Wuyue

Wuyue (simplified Chinese: 吴越; traditional Chinese: 吳越; pinyin: Wúyuè; Wu Chinese pronunciation: [ŋu²³³.ɦyøʔ²³]) was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian clan of Haiyan (海鹽錢氏), whose family name remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.

Wuyue
吳越
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".
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".
StatusTributary state of Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Liao, Later Han, Later Zhou, and Northern Song dynasties
CapitalQiantang (Main court; Capital)
Yuezhou (Eastern court)
Common languagesWu Language
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
 907–932
Qian Liu
 932–941
Qian Yuanguan
 941–947
Qian Hongzuo
 947
Qian Hongzong
 947–978
Qian Chu (Qian Hongchu)
Historical eraFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
886
 Fall of the Tang dynasty
907
 Submitted to the Northern Song dynasty
978
 Extinguishment
988
CurrencyChinese cash, Chinese coin
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Tang dynasty
Northern Song dynasty
Today part ofChina

Founding

Temple to the Qian King in Hangzhou, 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, the Qian family provided military leaders (or jiedushi) to the Tang dynasty. 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, 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.

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.

Territorial extent

With its capital in Hangzhou, also called "Xifu", the kingdom included present-day Zhejiang, Shanghai, along with the southern portion of Jiangsu Province. It also later absorbed some of the northern part of Fujian when the Min Kingdom fell in 945. The territorial extent 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, Wuyue briefly had a third border. However, before long, Wuyue was completely encircled (except for the East 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.[1]

Administrative divisions

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

PrefectureCounties
Hangzhou (Xifu)
(main capital or western capital)
杭州
Qiantang錢塘
Qianjiang錢江
Yanguan鹽官
Yuhang餘杭
Fuchun富春
Tonglu桐廬
Yuqian於潛
Xindeng新登
Hengshan橫山
Wukang武康
Yuezhou
(eastern capital; modern day Shaoxing)
越州
Kuaiji會稽
Shanyin山陰
Zhuji諸暨
Yuyao餘姚
Xiaoshan蕭山
Shangyu上虞
Xinchang新昌
Zhan瞻縣
Huzhou湖州
Wucheng烏程
Deqing德清
Anji安吉
Changxing長興
Wenzhou溫州
Yongjia永嘉
Rui'an瑞安
Pingyang平陽
Yueqing樂清
Taizhou台州
Linhai臨海
Huangyan黃岩
Taixing台興
Yong'an永安
Ninghai寧海
Mingzhou
(modern day Ningbo and Zhoushan)
明州
Yin County鄞縣
Fenghua奉化
Cixi慈溪
Xiangshan象山
Wanghai望海
Wengshan翁山
Chuzhou
(roughly modern day Lishui city)
處州
Lishui麗水
Longquan龍泉
Suichang遂昌
Jinyun縉雲
Qingtian青田
Bailong白龍
Quzhou衢州
Xi'an
(not the capital)
西安
Jiangshan江山
Longyou龍游
Changshan常山
Wuzhou
(roughly modern day Jinhua city)
婺州
Jinhua金華
Dongyang東陽
Yiwu義烏
Lanxi蘭溪
Yongkang永康
Wuyi武義
Pujiang浦江
Muzhou
(roughly modern northwestern Zhejiang province)
睦州
Jiande建德
Shouchang壽昌
Sui'an遂安
Fenshui分水
Qingxi青溪
Xiuzhou
(roughly modern Shanghai and its surrounding environs,
along with Jiaxing prefecture in Zhejiang province)
秀州
Jiaxing嘉興
Haiyan海鹽
Huating華亭
Chongde崇德
Suzhou蘇州
Wu County吳縣
Jinzhou晉洲
Kunshan崑山
Changshu常熟
Wujiang吳江
Fuzhou
(acquired after the fall of Min)
福州
Min County閩縣
Houguan侯官
Changle長樂
Lianjiang連江
Changxi長溪
Fuqing福清
Gutian古田
Yongtai永泰
Minqing閩清
Yongzhen永貞
Ningde寧德
Anguo Yijin Military Prefecture
(once called Yijin military prefecture)
安國衣錦軍
(衣錦軍)
Lin'an臨安

Former Administrative Divisions

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 with Japan. The kingdom also took advantage of its maritime location to maintain diplomatic contacts with north China, the Khitans, and the Korean states of Later Baekje, Balhae, Goryeo, and Silla. Buddhism played a large role in the diplomatic relations with Japan and Goryeo. 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 Chu sent fifty precious objects and a letter to Goryeo inquiring about the missing sutras, and Gwangjong sent the monk Jegwan (Chinese: 諦觀) with a complete set of Tiantai sutras.[2]

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 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.

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 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 group of Chinese languages called Wu (the most famous variant of which is Shanghainese), has distinctive cuisine and other cultural traits. The Baochu 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 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 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" (望族) in their local areas.[3]

Rulers

Sovereigns in Kingdom of Wuyue 907–978
Temple NamesPosthumous NamesPersonal NamesPeriod of ReignsEra Names and respective range of years
Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese Chinese Pinyin Shanghainese
太祖 Tài Zǔ Tha Tsu 武肅王 Wǔ Sù Wáng Vu Soh Waon 錢鏐 Qián Liú Zi Leu 907–932 Tianyou (天祐): 907

Tianbao (天寶): 908–912
Fengli (鳳歷): 913
Qianhua (乾化): 913–915
Zhenming (貞明): 915–921
Longde (龍德): 921–923
Baoda (寶大): 924–925
Baozheng (寶正): 926–931

世宗 Shì Zōng Sy Tson 文穆王 Wén Mù Wáng Ven Moh Waon 錢元瓘
(錢傳瓘)
Qián Yuánguàn
(Qián Chuánguàn)
Zi Nyoe Cioe
(Zi Zoe Cioe)
932–941 Changxing (長興): 932–933


Yingshun (應順): 934
Qingtai (清泰): 934–936
Tianfu (天福): 936–941

成宗 Chéng Zōng Zen Tson 忠獻王 Zhōng Xiàn Wáng Tson Shie Waon 錢佐
(錢弘佐)
Qián Zuǒ
(Qián Hóng Zuǒ)
Zi Tsu
(Zi Ghon Tsu)
941–947 Tianfu (天福): 941–944


Kaiyun (開運): 944–946

Did not exist N/A N/A 忠遜王 Zhōng Xùn Wáng Tson Sen Waon 錢倧
(錢弘倧)
Qián Zōng
(Qián Hóng Zōng)
Zi Tson
(Zi Ghon Tson)
947 Tianfu (天福): 947
Did not exist N/A N/A 忠懿王 Zhōng Yì Wáng Tson I Waon 錢俶
(錢弘俶)
Qián Chù
(Qián Hóng Chù)
Zi Tsoh
(Zi Ghon Tsoh)
947–978 Qianyou (乾祐): 948–950


Guangshun (廣順): 951–953
Xiande (顯德): 954–960
Jianlong (建隆): 960–963
Qiande (乾德): 963–968
Kaibao (開寶): 968–976
Taiping Xingguo (太平興國): 976–978

Qian Chu submitted to the Song dynasty in 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
錢鏐 850–932
Taìzǔ (太祖)
r. 907–9321
Qian Yuanguan
錢元瓘 887–941
Shìzōng (世宗)
r. 932–9412
Qian Hongzun
錢弘僔
925–940
Qian Hongzuo
錢弘佐 928–947
Chéngzōng (成宗)
r. 941–9473
Qián Zōng 錢倧
928–971
r. 9474
Qian Chu
錢俶 929–988
Zhongyi (忠懿王)
r. 947–9785

References

Citations

  1. Worthy 1983, p. 19.
  2. Worthy 1983, p. 36.
  3. Pan (1937)

Sources

  • Chavannes, Edouard. "Le royaume de Wou et de Yue", T'oung Pao 17: 129–264 (1916).
  • Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China (900–1800). Harvard University Press. pp. 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.
  • 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.

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