Ziqi
Ziqi (simplified Chinese: 自杞国; traditional Chinese: 自杞國; pinyin: Zìqǐguó) was a kingdom established by the Wuman (烏蠻, lit. "black barbarians", ancestors of Yi people) in southwestern China during the Song dynasty. The territory of Ziqi included parts of modern-day Guizhou, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces of China.
Ziqi Kingdom | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100–1259 | |||||||||
 Ziqi Kingdom in 1200 | |||||||||
| Status | Kingdom | ||||||||
| Capital | Jilu (near Luxi) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Nasu language | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 1100 - 1136 | Ziqi | ||||||||
• 1136 - 1158 | Awei | ||||||||
• 1158 - 1162 | Asi | ||||||||
• 1176 - 1205 | Axie | ||||||||
• 1205 - 1240 | Amo | ||||||||
• 1240 - 1259 | Nuoju | ||||||||
| Historical era | Postclassical Era | ||||||||
• Established | 1100 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1259 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | China | ||||||||
Ziqi was originally one of 37 tribes of the Wuman people in eastern Yunnan. During the Tang dynasty, they were ruled by the Nanzhao Kingdom. The Nanzhao Kingdom collapsed in 937, and Yunnan entered a chaotic transitional period between the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms. During this time, Wuman tribes split away from Yunnan and moved eastward. Among them, several small kingdoms were established, and Ziqi was the strongest one, gradually defeating others and controlling a large area between Yunnan and the Red River.[1][2]
At this time, China proper was ruled by the Song dynasty. Ziqi then became one of Song's tributary states. People in the Song dynasty called them Xi Nan Yi (西南夷, "Southwestern Barbarians") along with several other tribes. When Jurchens attacked the Song from the north, Ziqi became an important source of war horses for the Song.[3][4] During the reign of Axie (1176 - 1205), Ziqi defeated the Dali Kingdom, Luodian and Annan (Lý dynasty) in a series of battles and became the strongest power in southwestern China.[5]
In 1253, the Mongol Empire annexed the Dali Kingdom and started to invade Ziqi. The Mongols found many maps of Ziqi in Dali and planned strategies based on those maps. With reinforcements from the Song, Ziqi fought hard and caused remarkable casualties to the Mongols,[6] but it was eventually conquered by Mongols in 1259. The territory of Ziqi suffered a massacre by the Mongols.[7]
List of rulers
- Ziqi 自杞 (1100 - 1136)
- Awei (1136 - 1158)
- Asi 阿巳 (1158 - 1162)
- Axie 阿謝 (1176 - 1205)
- Amo (1205 - 1240)
- Nuoju 郍句 (1240 - 1259)
References
- History of Yuan, Geography：僰、卢诸种蛮所居，地多汉冢，或谓汉人曾居。蒙氏时，白蛮据其地。至段氏，以乌蛮阿而并吞诸蛮聚落三十余处，分兄弟子侄治之，皆隶罗婺部。
- Nanzhao Folk History：通海节度史段思平借兵于东方乌蛮三十七部，众十万，会于石城，以董迦罗为军师，所向皆克，遂攻进大理。
- Yuhai：今之马多出于罗殿、自杞诸蛮，而自彼乃以锦绵博于大理，世称广马，其实非也。
- Lingwai Daida, Horse of Yizhou：马产于大理国。大理国去宜州十五程尔，中有险阻，不得而通，故自杞、罗殿皆贩马于大理，而转卖于我者也。罗殿甚迩于邕，自杞实隔远焉。自杞人强悍，岁常以马假道而来，罗殿难之，故数至争，然自杞虽远于邕，而迩于宜，特隔南丹州而已。
- Wu Jing's briefing to the Song court：邕州化外诸国，如大理，如罗殿，如西南蕃，皆远小僻陋，各有安于无事。安南主少国危，悻臣用事，兄弟交兵，连年不解。惟是自杞一族，近年以来，国势强盛，独雄于诸蛮。
- Tiehuang (Military briefing of Song)：八月间，敌攻华沙寨，被蛮兵杀死万余骑。思、明州黄炳等报，九月间敌攻某阿国，退战敌人，杀死万余。
- History of Yuan, Uriyanqadai：川谷为之一空。