Wuyue

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吳越 Wuyue ← 907 – 978 → Capital Qiantang Language(s) Middle Chinese Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy King  - 907-932 Qian Liu  - 932-941 Qian Yuanguan  - 941-947 Qian Zuo  - 947 Qian Zong  - 947-978 Qian Chu Historical era Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period  - Fall of the Tang Dynasty 907  - Submitted to Song 978  - Extinguishment 988

Kingdom of Wuyue (Traditional Chinese: 吳越國; Simplified Chinese: 吴越国, Pinyin: Wúyuè Guó), 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960) of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.

[edit] Founding

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

The Qian (traditional Chinese: 錢; simplified Chinese: 钱) family had been providing military leaders to the Tang Dynasty beginning in 887. Qian Liu was named Prince of Yue in 902, with the title of Prince of Wu added two years later. In 907, when the Tang Dynasty fell and was replaced in the north by the Later Liang Dynasty, 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 the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period which would last until the founding of the Song Dynasty in 960.

[edit] Origin of Name

The name Wuyue comes from the combination of Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom, two ancient kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn Period from 770 to 476 BC.

[edit] Territorial extent

West Lake, the centrepiece of the city of Hangzhou, which served as the capital of Wuyue.

With its capital in Xifu, now known as Hangzhou, the kingdom included present-day Zhejiang, Shanghai, along with the southern portion of Jiangsu Province. It would also later absorb some of the northern part of Fujian in the Min Kingdom fell in 945. The territorial extant of Wuyue roughly corresponded to the territories of the ancient Yue, but not the ancient Wu -- which led to charges by the neighboring Wu (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 the Southern Tang Kingdom on its west and north. With the rebellion of Yin from the Min from 943 to 945, it briefly gave Wuyue a third border. However, before long, Wuyue would be completely encircled (except for the East China Sea) as both Yin and Min were absorbed by the Southern Tang

[edit] 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.

[edit] Foreign diplomacy

In 935, Wuyue established official diplomatic relations with Japan. The kingdom also took advantage of its maritime location to maintain diplomatic contacts with north China, the Khitans, and Korea.

[edit] 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 the Northern Song 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.

[edit] Legacy

[edit] Cultural Legacy

A section of the West Lake. The reconstructed pavilion on the left 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 of Buddhism, and architecture, temple decoration, and religious sculptures related to Buddhism. The cultural distinctiveness that began developing over this period persists to this day as the Wuyue region speaks a dialect called Wu (the most famous variant of which is Shanghainese), has distinctive cuisine and other cultural traits.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 the Song Dynasty, which ensured both a unified Chinese nation and that the region would not be ravaged by war.

During the early Song Dynasty, the Qian royal family were treated as second only to the ruling Zhao imperial family, as reflected in the Hundred 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 near West Lake in Hangzhou.

Qian Liu reputedly had more than a hundred sons born to many different wives and concubines. His proginy were posted to various parts of the kingdom. The Qian family remains very widely spread throughout the region. Several branches are considered "prominent families" (望族) in their local areas.^[1]

[edit] Rulers

Qian Chu submitted to the Song Dynasty in 978 and continued to reign nominally as King of Wuyue until his death in 988.

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Pan (1937)

[edit] General

• Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900-1800). Harvard University Press, 11, 15, 22-23. ISBN 0-674-01212-7. 
• Pan, Guangdan (1937). Prominent Families of Jiaxing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Shanghai: The Commercial Press.