thumb|"Barbarians" according to the Chinese cosmology. Those in the east were called [[Dongyi (東夷), those in the west
Xirong (西戎), those in the south Nanman (南蠻), and those in the north
Beidi (北狄).]]
Nanman () were
aboriginal tribes who lived in
southwestern China. They may have been related to the
Sanmiao, dated to around the
3rd century BC. The Nanman were multiple ethnic groups including the
Miao, the
Thai, and some
Tibeto-Burman groups such as the
Bai. There was never a single polity that united these people. During the
Three Kingdoms period, the Nanman alliance fought against the Chinese incursion under the leadership of
Meng Huo. After being captured and released no fewer than seven times, he finally submitted to
Zhuge Liang.
During the
Tang Dynasty, the
Miao (Hmong) ceased as a major non-Chinese group except in the province of Yunnan where they were ruled by the six "
Zhao" (詔). The southernmost, known as Mengshezhao (蒙舍詔) or
Nanzhao (南詔), united all six Zhaos and founded the first independent Nanman state during the early 8th century. The royalties were thought to be the Bai people. Nanzhao regularly paid tributes through the head of military district Jiannan Jiedushi (劍南節度使). When the
Tang Dynasty gradually declined, Nanman gained more independence, but was assimilated by later dynasties. However, some of Nanzhao's cultural influence was carried south due to its location.
See also
Category:Ethnic groups in ChinaCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)fr:Nanmanid:Nanmanja:南蛮no:Nanmanvi:Nam Manzh:南蠻
