Duan Siping

Duan Siping (Chinese: 段思平; pinyin: Duàn Sīpíng; IPA: [twân sí.pʰǐŋ]) was a statesman who founded and became the First Emperor of the Kingdom of Dali in 937.[1] The Kingdom retained independence from unified China until the Mongol invasion in 1253 led by Kublai Khan.[2]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Duan.
Duan Siping
段思平
Emperor of Dali
Reign937 – 944
SuccessorDuan Siying
Born893
Xizhou, Dali
Died944 (aged 50–51)
Dengzhou
Era dates
Wende (文德; 937–944)
Posthumous name
Shengshen Wenwu Huangdi
(聖神文武皇帝)
Temple name
Taizu (太祖)
HouseHouse of Duan
FatherDuan Baolong
Duan Siping
Chinese段思平

Biography

The Duan family claimed descent from a Han Chinese family originating in Gansu province, however it is widely accepted that Duan Siping was a member of the Bai ethnic group.[3] The Dian zaiji (Chinese: 滇載記) records that Duan's ancestor was from Wuwei and, having assisted the Meng clan in battle, was awarded with political rank. However, "his descendant six generations later, Siping, was born under different omens."[4]

Duan was a governor of Tonghai County. Yang Ganzhen (Chinese: 楊干貞), ruler of the Great Yining kingdom, feared him and attempted to imprison him.[5] Duan went into hiding and gathered soldiers and horses to fight. Allegedly, Duan was eating a wild peach, when he noticed two characters written on the fruit's skin: qing xi 青昔. Duan determined that the first character, qing, referred to the twelfth month, whilst the second, xi, indicated the twenty-first day. He understood this as an omen of when he should attack Great Yining.[6]

References

Notes
  1. "民族博物馆＿中国科普博览". www.kepu.net.cn.
  2. Zhao (2002).
  3. Mote (2003), p. 710.
  4. Yang (1500s), “六传而生思平，思平生有异兆。”
  5. Yang (1500s)
  6. Yang (1500s), “思平折之曰：「青乃十二月，昔乃二十一日。今杨氏政乱，吾当以是日举义乎？」”

Works cited
  • Mote, F. W. (2003). Imperial China 900-1800 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Zhao 赵, Yinsong 寅松 (2002). "试论大理国的建立和段思平的出身" [Preliminary study of the founding of the Dali Kingdom and Duan Siping's ancestry]. Yunnan minzu xueyuan xuebao. 19 (5): 75–78.
  • Yang, Shen (1500s). 滇載記 [Records of Dian].
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