On The Song Dynasty Relations With Vietnam, The Yi Dynasty

Abstract At the beginning of Song dynasty when the period of the five dynasties and the ten kingdoms had experienced great turmoil and the Song dynasty was very weak, Vietnam seized the opportunity to break away from China抯 long-time control, arid established an independent feudal state. The feudal system was further developed and consolidated under the reign of Li dynasty, which has the longest rule in the history of Vietnam. On the basis of endeavours made by Ding dynasty and Qian Li dynasty, the relation between Song dynasty and Li dynasty was established and developed further. A bilateral relation with political subordination of Vietnam under China as the key and with an overall economic and cultural exchange became the basic form of relation between the two countries in feudal time. This model lasted for 900 years?long until late 19th century. 2 The rulers of Li dynasty pursued the policy of 搃nvasion toward the North and expansion toward the South?and constantly started conflicts near the border of the two countries. Vietnam抯 invasion of Zhan Cheng (Champa) imposed pressure on the Northern Song dynasty and the relation between the two countries grew intese. Vietnam in the reign of Li dynasty took the advantage of Nong Zhigao抯 rise against Song dynasty to play hard on Northern Song and sought for self-profit. The reform of Wang Anshi was in fact a campaign started by Chinese landlords to promote self-development, but Li dynasty used it as an excuse to start an aggressive war and intrigued a large-scale military conflict. Under the counterattack of Song dynasty, Li dynasty was defeated and their relation was restord. By the end of Song dynasty, peaceful contact became the dominant trend of Song-Li relation, because it accorded with the fundamental interests of people from the two countries. A comprehensive economic and cultural exchange between the two countries gived great impetus to the overall social development of Vietnam.