Ethnic Minority on the Way to Tibet – The Bai Nationality History

Ethnic Minority on the Way to Tibet – The Bai Nationality History

Prehistoric archaeology

Malong Ruins are the representatives of the period of the Neolithic Age about 4000 years ago. The ancestors of the Bai Nationality once settled down nearby Erhai Area and the Dian Lake area in Yunnan Province. They created the earlier paddy civilization near the lakeside. They were good at farming, fishing, hunting and nomadic life. About 3000 years ago, the earliest historic ruins of the Bronze culture have been explored in Yunnan Province. It proved that the ancestors of the Bai Nationality had controlled the smelting technology of the Bronzes at that time.

Early Tang Dynasty

Actually the historical record of the Bai Nationality during the period of early Tang Dynasty is not clear or confirmed so far. We mainly learn it from another biography record written by Sima Guang – a politician, writer, and historian of the Earlier Song Dynasty (960-1127). The Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 24) claimed the sovereignty to Yunnan Province without actual control. After a civil strife of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), a national prototype was appeared in the Bai Nationality. It was called the Bai Kingdom at that time. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the early Tang Dynasty, the foreign trade communication was established and developed well in Bai Kingdom. Chinese Civilization and the Ancient Indian Civilization have been spread to Erhai Area quickly. The ancestors of the Bai Nationality people started to learn and form a unique Bai Nationality culture. Many tribes around the Erhai Area successively acknowledged the allegiance to the Bai Kingdom.

Tang Dynasty

In AD 629 during Tang Dynasty, the Bai Kingdom gradually lost the power and the influence. In AD 7th Century, Tubo tribe appeared in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and started to occupy other tribes' area. Tubo tribe threatened Tang Dynasty very much at that time. Therefore Tang Dynasty decided to support another powerful tribe to balance with Tubo tribe. At that time, there were 6 powerful tribes in Erhai Area, which 5 of them got along with Tubo Tribe. Tang Dynasty tried a lot to support the other 1 tribe which didn't acknowledge the allegiance to Tubo Tribe. In AD 738, with the help of Tang Dynasty, the leader of that tribe established political power in Erhai Area and the capital in Dali. It was called Nanzhao, a local regime in ancient China. Afterwards, people of different nations started to have the commercial intercourse and cultural communication in Nanzhao Kingdom. Both of the different culture and language of different nations had been influenced for each other. During the middle period of Nanzhao Kingdom, the Buddhism was introduced into Erhai Area from India. The Emperor of Nanzhao Kingdom greatly advocated it as a belief. And then, the Bai Nationality was nearly established.

Song Dynasty

After Nanzhao Kingdom perished, Dali Kingdom was established after 35 years. But Song Dynasty didn't get along with Dali Kingdom. Thus the Bai Nationality history, culture and the society were developed very well at that time.

Yuan Dynasty

The Mongolians of Yuan Dynasty conquered Dali Kingdom. Luckily, the Bai Nationality history and culture, etc, were not destroyed again.

Ming-Qing Dynasty

During the period of Ming-Qing Dynasty, the cultural relics of the Bai Nationality was destroyed. Lots of historic classic were burned up.

The People's Republic of China

With the equal national policy of the People's Republic of China, the Bai Nationality history and culture have been protected well and developed quickly again. You will have a chance to understand the history of Bai Nationality easily along Sichuan-Tibet Highway or Yunnan-Tibet Highway, etc. They usually settled down in Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province, and Hunan Province, etc.