
[Yoshikai Masato, "Ancient Nam Viet in historical descriptions", ]
Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor
', Volume 2, ABC-CLIO, 2004, p. 934. Chinese historians have generally denounced Nanyue as separatists from the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
(206 BC – 220 AD), but have also praised them as a civilizing force. A particularly strident denunciation was produced by poet Qu Dajun in 1696.
[Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, Wolfgang Schluchter, Björn Wittrock, ]
Public spheres and collective identities
', Transaction Publishers, 2001, p. 213. Qu praised
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang (, ; February 25912 July 210 BC), born Ying Zheng () or Zhao Zheng (), was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of China. He is widely regarded as the first ever supreme leader of a unitary state, unitary d ...
as a model of how to uphold the purity of Chinese culture, and compared Zhao Tuo unfavorably to the emperor.
[ A more positive view of Nanyue multiculturalism was presented by Liang Tingnan in ''Nányuè Wŭ Zhǔ Zhuàn'' (南越五主傳; "Biographies of the Five Lords of Nanyue") in 1833.][ Cantonese refer to themselves as ''Yuht'', the Cantonese pronunciation of Yuè/Việt. In modern times, the character (yuè) refers to Cantonese while (yuè) refers to Vietnamese. But historically, these two characters were interchangeable.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese historians have struggled with the issue of whether to regard the Triệu dynasty heroically as founders of Vietnam, or to denounce them as foreign invaders. For centuries afterward, Zhao Tuo was a folk hero among the Viets, and was remembered for standing up to the Han Empire.] After Lý Bí drove the Chinese out of northern Vietnam, he proclaimed himself "Emperor of Nam Việt" (''Nam Việt đế''; 南越帝) in 544, thus identifying his state as a revival of the Nanyue, despite obvious differences in terms of location and ethnic makeup. In the thirteenth century, Lê Văn Hưu wrote a history of Vietnam that used the Triệu dynasty as its starting point, with Zhao Tuo receiving glowing praise as Vietnam's first emperor.[ In the 18th century, Ngô Thì Sĩ reevaluated Zhao Tuo as a foreign invader.][ Under the ]Nguyễn dynasty
The Nguyễn dynasty (, chữ Nôm: 茹阮, chữ Hán: 朝阮) was the last List of Vietnamese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasty, preceded by the Nguyễn lords and ruling unified Vietnam independently from 1802 until French protectorate in 1883 ...
, Zhao Tuo continued to receive high praise, although it was acknowledged that the original Nanyue was not in fact a Vietnamese state.[ The current government of Vietnam portrays Zhao Tuo negatively as a foreign invader who vanquished Vietnam's heroic King An Dương despite there being a campaign to reconsider the role of Zhao Tuo due to rising tensions between Vietnam and China.][ Modern Vietnamese are descended from the ancient Yue of northern Vietnam and western Guangdong, according to Peter Bellwood.]
History
Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (r. 204–136 BC), also called Triệu Đà, the founder of the dynasty, was an ethnic Chinese born in the State of Zhao
Zhao () was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It emerged from the tripartite division of Jin, along with Han and Wei, in the 5th century BC. Zhao gained considerable strength from the military ...
, now Hebei
Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
province. He became military governor of Nanhai (now Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
) upon the death of Governor Ren Xiao in 208 BC, just as the Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...
was collapsing. The Qin governor of Canton advised Zhao to found his own independent kingdom since the area was remote and there were many Chinese settlers in the area. He asserted Nanhai's independence declared himself the king of Nam Việt in 204 BC, established in the area of Lingnan
Lingnan (; ) is a geographic area referring to the lands in the south of the Nanling Mountains. The region covers the modern China, Chinese subdivisions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong & Macau and Northern Vietnam.
Background
The ar ...
, the modern provinces of comprises Guangdong, Guangxi
Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
, south Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
, south Jiangxi
; Gan: )
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 =
, translit_lang1_type3 =
, translit_lang1_info3 =
, image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_caption = Location ...
and other nearby areas.[Chapius, Oscar, ]
A history of Vietnam: from Hong Bang to Tu Duc
' He ruled Nanyue and committed acts of defiance against Emperor Gaozu of Han
Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...
and he severed all ties with the Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
, killed many Han employees appointed by the central government and favored local customs of the Yue people. Being a talented general and cunning diplomat, he sought a peaceful relationship with both the Qin dynasty and the succeeding Han dynasty.
In 196 BC, the Emperor Gaozu of Han sent the scholar Lu Jia to the court of Zhao Tuo.[Taylor, Keith Weller, ]
The Birth of Vietnam
', p. 24. University of California Press, 1991. On this occasion, Zhao Tuo squatted and wore his hair in a bun, in the Yuè manner.[
"You are a Chinese and your forefathers and kin lie buried in Zhending in the land of Zhao", Lu told the king.][Sima Qian, Burton Watson, ''Records of the Grand Historian: Han Dynasty I'', pp 224–225. .] "Yet now you turn against that nature which heaven has given you at birth, cast aside the dress of your native land and, with this tiny, far-off land of Yue, think to set yourself up as a rival to the Son of Heaven and an enemy state....It is proper under such circumstances that you should advance as far as the suburbs to greet me and bow to the north and refer to yourself as a 'subject'." After Lu threatened a Han military attack on Nanyue, Zhao Tuo stood up and apologized. Lu stayed at Panyu for several months and Zhao Tuo delighted in his company.[Sima Qian, p, 226.] "There is no one in all Yue worth talking to", said the king, "Now that you have come, everyday I hear something I have never heard before!"[ Lu recognized Zhao Tuo as "King of Yue".][ An agreement was reached that allowed legal trade between the Han dynasty and Nanyue, as the people of Nanyue were anxious to purchase iron vessels from the Han dynasty.][Wicks, Robert S., ]
Money, markets, and trade in early Southeast Asia: the development of indigenous monetary systems to AD 1400
', SEAP Publications, 1992. p. 27. When Lu returned to Chang'an
Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
, the Emperor Gaozu of Han was much pleased by this result.[
Lü Zhi, the Han empress dowager, banned trade with Nanyue in 185 BC.][ "Emperor Gaozu set me up as a feudal lord and sent his envoy giving me permission to carry on trade," said Zhao Tuo.][ "But now Empress Lü... streating me like one of the barbarians and breaking off our trade in iron vessels and goods."][ Zhao Tuo responded by declaring himself an emperor and by attacking some border towns.][ His imperial status was recognized by the Minyue, Western Ou ( Âu Việt), and the Luolou.][Wicks, p. 28.] The army sent against Nanyue by Empress Lü was ravaged by a cholera epidemic.[ When Zhao Tuo was reconciled with the Han Empire in 180 BC, he sent a message to the ]Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), born Liu Che and courtesy name Tong, was the seventh Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty from 141 to 87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years – a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi ...
in which he described himself as, "Your aged subject Tuo, a barbarian chief".[ Zhao Tuo agreed to recognize the Han ruler as the only emperor.][
]
Peace meant that Nanyue lost its imperial authority over the other Yue states. Its earlier empire had not been based on supremacy, but was instead a framework for a wartime military alliance opposed to the Han.[ The army Zhao Tuo had created to oppose the Han was now available to deploy against the Âu Lạc kingdom in modern-day northern Vietnam.][ This kingdom was conquered in 179–180 BC.][ Zhao Tuo divided his kingdom into two regions: Cửu Chân and Giao Chỉ. Giao Chỉ now encompasses most of northern Vietnam. He allowed each region to have representatives to the central government, thus his administration was quite relaxed and had a feeling of being decentralized. However, he remained in control. By the time Zhao Tuo died in 136 BC, he had ruled for more than 70 years and outlived his sons.
In modern Vietnam, Zhao Tuo is best remembered as a character in the "Legend of the Magic Crossbow". According to this legend, Zhao Tuo's son Trong Thủy married Mỵ Châu, the daughter of King An Dương of Âu Lạc, and used her love to steal the secret of An Dương's magic crossbow.]
Zhao Mo
Zhao Tuo died in 136 BC and was succeeded by his grandson Zhao Mo (; ). He was 71 years old at the time of ascending to the throne. In 135 BC, the Minyue attacked and Zhao Mo requested the assistance of the Han Empire.[Taylor, p. 27.] The Emperor Wu of Han offered to "help" by sending his army, ostensibly to suppress the assist Nanyue, but with an eye of seizing the country should an occasion arise. Crown Prince Zhao Yingqi was sent to live and study in the Han court.[ Zhao Mo took this as a gesture of goodwill by the Emperor Wu of Han, whom he viewed as a brother, to strengthen the relationship between Han and Nanyue. Zhao Mo died in 124 BC. His mausoleum was found in ]Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
in 1983.
Zhao Yingqi
Zhao Yingqi (, , r. 124–112 BC) was the crown prince when his father, Zhao Mo, died. Zhao Yingqi's appointment to kingship was a conciliatory measure to the Han emperor in Chang'an
Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
as a sign of respect. This crowned prince, Zhao Yingqi, lived most of his life in the Han dynasty where he had fathered a son by an ethnic Chinese woman surnamed Jiu (); In one popular theory, she was Emperor Wu's own daughter. He named the son Zhao Xing. Only when his father, Zhao Mo, died did Zhao Yingqi receive permission to go home for his father's funeral. This happened in 124 BC. Zhao Yingqi then ascended the throne of Nanyue. Not much is known about Zhao Yingqi's reign, probably because it is a short one and he was subservient to the Han emperor. His son, Zhao Xing, was only about 6 years old when he died. Owing to Zhao Xing's extreme youth, his mother Lady Jiu, became the Empress Dowager.
Zhao Yingqi's death precipitated the events that would lead to the seizure and domination of Nanyue by the Han forces.
Zhao Xing
Zhao Xing (r. 113–112 BC), also called Triệu Hưng, was just 6 years old when he ascended the throne. Soon thereafter, Emperor Wu of Han summoned him and his mother, Lady Jiu, to an audience to pay homage in the Han court. The Han dynasty held Lady Jiu and Zhao Xing under the pretext that the young king needed their protection. By acquiescing to this gesture, both the empress dowager and the young emperor gave the public the impression that they were just puppets in the hands of the Han court.
With Zhao Xing in their hands and the queen dowager beheaded, the Han dynasty prepared their army for an invasion. In 112 BC, the emperor sent two of his commanders, Lu Bode and , along with 5,000 of his best soldiers to invade Nanyue.
Zhao Jiande
Nanyue's senior prime minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
, Quan Thai-pho, Lü Jia sent out the army to meet the Han at the border to repel the invasion. The army was strong, but smaller in number. Meanwhile, inside the country, the word has spread that Zhao Xing was in the hand of the Han dynasty. The Nanyue feared that if they resist, their king would be harmed by the Han dynasty. The country was now in a state of chaos. When the Han kept sending more and more reinforcements for his army at the border, the Nanyue's army was unable to hold their position. Lü Jia saw that Nanyue must have a new king in order to calm its people and to stir up Nanyue patriotism to fight. Zhao Jiande (also called Triệu Kiến Đức), Zhao Yingqi's eldest son from one of his concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
s, took the burden of leading his people to war.
Decline of the dynasty
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), born Liu Che and courtesy name Tong, was the seventh Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty from 141 to 87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years – a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi ...
dispatched soldiers against Nanyue. With its king being too young and inexperienced and leading an untrained, however brave army, Nanyue was only able to keep their stronghold for a while. Han crushed the Nanyue army along with Lü Jia and his King ( Zhao Jiande), both resisted until the end. Based on many temples of Lü Jia, his wives and soldiers scattering in Red River Delta of modern-day northern Vietnam, the war might last until 98 BC.
After the fall of Panyu, Tây Vu Vương (the captain of Tây Vu area of which the center is Cổ Loa) revolted against the First Chinese domination from Western Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring in ...
. He was killed by his assistant Hoàng Đồng (黄同).
Afterwards, Nanyue territory was divided into nine districts and incorporated into the Han dynasty as the prefecture of Jiaozhi
Jiaozhi (standard Chinese, pinyin: ''Jiāozhǐ''), or
,
was a historical region ruled by various Chinese dynasties, corresponding to present-day northern Vietnam. The kingdom of Nanyue (204–111 BC) set up the Jiaozhi Commandery (; , ch� ...
(Giao Chỉ). Han dynasty would dominate Jiaozhi until the revolt of the Trưng Sisters, who led a revolt in AD 40.
List of monarchs
Nanyue culture
There was a fusion of the Han and Yue cultures in significant ways, as shown by the artifacts unearthed by archaeologists from the tomb of Nanyue in Guangzhou. The Nanyue tomb in Guangzhou is extremely rich. There are quite a number of bronzes that show cultural influences from the Han, Chu, Yue and Ordos regions.[''Guangzhou Xi Han Nanyue wang mu bo wu guan'', Peter Y. K. Lam, Chinese University of Hong Kong. Art Gallery – 1991 – 303 pages – Snippet vie]
/ref>
Gallery
File:Zhao Tuo(Heyuan).JPG, State of King Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (), rendered as Triệu Đà in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, was a Qin dynasty Chinese general and first emperor of Nanyue. He participated in the conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam. After ...
(Triệu Đà)
File:Si lü yu yi.JPG, Jade burial suit of King Zhao Mo (Triệu Mạt)
File:King of Nanyue imperial seal knob top.png, Gold seal
File:Jade Drinking Vessel 02.jpg, Jade Drinking Vessel in Rhino Horn Shape
File:Jade Openwork Disk with Dragon and Phoenix 2.jpg, Jade Openwork Disk with Dragon and Phoenix
File:Jade Drinking Cup for Collecting Sweet Dew.jpg, Jade Drinking Cup for Collecting Sweet Dew
File:Bronze Beaker Mounted with Jade Plaques 02.jpg, Bronze Beaker Mounted with Jade Plaques
File:LBW-M1-bronze wine vessel.jpg, Bronze wine vessel
File:LBW-M1-bronze drum.jpg, Đông Sơn bronze drum
File:LBW-M1-bronze disk.jpg, Bronze disk
File:Brozen house.jpg, Bronze house model
File:Guangzhou Xihan Nanyuewang Bowuguan 2012.11.16 15-29-00.jpg, Mausoleum of King Triệu Mạt (Zhao Mo)
File:Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King 150.JPG, Đông Sơn bronze jar
File:Bronze mortar and pestle.jpg, Bronze mortar and pestle
File:Bronze and silver mirror from the tomb of the King of Nanyue.jpg, Bronze mirror inlaid with silver
File:6 crystal Liubo game pieces.jpg, Game of Liubo
File:6 jadeite Liubo game pieces.jpg, Game of Liubo
File:Nanyue Armour.JPG, Armour with reconstructed replica
File:Tomb of Prime Minister Lu Gia and General Nguyen Danh Lang (Lăng mộ Thừa tướng Lữ Gia và tướng Nguyễn Danh Lang).jpg, Tomb of Prime minister Lü Jia (Lữ Gia) and General Nguyễn Danh Lang
See also
* An Dương Vương
* Âu Lạc
* Baiyue
* Changsha Kingdom
The Changsha Kingdom was a kingdom within the Han Empire of China, located in present-day Hunan and some surrounding areas. The kingdom was founded when Emperor Gaozu granted the territory to his follower Wu Rui in 203 or 202 BC, around the s ...
* Dong Son culture
* Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), born Liu Che and courtesy name Tong, was the seventh Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty from 141 to 87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years – a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi ...
* Han conquest of Nanyue
* Lü Jia (Nanyue)
* Minyue
* Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
* Nanyue
Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...
* Panyu District
* Tây Vu Vương
* Yelang
* Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (), rendered as Triệu Đà in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, was a Qin dynasty Chinese general and first emperor of Nanyue. He participated in the conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam. After ...
Citations
References
::
::Taylor, Keith Weller. (1983)
''The Birth of Vietnam''
(illustrated, reprint ed.). University of California Press. . Retrieved 7 August 2013.
::''Viet Nam Su Luoc'' by Trần Trọng Kim
::''Viet Su Toan Thu'' by Pham Van Son
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trieu Dynasty
History of Guangzhou
Ancient Vietnam
States and territories established in the 3rd century BC
207 BC
200s BC establishments
Nanyue
Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...
111 BC
States and territories disestablished in the 2nd century BC
2nd-century BC disestablishments
1st-millennium BC disestablishments in Vietnam