Nanyue: Map & History
Nanyue was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family continued to rule until 111 BC.
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Nanyue was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family continued to rule until 111 BC. Nanyue's geographical expanse covered the modern Chinese subdivisions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, southern Fujian and central to northern Vietnam. Zhao Tuo, then Commander of Nanhai Commandery of the Qin dynasty, established Nanyue in 204 BC after the collapse of the Qin dynasty. At first, it consisted of the commanderies of Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang.
Modern Countries Once Part of Nanyue
At its mapped extent, Nanyue covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Hong Kong S.A.R.206–111 BCE · nearly all
- Macau S.A.R206–111 BCE · nearly all
- Vietnam206–111 BCE · a large part
- China206–111 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Nanyue's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Nanyue in Depth
History
A detailed history of Nanyue was written in Records of the Grand Historian by Han dynasty historian Sima Qian. It is mostly contained in section (juan) 113, Ordered Annals of Nanyue (Chinese: 南越列傳; pinyin: Nányuè Liè Zhuàn; Jyutping: Naam4jyut6 Lit6 Zyun2). A similar record is also found in the Book of Han Volume 95: The Southwest Peoples, Two Yues, and Chaoxian.
After Qin Shi Huang conquered the six other Chinese kingdoms of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, he turned his attention to the Xiongnu tribes of the north and west and the Hundred Yue peoples of what is now southern China. Around 218 BC, the First Emperor dispatched General Tu Sui with an army of 500,000 Qin soldiers to divide into five companies and attack the Hundred Yue tribes of the Lingnan region.
Government
Because the Kingdom of Nanyue was established by Zhao Tuo, a Chinese general of the Qin dynasty, Nanyue's political and bureaucratic systems were, at first, essentially just continuations of those of the Qin Empire itself. Because of Zhao Tuo's submissions to the Han dynasty, Nanyue also adopted many of the changes enacted by the Han, as well. At the same time, Nanyue enjoyed complete autonomy – and de facto sovereignty – for most of its existence, so its rulers did enact several systems that were entirely unique to Nanyue.
Nanyue was a monarchy, and its head of state generally held the title of "king" (Chinese: 王), though its first two rulers Zhao Tuo and Zhao Mo were referred to as "Emperor" within Nanyue's borders.
Culture
There was a fusion of Han and Nanyue cultures in significant ways, as shown by the artifacts unearthed by archaeologists from the tomb of King Zhao Mo in Guangzhou. The Nanyue tomb in Guangzhou is extremely rich. There are quite a number of bronzes that show cultural influences from the Han, Chu, Yue and Ordos regions.
Geography and demographics
Nanyue originally comprised the Qin commanderies of Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang. After 179 BC, Zhao Tuo persuaded Minyue, Yelang, Tongshi, and other areas to submit to Nanyue rule, but they were not strictly under Nanyue control. After the Western Han dynasty defeated Nanyue, its territory was divided into the seven commanderies of Nanhai, Cangwu, Yulin, Hepu, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan. It was traditionally believed that the Qin conquest of the southern regions included the northern half of Vietnam, and that this area was also under Nanyue control. However, scholars have recently stated that the Qin likely never conquered territory in what is now Vietnam, and that Chinese domination there was first accomplished by the Nanyue themselves.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Nanyue (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nanyue: Key Facts
| Capital | Panyu County |
|---|---|
| Founded | 204 BCE |
| Dissolved | 111 BCE |
Preceded by
- Qin dynasty
- An Dương Vương
Succeeded by
- Vietnam under Chinese rule
Facts from Wikidata Q827040 (CC0).
Nanyue Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Nanyue appears, with the other states of the time.
Nanyue Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 620,249 km² in 148 BCE.
Nanyue: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nanyue exist?
Nanyue is dated to 206 BCE – 111 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Nanyue?
The capital of Nanyue was Panyu.
How large was Nanyue at its peak?
At its peak in 148 BC Nanyue covered about 620,249 km².