Dian Kingdom
The Dian Empire ( Chinese:滇 国or滇 王国) was one of the genuine cultures in the south of present-day China, which were annexed to the Han Dynasty. It is mentioned briefly in the Han sources. Its existence was confirmed by archaeological finds in Shizhaishan ( burial site in the east of Kunming Lake, about 50 tombs, including King Seal ) 1955-1960.
The state existed at least from the 3rd to the 1st century BC, and the political center was the level of Kunming in today's Yunnan Province. The neighbors were in particular the Yelang strains Kunming tribes in the west of Yunnan and the Chinese to Chengdu (also: Shu ).
The economy was based on large-scale animal husbandry, agriculture and commerce, the former trade goods in the region were horses, slaves, and long-haired cattle. Furthermore, Dian had to show plenty of salt and metals in addition to his livestock.
It is mentioned that the Chu Zhuang Qiao officer after an aborted expedition in this region ( 339-328 BC) made it the independent king of Dian. Due to the advance of the Kingdom of Qin Zhuang Qiao was isolated.
Shortly after 122 BC, the Chinese sent a gang to spy out the way to Shendu (ie India), but the Dian King she sat for several years fixed. After the agreement with the Yelang strains Han China then led 109 BC a campaign against Dian and forced it into the vassals duty established there the Yizhou Commandery.
The King Dian retained his title until the time of Emperor Zhao in which the Kunming strains unsuccessfully against the Han rose (86 and 83 BC). As a result of a rebellion, he was later eliminated.
Archaeological sites as Shizhaishan, Lijiashan have to show a delicate bronze art, to permit their scenes to draw conclusions about the daily life of Dian - people. One sees or suspects in the arts foreign influences, for example from Chinese, from Dong-son (Bronze Culture in Northern Vietnam) and from the northern nomads ( " Scythian ").