Western Xia

Western Xia (西夏 pinyin Xi Xia), was the kingdom from 1032 up to 1227 of the Tibetan-speaking Tanguts tribes that was established in the 11th century and flourished through the early 13th century until it was conquered by the Mongols of the Yuan dynasty. It was located in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Kansu (Gansu) and Shensi (Shaanxi) and Ningxia (Ningxia).

Occupying the area along the trade route between Central Asia and the West, the Tangut were formally a tributary state of first the Song and then the Jin. In actuality, they were de facto independent, and the interaction between the Jin, the Song, and the Western Xia is of interest to historians of diplomacy because they are an example of diplomatic relations between states of de facto equal power but within a diplomatic framework in which one state was formally superior.

Western Xia has its own written language which disappears after the kingdom was annihilated by the Mongols.

The ancient Xia Dynasty is often confused with this dynasty. Refer to Xia for other meanings of the Chinese character.

Rulers of Western Xia

    Kaiyun (開運 kai1 yun4) 1034

    Guangping (廣平 guang3 ping2) 1035-1036

    Daqing (大慶 da4 qing4) 1036-1038

    Tianshoulifayanzuo (天授禮法延祚 tian1 shuo4 li3 fa3 yan2 zuo4) 1038-1048

    Tianyousuisheng (天祐垂聖 tian1 you4 chui2 sheng4) 1050-1052

    Fushengchengdao (福聖承道 fu2 sheng4 cheng2 dao4) 1053-1056

    Chedu (奲都 che3 du1) 1036-1038

    Gonghua (拱化 gong3 hua4) 1063-1067

    Tiancilishengguoqing (天賜禮盛國慶 tian1 ci4 li3 sheng4 guo2 qing4) 1070-1074

    Daan (大安 da4 an1) 1075-1085

    Tiananliding (天安禮定 tian1 an1 li3 ding4) 1085-1086

    Tianyouminan (天祐民安 tian1 you4 min2 an1) 1090-1097

    Yongan (永安 yong3 an1) 1098-1100

    Zhenguan (貞觀 zhen1 guan1) 1101-1113

    Yong (雍寧 yong1 ning2) 1114-1118

    Yuande (元德 yuan2 de2) 1119-1127

    Zhengde (正德 zheng4 de2) 1127-1134

    Dade (大德 da4 de2) 1135-1139

    Renqing (人慶 ren2 qing4) 1144-1148

    Tiancheng (天盛 tian1 sheng4) 1149-1170

    Qianyou (乾祐 qian2 you4) 1170-1193

    Huangjian (皇建 huang2 jian4) 1210-1211

Related Topics

• History of China
• List of past Chinese ethnic groups
• Chinese sovereign
• Mongols
• Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)
• Song Dynasty (960-1279)
• Liao Dynasty
• Gansu
• Xinjiang
• Uighurs
• Xia Dynasty
• Xia