Chiefdom of Bozhou explained

Native Name:播州土司
Conventional Long Name:Chiefdom of Bozhou
Common Name:Chiefdom of Bozhou
Status:Native Chiefdom of China
Year Start:876
Event End:Annexed by Ming Dynasty
Year End:1600
P1:Nanzhao
S1:Ming dynasty
Capital:Bozhou (present day Zunyi)
Common Languages:Nasu, Chinese, Gelao, Hmong
Government Type:Monarchy
Title Leader:Chieftain
Leader1:Yang Duan
Year Leader1:876–?
Leader2:Yang Chaodong
Year Leader2:1595–1600
Today:China

The Chiefdom of Bozhou, ruled by the Yang clan, was an autonomous Tusi chiefdom established by Yang Duan (Chinese: 楊端) during the Tang dynasty. After he conquered the Bozhou Prefecture (centred on modern Zunyi) from the Nanzhao Kingdom, Yang Duan was recognized as the hereditary ruler of the region by the Tang court in 876.

The Yang clan ruled Bozhou for more than seven centuries, surviving several dynastic changes in China, until its last ruler Yang Yinglong rebelled against the Ming dynasty in 1589. It took more than a decade for the Ming to suppress the rebellion, and the Bozhou Tusi was defeated and abolished in 1600.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Bozhou, Sizhou, Shuidong and Shuixi were called "Four Great Tusi in Guizhou" (Chinese: 贵州四大土司) by Chinese.[5] "Liangguang [ruled by] Cen and Huang, Sizhou and Bozhou [ruled by] Tian and Yang", an idiom current among Southwestern Mandarin speakers, proved that the Yang clan was once one of the most powerful clans in Southwestern China.[6]

History

The Chiefdom of Bozhou was established in 876 when the first chieftain Yang Duan occupied Bozhou (modern-day Zunyi) in southwest China. It lasted for about 725 years over 29 generations through the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The main fortress of Bozhou was Hailongtun, constructed in 1257. About 17,000 Bozhou soldiers who were led by the 29th Chieftain Yang Yinglong (Chinese: 楊應龍) fought against the 240,000 Ming Dynasty for 114 days. In the end the Tusi force was defeated and Yang Yinglong was killed. The Ming Dynasty burned down Hailongtun, and put an end to the 725 years rule of the Yang Family.

List of Bozhou Chieftains

Below are Bozhou chieftains[7] [8] [9]

No. Name Chinese Reign Notes
1 Yang Duan 楊端 876–?
2 Yang Munan 楊牧南 ?–? son of Yang Duan
3 Yang Bushe 楊部射 ?–? son of Yang Munan
4 Yang Sangong 楊三公 ?–? son of Yang Bushe
5 Yang Shi 楊實 ?–? son of Yang Sangong
6 Yang Zhao 楊昭 ?–? son of Yang Shi
7 Yang Guiqian 楊貴遷 ?–1052 adoptive son of Yang Shi
descendant of Yang Duan
8 Yang Guangzhen 楊光震 ?–? son of Yang Guiqian
9 Yang Wenguang 楊文廣 ?–? son of Yang Guangzhen
10 Yang Weicong 楊惟聰 ?–1125 son of Yang Wenguang
11 Yang Xuan 楊選 1125–1155 son of Yang Weicong
12 Yang Zhen 楊軫 ?–? son of Yang Xuan
- Yang Shi 楊軾 ?–? co-ruler of Yang Zhen
son of Yang Xuan
13 Yang Can 楊粲 1201–1233 adoptive son of Yang Zhen
son of Yang Shi
14 Yang Jie 楊价 1233–1243 son of Yang Can
15 Yang Wen 楊文 1243–1265 son of Yang Jie
16 Yang Bangxian 楊邦憲 1265–1281 son of Yang Wen
17 Yang Hanying 楊漢英 1281–1316 also known as Yang Sayin-buqa (楊賽因不花)
son of Yang Bangxian
18 Yang Jiazhen 楊嘉貞 ?–? also known as Yang Yanli-buqa (楊延禮不花)
son of Yang Hanying
19 Yang Zhongyan 楊忠彥 ?–? son of Yang Jiazhen
20 Yang Yuanding 楊元鼎 ?–1370 son of Yang Zhongyan
21 Yang Keng 楊鏗 1370–1399 descendant of Yang Bangxian
22 Yang Sheng 楊昇 1399–1441 son of Yang Keng
23 Yang Jiong 楊炯 1441–1442 grandson of Yang Sheng
24 Yang Gang 楊綱 1442–1449 son of Yang Sheng
uncle of Yang Jiong
25 Yang Hui 楊輝 1449–1474 son of Yang Gang
26 Yang Ai 楊愛 1474–1497 son of Yang Hui
27 Yang Bin 楊斌 1497–1520 son of Yang Ai
28 Yang Xiang 楊相 1520–1543 son of Yang Bin
29 Yang Lie 楊烈 1543–1571 son of Yang Xiang
30 Yang Yinglong 楊應龍 1571–1595 son of Yang Lie
31 Yang Chaodong 楊朝棟 1595–1600 son of Yang Yinglong

Notes and References

  1. Chinese Tsui Culture Added to The World Heritage List: finanznachrichten.de (07-Apr-15)
  2. The legendary Yang clan: hailongtun.com
  3. The last battle: hailongtun.com
  4. Hailongtun – the Demise of a Tusi Lord: chinascenic.com, retrieved 5 Mar 2017
  5. Book: 明后期黔蜀毗邻地区土司纷争研究. 颜丙震. June 2018. 9787511555625. zh.
  6. Web site: 思州土司的前世今朝:田氏传奇八百年 土司文化传后代. people.com.cn. zh.
  7. 《明通鉴》卷6
  8. 陈季君, 党会先, 陈旭, 《播州土司史》, 中央民族大学出版社, 2015, 308 pages https://books.google.com/books?id=J6QMjwEACAAJ&dq=%E6%92%AD%E5%B7%9E%E5%9C%9F%E5%8F%B8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwihgO2wzNbjAhWLaCsKHefiD4oQ6AEIMjAB|播州土司史
  9. http://cnyang.org/cn/info/SO1YETAK.htm 播州杨氏土司世系表