Kingdom of Dali
Encyclopedia
Dali or Great Li was a Bai kingdom centred in what is now Yunnan
Province of China
. Established by Duan Siping
in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire
. The capital city was at Dali.
seized power in 937 and established Dali. Gao Shengtai forced the puppet king Duan Zhengming to abdicate and become a monk in 1095, and renamed the state Dazhong. He returned the power to the Duan family upon his death. Duan Zhengchun
renamed the state Hou Li (lit. "Later Li") in the next year.
The 11th king of Nanzhao established Buddhism
as the state religion
. Ten of the 22 kings of Dali gave up the throne and became monk
s..
It is claimed that despite their military prowess and superior numbers, the Mongols could not breach the defenses of the Erhai valley, which was so suited to defense that even just a few defenders could hold out for years. It is said that the Mongols found a traitor who led them over the Cangshan
mountains along a secret path, and only in this way were they able to penetrate and overrun the Bai defenders. Thus ended five centuries of independence. In 1274 the Province of Yunnan
was created, and thus the region has since been incorporated within China as the result of the expansion of the Mongol Empire
at the beginning of Yuan China
.
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
Province of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Established by Duan Siping
Duan Siping
Duan Siping was a statesman of Bai origin and eventual founder and ruler of the Kingdom of Dali. The Kingdom retained independence from unified China until the Mongol invasion in 1253 C.E....
in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. The capital city was at Dali.
History
The Kingdom of Dali was preceded by the Nanzhao Dynasty, which was overthrown in 902. Three dynasties followed in quick succession, until Duan SipingDuan Siping
Duan Siping was a statesman of Bai origin and eventual founder and ruler of the Kingdom of Dali. The Kingdom retained independence from unified China until the Mongol invasion in 1253 C.E....
seized power in 937 and established Dali. Gao Shengtai forced the puppet king Duan Zhengming to abdicate and become a monk in 1095, and renamed the state Dazhong. He returned the power to the Duan family upon his death. Duan Zhengchun
Duan Zhengchun
Duan Zhengchun was the 15th emperor of the Kingdom of Dali. He reigned from 1096 to 1108. He was the younger brother of Duan Zhengming, and the first ruler of the Later Dali Kingdom....
renamed the state Hou Li (lit. "Later Li") in the next year.
The 11th king of Nanzhao established Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
as the state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
. Ten of the 22 kings of Dali gave up the throne and became monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s..
It is claimed that despite their military prowess and superior numbers, the Mongols could not breach the defenses of the Erhai valley, which was so suited to defense that even just a few defenders could hold out for years. It is said that the Mongols found a traitor who led them over the Cangshan
Cangshan
Cangshan is a mountain range immediately west of Dali City in Yunnan province of Southwest China.The highest summit, Malong, is 4,122 m, but the mountain includes another 18 peaks all over 3,500 m altitude...
mountains along a secret path, and only in this way were they able to penetrate and overrun the Bai defenders. Thus ended five centuries of independence. In 1274 the Province of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
was created, and thus the region has since been incorporated within China as the result of the expansion of the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
at the beginning of Yuan China
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
.