Dian Kingdom

Dian Kingdom
滇國
4th century BCE–109 BCE
Bronze sculpture depicting Dian people, 3rd century BCE.
Capital		Not specified
Government		Monarchy
History
•	Established	4th century BCE
•	Annexed by Han	109 BCE
Succeeded by Han dynasty

The Dian Kingdom (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ) was established by the Dian people, who lived around the lake plateau of central northern Yunnan, China from the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han dynasty. The Dian buried their dead in vertical pit graves. The Dian language was likely one of the Tibeto-Burman languages. Dian was annexed by the Han dynasty during the southward expansion of the Han dynasty. In 109 BCE, Han campaigns against Dian led to the establishment of the Yizhou commandery by the Han.

The Dian were first mentioned historically in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian; according to Chinese sources, General Zhuang Qiao of Chu was the founder of the Dian Kingdom. Sent to conquer the "barbarian peoples" of the area, he and his army were prevented from going back to Chu by enemy armies, so he settled down and became king of the new Dian Kingdom. The soldiers who accompanied him married natives.

The kingdom was located around Kunming; it was surrounded on its east by the Yelang tribes, to the west by Kunming tribes, and to the north in Chengdu by the Han Chinese, and had relations with all of them.

It is said that during the reign of King Qingxiang of Chu (298-236 BCE), a military force was sent on a mission to the lands of the Ba and Shu (modern Sichuan), Qinzong (Guizhou), and the Dian Kingdom (Kunming, Yunnan). Native women married the Chu soldiers, who stayed in the area.