Svai Empire

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Svai Empire
向國
Svayhkau
304 CE–1311 CE
Flag of Svai Empire
Flag
Svai Empire over modern borders. Dark green represents the core empire, light green the empire at its height in 866 CE.
Svai Empire over modern borders. Dark green represents the core empire, light green the empire at its height in 866 CE.
CapitalKantala (304-711 and 718-1214)

Moumar (711-718)

Ourieng (1214-1311)
Common languagesSvai
Nieh
Tchin
Nainanese
Religion
Zohism
GovernmentImperial 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

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

Early empire

Venghuo period

Rapid expansion

Decline

Peanchao period

End of the empire

Administration and politics

Legal code

Government

Imperial examinations

Sengshui

Local governance

Taxes and the census

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

Location of the Great Steppe in Coius

Central army

Relations with Shangea

Economy

Silk and gold roads

Maritime trade

Culture and society

Art

Kantala, the capital

Religion and philosophy

Court and leisure

Sumptuary laws and clothing

Position of women

Cuisine

Science and technology

Engineering

Architecture

Agriculture

Historiography