4 replies to this topic

[Boleslaw I]

I have heard of Anxi Protectorate, Andong Protectorate,... during Tang dynasty. But where is this Annan Protectorate came, is it the least important one, for I have not heard of any mentioning about it?
Does anyone know where does this Protectorate located and how many garisson did it have? Is it a hot place for wars or just a peaceful place?

[wiwi]

It's nowadays Vietnam. Vietnam since the age of Han has long been conquered and ruled over by the Chinese dynasties, with a lot of rebellions from time to time. Like other protectorate regions, Annam Protectorate (安南都护府) was also ruled by a dictator-like governor called Jiedushi (節度使) quite independent from the central government of China.

During the rule of Sui-Tang, there were quite a lot of great rebellions including the rebellions and declarations of independence lead by Mai Hắc Đế ("Mai the Black Emperor"), Phùng Hưng and most notably Lí Nam Đế ("Lí the Southern Emperor") one after another.

I can assure you that it was quite a hot period even by the standard of the Northern rules in Vietnam because the Sui and Tang dynasty was especially harsh and cruel in their regime in Vietnam, more than Han (and later smaller southern dynasties of China during the fragmentation era).

Edited by wiwi, 25 March 2009 - 12:29 AM.

[tjoa]

A book I recently read, The Vermillion Bird, by Edward Schafer, talks about Lingnan under the Tang. I vague recall something about the Annam protectorate in this. I think the book is brilliant.

(My own interest was in the fact that this part of China - Guangdong, Guangsi - were considered as places of "exile," a demotion for a member of the bureaucracy; hence I was not paying much attention to what it had to say about Annam, Champa, etc.)

[Amber]

I have heard of Anxi Protectorate, Andong Protectorate,... during Tang dynasty. But where is this Annan Protectorate came, is it the least important one, for I have not heard of any mentioning about it?

follow my knowledge, at least we know one Annan Protectorate very famous during Tang dynasty. This is 高駢 ( Vietnamese call he is Cao Bien). He is good general, who had defeated Nanzhao kingdom when they invaded into Annan ( in that time, Vietnam still under the rule of Chinese). But Vietname don't have any good feeling about him. In legend, he is one great wizard, too, usually doing many thing very cruel because of it. Some legend say that he beheaded one virgin girl, took out all of her viscera and put straw in this body to ... charm some god of Annan import into this body and kill this god.

This is legend from Vietnamese, follow Chinese's history document, he isn't good person,too. When arrive to China, he finally betrayed Tang dynasty and be killed because of that. Chinese's document confirm that he very faithful into magic. Because of that, I think some of these Vietnam's legend about his's cruel doing may be is true.

Edited by Amber, 19 February 2010 - 03:27 AM.

[katana300]

A book I recently read, The Vermillion Bird, by Edward Schafer, talks about Lingnan under the Tang. I vague recall something about the Annam protectorate in this. I think the book is brilliant.

(My own interest was in the fact that this part of China - Guangdong, Guangsi - were considered as places of "exile," a demotion for a member of the bureaucracy; hence I was not paying much attention to what it had to say about Annam, Champa, etc.)

I have a question on this part too. Why did Han govt only send their exiles to Guangxi (Hepu), but not push them further down to Jiaozhi?