Svai Empire

Svai Empire 向國 Svayhkau
304 CE–1311 CE
Flag
Svai Empire over modern borders. Dark green represents the core empire, light green the empire at its height in 866 CE.
Capital	Siran 304-486 Kantala (486-711 and 718-1214) Moumar (711-718) Ourieng (1214-1311)
Common languages	Svai Nieh Tchin Nainanese
Religion	Zohism
Government	Imperial absolute monarchy
Emperor
• 304-316	Stechaphnom I
• 705-739	Prakphan
History
• Established	304 CE
• Disestablished	1311 CE
Preceded by Succeeded by Sun dynasty Tao dynasty Yên dynasty Ban dynasty Kingdom of Sippom Kingdom of Lanhok Mokol Kingdom Tao dynasty Lương dynasty
Today part of	Siamat Kuthina Nainan

The Svai Empire (Svai: 向國 Svayhkau, called 暹末 Shangean: Xiānmò by the Sun and Tao dynasties) was an empire in Southeast Coius which lasted from the 4th to 14th centuries. It was created by Stechaphnom I in 304 CE after a successful revolt against the Sun dynasty, which had ruled the area since 155 CE. Until the 7th century CE it was largely confined to the Lueng and Moei river valleys, and afterwards it conquered and subjugated parts of modern-day Nainan, Zomia, and Shangea. It reached its zenith during the 9th century when the Tagamic Migration devastated the Heavenly Dominion in Pardaria and the Tao dynasty in Shangea, allowing the Svai Empire to establish a protectorate over much of the Great Steppe and Chanwa for 70 years.

During this period, known as the Venghuo Period, Svai culture flourished as it incorporated aspects of Shangean, Pardarian, Nainanese, and Dezevauan customs, literature, and philosophy from trade. It is considered a golden age of Svai artists, poets, architects, and writers. Zohism became entrenched in this period, with the system of Sengshui fully adopted to provide governance for the empire. The capital of Kantala grew to host over a million people, being the largest city in the world for a century, and the Svai emperors patronised over a thousand temples in the capital alone.

The 10th century saw the beginning of the end for the Venghuo Period. The Svai Court further retreated from governance, leaving rule in the hands of Zohist monks. With a lack of support from a stagnant and corrupt central military, the monks turned to the Oknya, local gentry, who were allowed to raise militias. Over time the Oknya took power from the monks and cemented themselves as regional warlords, focusing on increasing their power-bases at all costs. During this Peanchao period banditry ran rampant and the empire shrank dramatically. The Oknya encouraged the Kasi Migrations by hiring Kasi as mercenaries and settling them in garrison towns. This policy would prove disastrous as the Kasi would later revolt and establish their own kingdoms, gaining control of much of the Lueng and Moei river valleys.

The Svai Empire would continue on as a rump state until the Sack of Ourieng in 1311 by the Kingdom of Sippom.

History

Rebellion and establishment

A relief at the Old Palace in Kantala showing the Battle of Svareng

By the start of the 4th century Lueng river valley had largely been under the control of the Sun dynasty for two and a half centuries, and had known a short but influential rule earlier by the Xiang dynasty. During the 3rd century the Sun dynasty conquered the city-state of Vanam which dominated the Moei river valley and the Mahakram Gulf, which stretched its resources in the area. As the dynasty began to decline it could afford less attention to its frontiers and far-off provinces, suffering numerous rebellions which saw its hold of the area weakened.

A statue of the founder of the Svai Empire, Stechaphnom I

One of these rebellions was led by a figure called Stechaphnom, who would found the Svai Empire and its capital of Kantala. As a highly mythologised figure few authentic historical records remain. The legends paint him as a highly successful general who was able to overcome Sun armies by adapting to their tactics and weaponry and using them against them. He is often considered a pivotal figure in synthesising native Svai culture, beliefs, and political systems with that of the occupying Shangeans, which is credited to the success of his rebellion where others failed.

The date traditionally given for his foundation of the Svai Empire is 304, although there are no contemporary records or steles that support this. Sun dynasty records indicate only that appointments to the commanderies in the area did not stop, suggesting some kind of continued presence in the area. Archaeological evidence has supported this, indicating that Stechaphnom and his early successor ruled only part of the Middle Lueng, and fought against other states formed in the absence of Sun authority in the Lower Lueng and the Moei river valleys. Historians now believe later Svai histories would revise history and suggest a far more dramatic collapse of Sun control in the region, while they now believe in a slower decline allowing native polities to remerge, one of which, founded by Stechaphnom and centred in Kantala (originally Siran), would become the Svai Empire.

Venghuo period

Main article: Venghuo period

Peanchao period

Main article: Peanchao period

Military and foreign policy

Protectorates and tributaries

Map of the three major protectorates during the Svai Empire's zenith in the 9th century

In emulation of the Xiang dynasty, and succeeding Shangean dynasties, the Svai Empire considered itself the centre of the world and all other states, bar the Tao dynasty, to owe it fealty or tribute. Like the Sun dynasty which it had broken off from it was aggressive in establishing tributary relations. In the 6th century it conquered the Yên dynasty and forced the Ban dynasty to become a subject state. Initially it saw tributaries as active vassal states, and often intervened in their internal politics and levied taxes both on goods and manpower. This created numerous problems that saw multiple revolts from the Ban, and so this model was not replicated elsewhere.

At its zenith in the 9th century the Svai Empire expanded its list of tributaries tenfold, grouping many of them into three protectorates: the Bakan Protectorate in the Great Steppe, the Saian Protectorate to the west, and the Sanan Protectorate in the north-east. The Sanan Protectorate was the least organised, theoretically it stretched as far as modern-day Lavana but in reality few states sent consistent tribute missions, with most deigning to send them every decade or so when they desired to establish trade relations.

By the 10th century the Protectorates as organised groups of tributaries and vassals had largely fallen apart. Without adequate support from the central army the viceroys were forced to concede all but a few territories, and in turn those too were soon lost. After the 11th century few states saw any need to send tribute to Kantala, having returned fully to the Tao's fold. Those that did were largely small Lue polities in the north, seeking legitimacy from the Svai Emperor and to keep trade flowing through the mountain passes.

Bakan Protectorate

Main article: Bakan Protectorate

See also: Great Steppe

Location of the Great Steppe in Coius

The Tagamic Migrations caused an upheaval in the Great Steppe and resulted in the weakening of the Heavenly Dominion and the Tao dynasty. The former had to deal with the devastation caused by the Tagames, while the latter was beset by Omiric tribes migrating into its frontiers. The reigning emperor in 831, Ponhea Yat, was asked by nearby Chanwan polities to secure the border. Over a three year campaign his general, Sar Kosal, subjugated fourteen Omiric and Ukilenic tribes.

For the next 72 years a good deal of the Great Steppe was organised under the Bakan Protectorate, officially the 'Grand Protectorate General to Pacify the North'. It had its capital at Tulean, although most protector-generals served from the garrison city of Tboudong. Due to its vast size, distance from Kantala, and a lack of adequate resources provided to the protector-generals, Svai oversight of the area was lax and largely amounted to collecting tribute, protecting the Svai core lands via the Chanxi Corridor, and playing the tribes against each other.

By the late 9th century much of the protectorate had slipped from the empire's grasp, and as the Heavenly Dominion and Tao dynasty recovered the imperial court did not want to challenge them and so retreated from the area. The protector-general was reduced to holding Tboudong and protecting the Chanxi Corridor, and later when that was lost was diminished to a ceremonial court rank before the institution was forgotten after the fall of the empire in 1311.

List of rulers

Reign	Emperor	Capital	Information and events
304-316	Stechaphnom I	Siran	Proclaimed the independence of the Svai Empire from the Sun dynasty.
316-333	Phansopat	Siran
333-341	Stechaphnom II	Siran
341-376	Sokkiri I	Siran
376-379	Sokkiri II	Siran
379-401	Suyphala	Siran
401-414	Thomkhl I	Siran
414-443	Suyphala II	Siran
443-465	Suyphala III	Siran
465-473	Stechatonle	Siran
473-478	Thomkla II	Siran
478-509	Stechaphnom III	Siran Kantala
509-521	Preahrith I	Kantala
521-554	Sokhdom I	Kantala
554-556	Sechaktei I	Kantala
556-581	Karnenam	Kantala
581-598	Stechbrisot	Kantala
598-623	Merosmei I	Kantala
623-634	Sokhdom II	Kantala
634-662	Thomkla III	Kantala
662-681	Davseril	Kantala
681-684	Stechomnue	Kantala
684-684	Mak Makara	Kantala
684-705	Chekhueng	Kantala	晶王
705-739	Prakphan	Kantala Moumar	Attempted to move the capital to Moumar, returned to Kantala after just seven years.
739-754	Huothi	Kantala	和帝
754-761	Huthi	Kantala	谐帝
761-784	Mikthi	Kantala	睦帝
784-794	Hsaengthi	Kantala	盛帝
794-821	Chehueng	Kantala	耀王
821-845	Saimchhi I	Kantala	心主
845-897	Huengchhin	Kantala	王真
897-912	Lenhueng	Kantala	憐王
912-923	Khehueng	Kantala	握王
923-941	Kheangchhi I	Kantala	抗主
941-966	Kheangchhi II	Kantala	抗主
966-989	Kheangchhi III	Kantala	抗主
989-995	Saibchhi	Kantala	接主
995-1011	Khuohsaei	Kantala	恢秩 - Attempted to restore order to a crumbling empire, short reign cut any chance of success
1011-1034		Kantala
1034-1055		Kantala
1055-1063		Kantala
1063-1088		Kantala
1088-1102		Kantala
1102-1137		Kantala
1137-1139		Kantala
1139-1142	Kasi Naranat occupation, led by King Mahidol
1142-1146		Kantala
1146-1164		Kantala
1164-1175		Kantala
1175-1199		Kantala
1119-1214		Kantala
1214	Kasi Sippom invasion, culminating in the Sack of Kantala
1214-1226		Ourieng
1226-1231		Ourieng
1231-1255		Ourieng
1255-1258		Ourieng
1258-1279		Ourieng
1279-1292		Ourieng
1292-1304		Ourieng
1304-1305		Ourieng
1305-1311		Ourieng