Zhao Tuo
Encyclopedia
Zhao Tuo was the founder of the kingdom of Nanyue
' onMouseout='HidePop("94953")' href="/topics/Qin_Dynasty">Qin Dynasty
. Nanyue included northern Vietnam and parts of southern China. His capital was in Panyu, modern Guangzhou
, China. His ruling circle included both ethnic Chinese
and native Baiyue, and he encouraged intermarriage and assimilation. In Vietnamese, he is referred to as Triệu Đà. The dynasty he founded is called the Triệu Dynasty . In traditional Vietnamese history, he was considered the first emperor of Vietnam. However, in the history of Vietnam
he is regarded as a foreign invader who invaded Vietnam in 207 BC.
province of northern China
, while that region was part of the state of Zhao
. The state of Zhao was defeated and absorbed by the state of Qin in 222 BC, whereupon Zhao Tuo became a citizen of the state of Qin. He later served in a Qin expeditionary force that was sent south. In 206 BC, Zhao Tuo, according to Vietnamese legends defeated the Au Lac kingdom of An Dương Vương
and merged it with Guangdong
and Guangxi
, which were under his command during the time of Qin rule.
, Zhao
took control of the region of modern-day Guangdong and Guangxi. Zhao Tuo built up his power and territory, partially through alliances with native Yue nobility and chieftains. He then declared himself the King of Nanyue ("Southern Yue") and set up his capital at Panyu , the site of modern-day Guangzhou
.
The state was not peaceful. There was the state of Changsha to the north, with which it had long been in conflict; to the east there was the warlike Minyue state; and to the west there were the Southwestern Yi (西南夷) which did not adopt Han ways. Also, within the Nanyue territory there were Western Ou and Lạc Việt , which were not very submissive. But the largest threat came from the Han Dynasty
which coveted the Nanyue state.
gave three commanderies (郡) to Prince of Changsha Wu Rui, and appointed Yao Wuyu, Marquis of Haiyang (海陽侯徭無餘) and Zhi, Prince of Nanhai (南海王織). Emperor Gaozu also put an army in Changsha state to watch over the movements of the Nanyue kingdom, which made Zhao Tuo worry about this situation. Zhao Tuo took opportunity on trading and imported things in large amounts from the Central Plains, and Zhao Tuo also gave tribute to central authority. After Gaozu died, Emperor Hui of Han
(汉惠帝) succeeded him. The new emperor respected the treaty made by his father, and so did Zhao Tuo.
came to power. In the beginning everything went on as usual. But in 183 BCE, she suddenly declared to restrict the trade of Han with others, this included useful products such as iron tools and horses to Nanyue territory. This was because Wu Rui, King of Changsha, who was the only non-Liu king in Han territory, who was treated well by the Empress (Gao Zu removed all non-Liu kings except Wu Rui since his state was not much of power, and the empress wanted to appoint Lü kings). The blockade had a great impact on the Nanyue economy, since Nanyue needed iron plow tools, and people were unhappy about the blockade.
Zhao Tuo thought that this must be the trickery of the Prince of Changsha. He realized that the Han Dynasty was powerful, so he sent messengers to the Chinese capital of Chang'an
to request to release the blockade. But Prince of Changsha Wu Rui made the messengers prisoners in Chang'an. Wu Rui further said bad things about Zhao Tuo, which made Empress Dowager Lü angry. Then she killed Zhao Tuo's relatives in the Central Plains and destroyed Zhao Tuo's ancestral tomb (destruction of ancestral tombs was in ancient times viewed as a very serious thing). Zhao Tuo realised that political approach would no longer succeed.
So, in 183 BC, he declared himself Emperor Wu of Nanyue . He had been long in conflict with Prince of Changsha Wu Rui, so he sacked Changsha country to the North. Then the Empress ordered an attack on Nanyue, but most of the army died by disease and could not march to Nanyue successfully, but the military conflict did not stop until the Empress died. As the victor, Zhao Tuo also extended his territory by conquering towns near the boundary. He also established relationships with Minyue, Xi'ou, and Luoyue with valuables. But this war almost completely wiped out the trade relationship between the Central Plains and Nanyue.
inherited the throne. The new Emperor abolished some cruel punishments made by Qin. Zhao Tuo took opportunity of this, and communicated to the Emperor that if he removed the two generals from Changsha and restored his relatives in Zhending, he would be at peace with Han. Emperor Wen immediately took action. He repaired the tomb of Zhao's ancestors, and found one Zhao family member who survived, and also moved the Han army out of Changsha. Then Zhao Tuo revoked his title of emperor and Nanyue became a vassal
state of the Han once more. Zhao Tuo died in 137 BC at the age of ninety-three.
Nanyue
Nanyue 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...
' onMouseout='HidePop("94953")' href="/topics/Qin_Dynasty">Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
. Nanyue included northern Vietnam and parts of southern China. His capital was in Panyu, modern Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China. His ruling circle included both ethnic Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and native Baiyue, and he encouraged intermarriage and assimilation. In Vietnamese, he is referred to as Triệu Đà. The dynasty he founded is called the Triệu Dynasty . In traditional Vietnamese history, he was considered the first emperor of Vietnam. However, in the history of Vietnam
History of Vietnam
The history of Vietnam covers a period of more than 2,700 years. By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. Vietnam's prehistory includes a legend about a kingdom known as Van Lang that included what is now China's Guangxi Autonomous Region and...
he is regarded as a foreign invader who invaded Vietnam in 207 BC.
Early life
Zhao was born in approximately 230 BC in Zhending, in what is today the HebeiHebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province of northern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, while that region was part of the state of Zhao
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
. The state of Zhao was defeated and absorbed by the state of Qin in 222 BC, whereupon Zhao Tuo became a citizen of the state of Qin. He later served in a Qin expeditionary force that was sent south. In 206 BC, Zhao Tuo, according to Vietnamese legends defeated the Au Lac kingdom of An Dương Vương
An Duong Vuong
An Dương Vương is the title of Thục Phán , who ruled over the ancient kingdom of Âu Lạc from 257 to 207 BCE, after defeating the state of Văn Lang and uniting the two tribes Âu Việt and Lạc Việt...
and merged it with Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, which were under his command during the time of Qin rule.
Creation of Nanyue
At the end of the Qin DynastyQin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
, Zhao
Zhao
Zhao may refer to:* Zhao , a Chinese surname* Zhao , a historical Chinese state in the Warring States Period* Zhao , a historical Chinese state in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period...
took control of the region of modern-day Guangdong and Guangxi. Zhao Tuo built up his power and territory, partially through alliances with native Yue nobility and chieftains. He then declared himself the King of Nanyue ("Southern Yue") and set up his capital at Panyu , the site of modern-day Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The state was not peaceful. There was the state of Changsha to the north, with which it had long been in conflict; to the east there was the warlike Minyue state; and to the west there were the Southwestern Yi (西南夷) which did not adopt Han ways. Also, within the Nanyue territory there were Western Ou and Lạc Việt , which were not very submissive. But the largest threat came from the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
which coveted the Nanyue state.
From tensions to peace and stability
In 196 BC, an envoy from the Han Empire gave Zhao Tuo a seal recognizing him as king of Nanyue. On this occasion, Zhao Tuo squatted and wore his hair in a bun, in the Yue manner. Early in his reign, Emperor Gaozu of HanGaozu of Han
Emperor Gao , commonly known within China by his temple name Gaozu , personal name Liu Bang, was the first emperor of the Han Dynasty, ruling over China from 202 BC to 195 BC...
gave three commanderies (郡) to Prince of Changsha Wu Rui, and appointed Yao Wuyu, Marquis of Haiyang (海陽侯徭無餘) and Zhi, Prince of Nanhai (南海王織). Emperor Gaozu also put an army in Changsha state to watch over the movements of the Nanyue kingdom, which made Zhao Tuo worry about this situation. Zhao Tuo took opportunity on trading and imported things in large amounts from the Central Plains, and Zhao Tuo also gave tribute to central authority. After Gaozu died, Emperor Hui of Han
Emperor Hui of Han
Emperor Hui of Han was the second emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. He was the second son of the first Han emperor, Han Gaozu and Empress Dowager Lü. He is generally remembered as a weak character dominated by his mother, Empress Dowager Lü, personally kind and generous but unable to escape...
(汉惠帝) succeeded him. The new emperor respected the treaty made by his father, and so did Zhao Tuo.
Empress Lü raising tensions
After seven years of the reign of Emperor Hui, Empress Dowager LüEmpress Lü Zhi
Empress Lü Zhi , commonly known as Empress Dowager Lü or formally as Empress Gao , courtesy name Exu , was the wife and empress of Emperor Gaozu of Han, founder of the Han Dynasty. They had two known children—the eventual Emperor Hui and Princess Luyuan...
came to power. In the beginning everything went on as usual. But in 183 BCE, she suddenly declared to restrict the trade of Han with others, this included useful products such as iron tools and horses to Nanyue territory. This was because Wu Rui, King of Changsha, who was the only non-Liu king in Han territory, who was treated well by the Empress (Gao Zu removed all non-Liu kings except Wu Rui since his state was not much of power, and the empress wanted to appoint Lü kings). The blockade had a great impact on the Nanyue economy, since Nanyue needed iron plow tools, and people were unhappy about the blockade.
Zhao Tuo thought that this must be the trickery of the Prince of Changsha. He realized that the Han Dynasty was powerful, so he sent messengers to the Chinese capital of Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to request to release the blockade. But Prince of Changsha Wu Rui made the messengers prisoners in Chang'an. Wu Rui further said bad things about Zhao Tuo, which made Empress Dowager Lü angry. Then she killed Zhao Tuo's relatives in the Central Plains and destroyed Zhao Tuo's ancestral tomb (destruction of ancestral tombs was in ancient times viewed as a very serious thing). Zhao Tuo realised that political approach would no longer succeed.
So, in 183 BC, he declared himself Emperor Wu of Nanyue . He had been long in conflict with Prince of Changsha Wu Rui, so he sacked Changsha country to the North. Then the Empress ordered an attack on Nanyue, but most of the army died by disease and could not march to Nanyue successfully, but the military conflict did not stop until the Empress died. As the victor, Zhao Tuo also extended his territory by conquering towns near the boundary. He also established relationships with Minyue, Xi'ou, and Luoyue with valuables. But this war almost completely wiped out the trade relationship between the Central Plains and Nanyue.
Back as vassal and death
In 179 BC, Emperor Wen of HanEmperor Wen of Han
Emperor Wen of Han was the fifth emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. His given name is Heng.Liu Heng was a son of Emperor Gao of Han and Consort Bo, later empress dowager...
inherited the throne. The new Emperor abolished some cruel punishments made by Qin. Zhao Tuo took opportunity of this, and communicated to the Emperor that if he removed the two generals from Changsha and restored his relatives in Zhending, he would be at peace with Han. Emperor Wen immediately took action. He repaired the tomb of Zhao's ancestors, and found one Zhao family member who survived, and also moved the Han army out of Changsha. Then Zhao Tuo revoked his title of emperor and Nanyue became a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
state of the Han once more. Zhao Tuo died in 137 BC at the age of ninety-three.