kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Nanzhao

738 CE – 902 CE · capital Taihe, Yangjumie

A kingdom around Lake Erhai in Yunnan that played Tang China and the Tibetan Empire against each other and dominated south-western trade routes for 160 years.

Origins

Six chiefdoms (zhao) lived around Lake Erhai in western Yunnan. With Tang backing, Piluoge, ruler of the southernmost, Mengshe, united them by 738 and was recognised as Prince of Yunnan. He built his capital at Taihe, and his successors moved to Yangjumie, near modern Dali.

Rule and society

The Meng kings ruled a mixed population, including ancestors of the Bai and Yi peoples, through Tang-style ministries and military districts. Geluofeng broke with Tang and destroyed Chinese armies in 751 and 754 as an ally of Tibet; Yimouxun returned to Tang allegiance in 794. Nanzhao sacked Chengdu in 829 and raided Annan in the 860s. Buddhism grew strongly at court, and Chinese writing was used for administration.

Decline and legacy

Costly wars weakened the monarchy. In 902 the minister Zheng Maisi massacred the Meng royal family and founded Da Changhe. The Erhai basin remained a political centre and passed in time to the Dali Kingdom.

Lineage

NanzhaoDa Changhe 902 CE – 928 CE

Connections (3)

More states of China, Tibet and Mongolia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nanzhao. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanzhao
MLA
“Nanzhao.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanzhao. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Nanzhao.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanzhao.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nanzhao’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanzhao (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻