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Duō Miè Kingdom

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Duō Miè Kingdom
多蔑国 (Chinese)
Duō Miè Guó
7th century
Proposed locations of ancient kingdoms in Menam and Mekong Valleys in the 7th century based on the details provided in the Chinese leishu, Cefu Yuangui, and others.
Proposed locations of ancient kingdoms in Menam and Mekong Valleys in the 7th century based on the details provided in the Chinese leishu, Cefu Yuangui, and others.
Religion
Buddhism
GovernmentKingdom
• 7th century
Māgha Shili
Historical eraPost-classical era
• Established
7th century
• Relations with China established
Early 7th century
• Sent tribute to China
661
Today part of

Duō Miè Kingdom (多蔑国) or Miè (蔑) was an ancient kingdom mentioned in the Chinese leishu, Cefu Yuangui, compiled during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE),[1]: 18  and in the Tang Huiyao.[2] It was located on the border of the South China Sea.[3] Its territory can be traveled around for a month. It met the sea to the south and adjoined Dvaravati's vassal, Tou Yuan, to the east. Bordered the kingdom of Jù Yóu or Dàn Yóu (俱游国/但游国) to the west and the kingdom of Bō Cì or Bō Là (波刺国/波剌國) to the north.[1]: 20 

Duō Miè was not subject to other states, and despite not being an enormous kingdom, it had a large population. There were 30 states under its rule. It has state walls, palaces, towers, and fortresses, all made of tiles and wood.[1]: 20  There are 4,000 guards. Although they have bows, arrows, swords, shields, and armor, they do not have battle formations. There are criminal law documents and marriage ceremonies. Religion worships Buddha and other gods. Their king wears clothes made of morning glory fiber and linen. The king's surname is Māgha (摩伽; Mó-jiā), his given name is Shili (失利; Shī-lì), and his royal title is Sī-duō-tí (斯多题).[2] Duō Miè established relations with China during the Zhenguan period (627–649 CE) of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and later sent tribute to the Chinese court in 661 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.[4]

Its products include gold, silver, copper, iron, ivory, rhinoceros horn, morning glory clothes, and others. Its animals include rhinoceros, elephants, horses, and cattle, and its fruits include betel nuts. Its peaches, dates, melons, plums, and vegetables and grains are similar to those in China. Gold and silver are used for transactions, and the people pay a twentieth tax.[2] The residents are short in stature, and brothers marry one wife. Women always make horns out of their hair to identify the number of their husbands.[5]

No additional evidence about Duō Miè has been found, and its identification is uncertain. However, since it was situated to the west of Tou Yuan, if Tou Yuan was on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bangkok as cited by Lawrence P. Briggs,[6]: 267  Duō Miè should be situated to the west of lower central Thailand. On the other hand, if Tou Yuan was in the upper Tanintharyi Coast,[6]: 267  Duō Miè should be somewhere in the Irrawaddy Delta. Previously, some scholars believed Duō Miè was a small country on the sea south of Línyì.[7] Some say it was in southern India.[8]

Proposed location of Duō Miè and its neighboring kingdom, Tou Yuan, according to the details provided in the Chinese leishu, Cefu Yuangui.[1]: 20, 22 

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "钦定四库全书: 册府元龟卷九百五十七宋王钦若等撰". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Tang Huiyao, Volume 100
  3. ^ 钦定古今图书集成，方舆汇编，边裔典，第102卷 [The Complete Works of Ancient and Modern Books, Collection of Geographical Maps, Border and Ethnic Groups, Volume 102] (in Chinese) Text: 按杜氏《通典》，名蔑国，大唐贞观中通焉。在南海边界， 周回可一月行。Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  4. ^ Cefu Yuangui, Volume 970, Foreign Ministers Department Tribute Chapter 3
  5. ^ New Book of Tang, Volume 222, Biography 147
  6. ^ a b Lawrence Palmer Briggs (1950). "The Khmer Empire and the Malay Peninsula". The Far Eastern Quarterly. 9 (3). Duke University Press: 256–305. doi:10.2307/2049556. JSTOR 2049556. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024.
  7. ^ Zhou Weizhou (18 May 2022). "唐朝与南海诸国通贡关系研究" [A Study on the Tributary Relations between the Tang Dynasty and the South China Sea Countries]. 中国史研究 (in Chinese). 3. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  8. ^ 吕思勉 (22 April 2020). 隋唐五代史 [History of the Five Dynasties of the Sui and Tang Dynasty] (in Chinese). 上海古籍出版社. ASIN B08YR69XKR.
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