Han–Nanyue War

Han–Nanyue War
Part of the southward expansion of the Han dynasty
Date111 BC
LocationNanyue
Result Decisive Han victory
Belligerents
Han empire Nanyue kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Lu Bode
Yang Pu		 Zhao Jiande
Lü Jia

The Han–Nanyue War was a military conflict between the Han empire and Nanyue kingdom. During the reign of Emperor Wu, the Han forces launched a punitive campaign towards Nanyue and conquered it in 111 BC as part of its expansion southward.

Background

To the regions south of China and northern Vietnam, Zhao Tuo had established himself as the King of Nanyue.[1][2] Although, Zhao's ancestors originated from Zhengding, China.[2] The Han frontier in the south was not threatened and there was no indication that Zhao Tuo would encroach on Han territory.[1] Eventually, in 196 BC, Emperor Gaozu sent Lu Jia on a diplomatic mission to Nanyue to recognize Zhao Tuo.[1] Nevertheless, relations between Han and Nanyue were sometimes strained.[3] Zhao Tuo resented Empress Lü's ban on exports of metal wares and female stock animals to Nanyue.[3] He eventually proclaimed himself an emperor on his own right.[3] More specifically, in 183 BC, he retorted by proclaiming himself the "Martial Emperor of the South" (南武帝), which implied a status on equal footing with the emperor of China.[4] Two years later, Nanyue attacked the Changsha kingdom, territory belonging to the Han empire.[4] In 180 BC, Lu Jia led a diplomatic mission to Nanyue.[3] During negotiations, he succeeded in convincing Zhao Tuo to give up on his title as emperor and pay homage to Han as a nominal vassal.[3]

In 135 BC, King Zhao Mo of Nanyue appealed to the Han court for help against attacking Minyue forces.[5] The Han court responded swiftly and this led to Zhao Mo's agreement for sending his son to serve palace duties in Chang'an.[5] Even though Nanyue neglected on paying regular homage to the Han court, the court had their attention to other commitments and was not set on forcing the issue.[5] At the Nanyue court in 113 BC, the Queen Dowager of Nanyue brought forth the suggestion to incorporate Nanyue as a kingdom under the reign of the Han empire, thus formally integrating the kingdom with the same terms as the other kingdoms of the Han empire.[6] She was Chinese herself and was married to the king who once served at Chang'an during his princehood as mentioned earlier.[6] However, many Nanyue ministers opposed the suggestion to incorporate Nanyue into the Han empire.[6] Lü Jia was the primary Nanyue official that opposed the idea and led the opposition against the Queen Dowager.[5] In 112 BC, the opposition retaliated violently and executed the Queen Dowager,[5] King Zhao Xing, and several Han emissaries.

Course

This provocation would trigger the mobilization of a large Han naval force into Nanyue.[5] The forces comprised six armies, who traveled by sea, directly southward, or from Sichuan along the Xi River.[7] In 111 BC, General Lu Bode and General Yang Pu advanced towards Panyu (present-day Guangzhou).[5] It resulted in the surrender of Nanyue to the Han empire later in that year.[5]

Based on many temples of Lữ Gia (Lü Jia), his wives and soldiers scattering in Red River Delta of northern Vietnam, the war might last until 98 BC.[8][9]

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.[10] He was killed by his assistant Hoàng Đồng (黄同).[11][12]

Aftermath

After the conquest of Nanyue in 111 BC, the Han empire established nine new commanderies to administer the former Nanyue territories.[5] Han control proceeded to expand further southwestward by military means after the conquest.[13] The conquest also made it possible to extend Han maritime trade further to countries in Southeast Asia and around the Indian Ocean.[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Loewe 1987a, 128.
  2. 1 2 Yü 1987, 451–452.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Yü 1987, 452.
  4. 1 2 Loewe 1987a, 136.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yü 1987, 453.
  6. 1 2 3 Yü 1987, 452–453.
  7. ↑ Morton & Lewis 2004, 56.
  8. ↑ "Lễ hội chọi trâu xã Hải Lựu (16-17 tháng Giêng hằng năm) Phần I (tiep theo)". 2010-02-03. Theo nhiều thư tịch cổ và các công trình nghiên cứu, sưu tầm của nhiều nhà khoa học nổi tiếng trong nước, cùng với sự truyền lại của nhân dân từ đời này sang đời khác, của các cụ cao tuổi ở Bạch Lưu, Hải Lựu và các xã lân cận thì vào cuối thế kỷ thứ II trước công nguyên, nhà Hán tấn công nước Nam Việt của Triệu Đề, triều đình nhà Triệu tan rã lúc bấy giờ thừa tướng Lữ Gia, một tướng tài của triều đình đã rút khỏi kinh đô Phiên Ngung (thuộc Quảng Đông – Trung Quốc ngày nay). Về đóng ở núi Long Động - Lập Thạch, chống lại quân Hán do Lộ Bác Đức chỉ huy hơn 10 năm (từ 111- 98 TCN), suốt thời gian đó Ông cùng các thổ hào và nhân dân đánh theo quân nhà Hán thất điên bát đảo."
  9. ↑ "List of temples related to Triệu dynasty and Nam Việt kingdom in modern Vietnam and China". 2014-01-28.
  10. ↑ Từ điển bách khoa quân sự Việt Nam, 2004, p564 "KHỞI NGHĨA TÂY VU VƯƠNG (lll TCN), khởi nghĩa của người Việt ở Giao Chỉ chống ách đô hộ của nhà Triệu (TQ). Khoảng cuối lll TCN, nhân lúc nhà Triệu suy yếu, bị nhà Tây Hán (TQ) thôn tính, một thủ lĩnh người Việt (gọi là Tây Vu Vương, "
  11. ↑ Viet Nam Social Sciences vol.1-6, p91, 2003 "In 111 B.C. there prevailed a historical personage of the name of Tay Vu Vuong who took advantage of troubles circumstances in the early period of Chinese domination to raise his power, and finally was killed by his general assistant, Hoang Dong. Professor Tran Quoc Vuong saw in him the Tay Vu chief having in hands tens of thousands of households, governing thousands miles of land and establishing his center in Co Loa area (59.239). Tay Vu and Tay Au is in fact the same.
  12. ↑ Book of Han, Vol. 95, Story of Xi Nan Yi Liang Yue Zhao Xian, wrote: "故甌駱將左黃同斬西于王，封爲下鄜侯"
  13. ↑ Yü 1987, 458.
  14. ↑ Loewe 1987b, 579.

Bibliography

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