Wikipedia
Nanyue or or Nam Viet was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and initially comprised the Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang Commanderies.
In 196 BC, Zhao Tuo made tributary obeisance to the Emperor Gaozu of Han and Nanyue was referred to by Han leaders as a "foreign servant" , synecdoche for a vassal state. Around 183 BC, relations between the Nanyue and the Han dynasty soured, and Zhao Tuo began to refer to himself as an emperor (suggesting Nanyue's sovereignty). In 179 BC, relations between the Han and Nanyue improved, and Zhao Tuo once again made submission, this time to Emperor Wen of Han as an subject state. The submission was somewhat superficial, as Nanyue retained autonomy from the Han, and Zhao Tuo was referred as "Emperor" throughout Nanyue until his death. In 113 BC, fourth-generation leader Zhao Xing sought to have Nanyue formally included as part of the Han Empire. His prime minister Lü Jia (呂嘉) objected vehemently and subsequently killed Zhao Xing, installing his elder brother Zhao Jiande on the throne and forcing a confrontation with the Han dynasty. The next year, Emperor Wu of Han sent 100,000 troops to war against Nanyue. By the end of the year and the beginning of 111 BC, the army had destroyed Nanyue and established Han governance during its expansion southward. The kingdom lasted 93 years in total and had five generations of kings.
The Kingdom of Nanyue's founding preserved the Lingnan region's societal order and stability during the chaos surrounding the collapse of the Qin dynasty, and allowed the southern region to avoid much of the hardship experienced by the northern, predominantly Han Chinese regions. The kingdom was founded by leaders originally from the Chinese heartland, and was responsible for bringing Chinese bureaucracy and more advanced agriculture and handicraft techniques to the inhabitants of the southern regions, as well as knowledge of the Chinese language and writing system. Nanyue leaders promoted a policy of "Harmonizing and Gathering the Hundred Yue Tribes" , and encouraged fellow Han Chinese to immigrate from their Yellow River homeland to the south. They supported mutual assimilation of the two cultures and peoples, and promulgated Han culture and the Chinese language throughout the region, though many elements of original Yue culture were preserved.
In Vietnam, the rulers of Nanyue are referred to as the Triệu dynasty. The name "Vietnam" is derived from Nam Việt, the Vietnamese pronunciation of Nanyue.
Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern southern China and much of modern northern Vietnam
Nanyue may also refer to:
- Nanyue District, in Hengyang, Hunan, China
- Mount Heng (Hunan), or Nan Yue, in Hunan, China
- Chinese for South Vietnam