Wuyue

For other uses, seeWuyue (disambiguation).

Wuyue Ngô việt
907–978
China during the early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. A prefix of "F." indicates a city suffixed with "-fu", a prefix of "Z." indicates a city suffixed with "-zhou".
Status	Tributary stateofLater Liang,Later Tang,Later Jin,Liao,Later Han,Later Zhou,andNorthern Songdynasties
Capital	Qiantang(Main court; Capital) Yuezhou(Eastern court)
Common languages	Wu Language
Government	Monarchy
King
• 907–932	Qian Liu
• 932–941	Qian Yuanguan
• 941–947	Qian Hongzuo
• 947	Qian Hongzong
• 947–978	Qian Chu(Qian Hongchu)
Historical era	Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
•ZhenhaiMilitary Governorate	886
• Fall of theTang dynasty	907
• Submitted to theNorthern Song dynasty	978
• Extinguishment	988
Currency	Chinese cash,Chinese coin
Preceded by Succeeded by Tang dynasty Northern Song dynasty
Today part of	China

Wuyue(simplified Chinese:Ngô việt;traditional Chinese:Ngô việt;pinyin:Wúyuè;Wu Chinese pronunciation:[ŋu²³³.ɦyøʔ²³]) was adynastic state of Chinaand one of theTen Kingdomsduring theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periodofChinese history.It was ruled by theQianclan ofHaiyan( hải diêm tiền thị ), whose family name remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.

Founding

Temple to the Qian King inHangzhou,one of many shrines to the kings of Wuyue which still exist in its former territory.

Qian Liu,the founder of Wuyue.

Beginning in 887, theQianfamily provided military leaders (orjiedushi) to theTang dynasty.Qian Liuwas named Prince ofYuein 902, with the title of Prince ofWuadded two years later. In 907, when the Tang dynasty fell and was replaced in the north by theLater Liang,military leaders in the south formed their own kingdoms. Qian Liu used his position to proclaim himself the King of Wuyue. This signaled the beginning of theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdomsperiod which would last until the founding of theSong dynastyin 960.

Origin of name

The name Wuyue comes from the combination ofWu KingdomandYue Kingdom,two ancient kingdoms during theSpring and Autumn periodfrom 770 to 476 BC.

Territorial extent

With its capital inHangzhou,also called "Xifu", the kingdom included present-dayZhejiang,Shanghai,along with the southern portion of Jiangsu Province. It also later absorbed some of the northern part ofFujianwhen theMinKingdom fell in 945. The territorial extent of Wuyue roughly corresponded to the territories of theancient Yue,but not the ancient Wu—which led to charges by the neighboringWu(also known as Southern Wu) that Wuyue had designs on its territory, and the name was a source of tension for years between the two states.

In the early decades of its existence, Wuyue bordered the Min Kingdom on its south and theSouthern TangKingdom on its west and north. With the rebellion ofYinfrom the Min from 943 to 945, Wuyue briefly had a third border. However, before long, Wuyue was completely encircled (except for theEast China Sea) as both Yin and Min were absorbed by the Southern Tang.

The population was approximately 550,700 households, with many people living in commercial centers and major seaports.

Administrative divisions

West LakeinHangzhou

Wuyue was not a large kingdom compared to many of its neighbors. Although initially 12 prefectures ( châu ), it later consisted of 13 prefectures and 86 counties or sub-prefectures ( huyện ). Fuzhou was incorporated into Wuyue as its 13th prefecture, after the Min court declared allegiance to it as they were besieged by Southern Tang.

Prefecture	Châu	Counties	Huyện
Hangzhou(Xifu) (main capital or western capital)	Hàng châu
		Qiantang	Tiền đường
		Qianjiang	Tiền giang
		Yanguan	Diêm quan
		Yuhang	Dư hàng
		Fuchun	Phú xuân
		Tonglu	Đồng lư
		Yuqian	Ô tiềm
		Xindeng	Tân đăng
		Hengshan	Hoành sơn
		Wukang	Võ khang
Yuezhou (eastern capital; modern dayShaoxing)	Việt châu
		Kuaiji	Hội kê
		Shanyin	Sơn âm
		Zhuji	Chư ký
		Yuyao	Dư diêu
		Xiaoshan	Tiêu sơn
		Shangyu	Thượng ngu
		Xinchang	Tân xương
		Zhan	Chiêm huyện
Huzhou	Hồ châu
		Wucheng	Ô trình
		Deqing	Đức thanh
		Anji	An cát
		Changxing	Trường hưng
Wenzhou	Ôn châu
		Yongjia	Vĩnh gia
		Rui'an	Thụy an
		Pingyang	Bình dương
		Yueqing	Nhạc thanh
Taizhou	Đài châu
		Linhai	Lâm hải
		Huangyan	Hoàng nham
		Taixing	Đài hưng
		Yong'an	Vĩnh an
		Ninghai	Ninh hải
Mingzhou (modern dayNingboandZhoushan)	Minh châu
		Yin County	Ngân huyện
		Fenghua	Phụng hóa
		Cixi	Từ khê
		Xiangshan	Tượng sơn
		Wanghai	Vọng hải
		Wengshan	Ông sơn
Chuzhou (roughly modern dayLishuicity)	Xử châu
		Lishui	Lệ thủy
		Longquan	Long tuyền
		Suichang	Toại xương
		Jinyun	Tấn vân
		Qingtian	Thanh điền
		Bailong	Bạch long
Quzhou	Cù châu
		Xi'an (not the capital)	Tây an
		Jiangshan	Giang sơn
		Longyou	Long du
		Changshan	Thường sơn
Wuzhou (roughly modern dayJinhuacity)	Vụ châu
		Jinhua	Kim hoa
		Dongyang	Đông dương
		Yiwu	Nghĩa ô
		Lanxi	Lan khê
		Yongkang	Vĩnh khang
		Wuyi	Võ nghĩa
		Pujiang	Phổ giang
Muzhou (roughly modern northwestern Zhejiang province)	Mục châu
		Jiande	Kiến đức
		Shouchang	Thọ xương
		Sui'an	Toại an
		Fenshui	Phân thủy
		Qingxi	Thanh khê
Xiuzhou (roughly modernShanghaiand its surrounding environs, along withJiaxingprefecture in Zhejiang province)	Tú châu
		Jiaxing	Gia hưng
		Haiyan	Hải diêm
		Huating	Hoa đình
		Chongde	Sùng đức
Suzhou	Tô châu
		Wu County	Ngô huyện
		Jinzhou	Tấn châu
		Kunshan	Côn sơn
		Changshu	Thường thục
		Wujiang	Ngô giang
Fuzhou (acquired after the fall ofMin)	Phúc châu
		Min County	Mân huyện
		Houguan	Hầu quan
		Changle	Trường nhạc
		Lianjiang	Liên giang
		Changxi	Trường khê
		Fuqing	Phúc thanh
		Gutian	Cổ điền
		Yongtai	Vĩnh thái
		Minqing	Mân thanh
		Yongzhen	Vĩnh trinh
		Ningde	Ninh đức
Anguo Yijin Military Prefecture (once called Yijin military prefecture)	An quốc y cẩm quân ( y cẩm quân )	Lin'an	Lâm an

Former Administrative Divisions

• Changzhou( thường châu ) from 886 to 891 CE, ceded toYang Xingmi
• Runzhou( nhuận châu ) from 886 to 891 CE, ceded toYang Xingmi

Reign of Qian Liu

Under Qian Liu's reign, Wuyue prospered economically and freely developed its own regional culture that continues to this day. He developed the coastal kingdom's agriculture, built seawalls, expanded Hangzhou, dredged rivers and lakes, and encouraged sea transport and trade. On his death-bed he urged a benign administration of state affairs and his words were strictly followed by four succeeding kings.

Foreign diplomacy

In 935, Wuyue established official diplomatic relations withJapan.The kingdom also took advantage of its maritime location to maintain diplomatic contacts with northChina,theKhitans,and theKoreanstates ofLater Baekje,Balhae,Goryeo,andSilla.Buddhism played a large role in the diplomatic relations withJapanandGoryeo.Japanese and Korean monks traveled to Wuyue, while monks from Wuyue went to Japan and Korea as well. The rulers of Wuyue also tried to find sutras that had been lost during the turbulent final years of the Tang. In 947, Qian Zuo sent gifts to Japan and offered to buy any sutras; however none were available. In 961,Qian Chusent fifty precious objects and a letter to Goryeo inquiring about the missing sutras, andGwangjongsent the monk Jegwan (Chinese:Đế quan) with a complete set ofTiantaisutras.

Fall of the kingdom

In 978, in the face of certain annihilation from northern imperial Chinese troops, the last king of Wuyue,Qian Chu,pledged allegiance to theSong dynasty,saving his people from war and economic destruction. While Qian Chu nominally remained king, Wuyue was absorbed into the Song dynasty, effectively ending the kingdom. The last king died in 988.

Legacy

Cultural legacy

A section of the West Lake with the pavilion on the left that is said to mark the spot of an archery range in the Wuyue period.

The Wuyue Kingdom cemented the cultural and economic dominance of the Wuyue region in China for centuries to come, as well as creating a lasting regional cultural tradition distinctive from the rest of China. The leaders of the kingdom were noted patrons ofBuddhism,andarchitecture,templedecoration, and religious sculptures related toBuddhism.The cultural distinctiveness that began developing over this period persists to this day as the Wuyue region speaks a group of Chinese languages calledWu(the most famous variant of which isShanghainese), has distinctivecuisineand other cultural traits. TheBaochu Pagoda,constructed during the reign of Qian Chu, was one of many temples and pagodas built under the patronage of the Wuyue kings.

Infrastructure

The physical legacy of the Wuyue Kingdom was the creation of the system of canals and dikes which allowed the region to become the most agriculturally rich region of China for many centuries. As a result, shrines to Qian Liu sprang up all across the region, and many can still be found today.

Personal legacy

Qian Liu was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of his extensive hydro-engineering schemes which "tamed" the seas. The kings of Wuyue continue to enjoy positive treatment in orthodox history. They were popularly revered because of the hydro-engineering works, ensuring the economic prosperity of the region, and for finally surrendering to theSong dynasty,which ensured both aunified Chinese nationand that the region would not be ravaged by war.

During the earlySong dynasty,the Qian royal family were treated as second only to the ruling Zhao imperial family, as reflected in theHundred Family Surnames.Subsequently, many shrines were erected across the Wuyue region where the kings of Wuyue were memorialised, and sometimes, worshipped as dictating weather and agriculture. Many of these shrines, known as "Shrine of the Qian King" or "Temple to the Qian King", remain today, the most popularly visited example being that nearWest LakeinHangzhou.

Qian Liu reputedly had more than a hundred sons born to many different wives and concubines. His progeny were posted to various parts of the kingdom. The Qian family remains very widely spread throughout the region. Several branches are considered "prominent families" ( vọng tộc ) in their local areas.

Rulers

Sovereigns in Kingdom of Wuyue 907–978

Temple Names			Posthumous Names			Personal Names			Period of Reigns	Era Namesand respective range of years
Chinese	Pinyin	Shanghainese	Chinese	Pinyin	Shanghainese	Chinese	Pinyin	Shanghainese
Thái tổ	Tài Zǔ	Tha Tsu	Võ túc vương	Wǔ Sù Wáng	Vu Soh Waon	Tiền lưu	Qián Liú	Zi Leu	907–932	Tianyou ( thiên hữu ): 907 Tianbao ( thiên bảo ): 908–912 Fengli ( phượng lịch ): 913 Qianhua ( càn hóa ): 913–915 Zhenming ( trinh minh ): 915–921 Longde ( long đức ): 921–923 Baoda ( bảo đại ): 924–925 Baozheng ( bảo chính ): 926–931
Thế tông	Shì Zōng	Sy Tson	Văn mục vương	Wén Mù Wáng	Ven Moh Waon	Tiền nguyên quán ( tiền truyện quán )	Qián Yuánguàn (Qián Chuánguàn)	Zi Nyoe Cioe (Zi Zoe Cioe)	932–941	Changxing ( trường hưng ): 932–933 Yingshun ( ứng thuận ): 934 Qingtai ( thanh thái ): 934–936 Tianfu ( thiên phúc ): 936–941
Thành tông	Chéng Zōng	Zen Tson	Trung hiến vương	Zhōng Xiàn Wáng	Tson Shie Waon	Tiền tá ( tiền hoằng tá )	Qián Zuǒ (Qián Hóng Zuǒ)	Zi Tsu (Zi Ghon Tsu)	941–947	Tianfu ( thiên phúc ): 941–944 Kaiyun ( khai vận ): 944–946
Did not exist	N/A	N/A	Trung tốn vương	Zhōng Xùn Wáng	Tson Sen Waon	Tiền tông ( tiền hoằng tông )	Qián Zōng (Qián Hóng Zōng)	Zi Tson (Zi Ghon Tson)	947	Tianfu ( thiên phúc ): 947
Did not exist	N/A	N/A	Trung ý vương	Zhōng Yì Wáng	Tson I Waon	Tiền thục ( tiền hoằng thục )	Qián Chù (Qián Hóng Chù)	Zi Tsoh (Zi Ghon Tsoh)	947–978	Qianyou ( càn hữu ): 948–950 Guangshun ( quảng thuận ): 951–953 Xiande ( hiển đức ): 954–960 Jianlong ( kiến long ): 960–963 Qiande ( càn đức ): 963–968 Kaibao ( khai bảo ): 968–976 Taiping Xingguo ( thái bình hưng quốc ): 976–978

Qian Chusubmitted to theSong dynastyin 978 and continued to reign nominally, successively as King of Huaihai, King of Hannan, King of Hanyang and Prince of Xu, and finally Prince of Deng, until his death in 988. After his death he was also posthumously created King of Qin.

Rulers family tree

Wuyue rulers family tree
Qian Liu Tiền lưu 850–932 Taìzǔ ( thái tổ ) r. 907–9321 Qian Yuanguan Tiền nguyên quán 887–941 Shìzōng ( thế tông ) r. 932–9412 Qian Hongzun Tiền hoằng 僔 925–940 Qian Hongzuo Tiền hoằng tá 928–947 Chéngzōng ( thành tông ) r. 941–9473 Qián ZōngTiền tông 928–971 r. 9474 Qian Chu Tiền thục 929–988 Zhongyi ( trung ý vương ) r. 947–9785

References

Sources

• Chavannes, Edouard. "Le royaume de Wou et de Yue",T'oung Pao17: 129–264 (1916).
• Mote, F.W. (1999).Imperial China (900–1800).Harvard University Press. pp. 11, 15, 22–23.ISBN0-674-01212-7.
• Pan, Guangdan (1937).Prominent Families of Jiaxing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Shanghai: The Commercial Press.
• Worthy, Edmund H. (1983). "Diplomacy for Survival: Domestic and Foreign Relations of Wü Yueh, 907–978". In Rossabi, Morris (ed.).China among Equals: the Middle Kingdom and its Neighbors, 10th–14th centuries.Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. pp. 17–44.