History
The Dian were first mentioned historically in Sima Qian's Shiji; according to Chinese sources, the Chinese Chu general Zhuang Qiao was the founder of the Dian Kingdom. Chinese soldiers who accompanied him married the natives. Zhuang was engaged in a war in conquer the "barbarian" peoples of the area, but 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 kingdom was located around Kunming, it was surrounded, on its east, the Yelang tribes, to the west, Kunming tribes, and to the north in Chengdu, by the Chinese, and had relations with all of them.
It is said that during King Qingxiang's (Ching-hsiang) rule over Chu (298 236 BC), a military force was sent on a mission to the area which makes up the present day provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan which respsectively were the lands of the Ba and Shu, Chinzong, and the Tien. Native women married the Chu soldiers, who stayed in the area.
The Dian were subjugated by the Han Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han in 109 BC. The Dian King willingly received the Chinese invasion, in the hopes of assistance against rival tribes, it was at this time he received his seal from the Chinese, and became a tributary. The Han Dynasty incorporated the territory of the Dian Kingdom into the Yizhou Commandery, but left the King of Dian as the local ruler, until a rebellion during Han Chao-ti's rule. The Chinese proceeded with colonization, and conquered the Kunming tribes in 86 and 82 B.C., reaching Burma.
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