Editing User:Ashoka/Ashoka's and his sons' Asvamedha of Yunnan


{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Ashoka's / His sons' Ashvamedha of Yunnan
| partof            = Mauryan conquests
| date              = unknown
| place             = Yunnan, China
| result            = [[Mauryan Empire|Mauryan]] victory
* Ashoka's first son obtained a green jade cock on a hill
* Ashoka's second son settled down in Dianchi
* Mauryan descendants intermarried with Han people which created the ethnic Bai (white) people
| combatant1        = [[Mauryan Empire]]
| combatant2        = unknown 
| commander1        = Ashoka's sons
| commander2        = unknown
| strength1         = unknown
| strength2         = unknown
}}

== Background ==
In the first century BC, when Yunnan became part of the Chinese Han empire, [[Indian|Indians]] known as 'Shendu' in Chinese records were among the local ethnic groups. From then until the fourteenth century, the term '[[Maharaja]]' was used to refer to certain local kings in Yunnan, especially the ruler of Dali. This is recorded in Chinese historical documents from the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279-1368) and Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644), where 'mokuo luocuo' is a Chinese version of 'Maharaja'.

== Mauryan conquests of Yunnan ==
During the Yuan Dynasty, a Chinese book, whose author's name is unknown, recounts an intriguing story. According to this tale, the three sons of the renowned [[Indian]] king [[Ashoka]] were chasing a golden horse that appeared in [[Magadha]] and fled eastwards. Eventually, the third son caught the horse on a hill near Lake Dianchi in Yunnan. This event led the locals to name the hill 'Jinmashan' (Hill of Golden Horse). [[Ashoka|Ashoka's]] first son also arrived at the shore of Dianchi Lake and found a green jade cock on another hill, naming it 'Bijishan' (Green Jade Cock Hill). The second son of [[Ashoka]] settled on the banks of Dianchi Lake. [[Ashoka]] subsequently sent his brother-in-law to find them, and he too settled in Yunnan along with the three nephews. Over time, their descendants intermarried with the Han Chinese and formed a new ethnic group known as the Bai (White) people.

==References==
{{reflist}}
* India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia, Volume 3, Part 2, 2002, page [https://books.google.mu/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ&q=Applying+the+same+inter-cultural+holistic+perspective,+we+may+describe+Yunnan+as+belong-+ing+to+both+the+Chinese+civilizational+realm+and+its+Indian+counterpart.+Or,+what+is+con-+ceived+as+%27Indochina%27+is+a+concept+which+can+be+extended+far+beyond+the+boundaries+of+the+peninsula+bearing+this+name+to+the+entire+South-east+Asia+and+to+Yunnan+as+well.+As+we+have+seen,+Yunnan+was+the+favourite+habitat+of+the+common+ape+ancestors+of+Indians+and+Chinese-the+Ramapithecus.+In+the+first+century+BC,+when+Yunnan+became+a+part+of+the+Chinese+ruling+Han+empire,+Indians+(in+Chinese+records,+%27Shendu%27)+were+one+of+the+eth-+nic+groups+among+the+natives.+From+then,+uptil+the+fourteenth+century,+the+term+%27Maha-+raja%27+had+been+in+currency+as+the+pronoun+for+some+local+kings+of+Yunnan-particularly+the+ruler+of+Dali.+This+fact+has+been+documented+in+the+official+Chinese+records+of+the+Yuan+Dynasty+(AD+1279-1368)+and+Ming+Dynasty+(AD+1368-1644)+featuring+%27mokuo+luocuo%27,+the+Chinese+corruption+of+%27Maharaja%27.+A+Chinese+book+written+by+an+author+(whose+name+is+lost)+during+the+Yuan+Dynasty+contains+a+very+interesting+anecdote.+The+three+sons+of+the+great+Indian+king+Ashoka,+says+the+story,+were+chasing+a+golden+horse+which+appeared+in+Magadha+and+ran+eastwards.+Finally,+the+third+son+caught+the+golden+horse+on+a+hill+by+the+lake+Dianchi+(the+big+lake+in+Yunnan)+which+made+the+local+people+name+the+hill+%27Jinmashan%27+(Hill+of+Golden+Horse).+Ashoka%27s+first+son+also+reached+the+bank+of+Dianchi+Lake+and+obtained+a+green+jade+cock+on+another+hill,+bestowing+on+the+hill+the+new+name+of+%27Bijishan%27+(Green+Jade+cock+Hill).+The+second+son+of+Ashoka+also+reached+the+bank+of+Dianchi,+and+settled+down+there.+Then,+Ashoka+sent+his+brother-in-law+to+look+for+them,+who+also+settled+down+in+Yunnan+along+with+the+three+nephews.+Later,+their+descendants+intermarried+with+the+Han+people+and+created+a+new+race+the+Bai+(white)+people.&dq=Applying+the+same+inter-cultural+holistic+perspective,+we+may+describe+Yunnan+as+belong-+ing+to+both+the+Chinese+civilizational+realm+and+its+Indian+counterpart.+Or,+what+is+con-+ceived+as+%27Indochina%27+is+a+concept+which+can+be+extended+far+beyond+the+boundaries+of+the+peninsula+bearing+this+name+to+the+entire+South-east+Asia+and+to+Yunnan+as+well.+As+we+have+seen,+Yunnan+was+the+favourite+habitat+of+the+common+ape+ancestors+of+Indians+and+Chinese-the+Ramapithecus.+In+the+first+century+BC,+when+Yunnan+became+a+part+of+the+Chinese+ruling+Han+empire,+Indians+(in+Chinese+records,+%27Shendu%27)+were+one+of+the+eth-+nic+groups+among+the+natives.+From+then,+uptil+the+fourteenth+century,+the+term+%27Maha-+raja%27+had+been+in+currency+as+the+pronoun+for+some+local+kings+of+Yunnan-particularly+the+ruler+of+Dali.+This+fact+has+been+documented+in+the+official+Chinese+records+of+the+Yuan+Dynasty+(AD+1279-1368)+and+Ming+Dynasty+(AD+1368-1644)+featuring+%27mokuo+luocuo%27,+the+Chinese+corruption+of+%27Maharaja%27.+A+Chinese+book+written+by+an+author+(whose+name+is+lost)+during+the+Yuan+Dynasty+contains+a+very+interesting+anecdote.+The+three+sons+of+the+great+Indian+king+Ashoka,+says+the+story,+were+chasing+a+golden+horse+which+appeared+in+Magadha+and+ran+eastwards.+Finally,+the+third+son+caught+the+golden+horse+on+a+hill+by+the+lake+Dianchi+(the+big+lake+in+Yunnan)+which+made+the+local+people+name+the+hill+%27Jinmashan%27+(Hill+of+Golden+Horse).+Ashoka%27s+first+son+also+reached+the+bank+of+Dianchi+Lake+and+obtained+a+green+jade+cock+on+another+hill,+bestowing+on+the+hill+the+new+name+of+%27Bijishan%27+(Green+Jade+cock+Hill).+The+second+son+of+Ashoka+also+reached+the+bank+of+Dianchi,+and+settled+down+there.+Then,+Ashoka+sent+his+brother-in-law+to+look+for+them,+who+also+settled+down+in+Yunnan+along+with+the+three+nephews.+Later,+their+descendants+intermarried+with+the+Han+people+and+created+a+new+race+the+Bai+(white)+people.&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFtIj0obyHAxXv7gIHHU90AgcQ6AF6BAgMEAM#Applying%20the%20same%20inter-cultural%20holistic%20perspective,%20we%20may%20describe%20Yunnan%20as%20belong-%20ing%20to%20both%20the%20Chinese%20civilizational%20realm%20and%20its%20Indian%20counterpart.%20Or,%20what%20is%20con-%20ceived%20as%20'Indochina'%20is%20a%20concept%20which%20can%20be%20extended%20far%20beyond%20the%20boundaries%20of%20the%20peninsula%20bearing%20this%20name%20to%20the%20entire%20South-east%20Asia%20and%20to%20Yunnan%20as%20well.%20As%20we%20have%20seen,%20Yunnan%20was%20the%20favourite%20habitat%20of%20the%20common%20ape%20ancestors%20of%20Indians%20and%20Chinese-the%20Ramapithecus.%20In%20the%20first%20century%20BC,%20when%20Yunnan%20became%20a%20part%20of%20the%20Chinese%20ruling%20Han%20empire,%20Indians%20(in%20Chinese%20records,%20'Shendu')%20were%20one%20of%20the%20eth-%20nic%20groups%20among%20the%20natives.%20From%20then,%20uptil%20the%20fourteenth%20century,%20the%20term%20'Maha-%20raja'%20had%20been%20in%20currency%20as%20the%20pronoun%20for%20some%20local%20kings%20of%20Yunnan-particularly%20the%20ruler%20of%20Dali.%20This%20fact%20has%20been%20documented%20in%20the%20official%20Chinese%20records%20of%20the%20Yuan%20Dynasty%20(AD%201279-1368)%20and%20Ming%20Dynasty%20(AD%201368-1644)%20featuring%20'mokuo%20luocuo',%20the%20Chinese%20corruption%20of%20'Maharaja'.%20A%20Chinese%20book%20written%20by%20an%20author%20(whose%20name%20is%20lost)%20during%20the%20Yuan%20Dynasty%20contains%20a%20very%20interesting%20anecdote.%20The%20three%20sons%20of%20the%20great%20Indian%20king%20Ashoka,%20says%20the%20story,%20were%20chasing%20a%20golden%20horse%20which%20appeared%20in%20Magadha%20and%20ran%20eastwards.%20Finally,%20the%20third%20son%20caught%20the%20golden%20horse%20on%20a%20hill%20by%20the%20lake%20Dianchi%20(the%20big%20lake%20in%20Yunnan)%20which%20made%20the%20local%20people%20name%20the%20hill%20'Jinmashan'%20(Hill%20of%20Golden%20Horse).%20Ashoka's%20first%20son%20also%20reached%20the%20bank%20of%20Dianchi%20Lake%20and%20obtained%20a%20green%20jade%20cock%20on%20another%20hill,%20bestowing%20on%20the%20hill%20the%20new%20name%20of%20'Bijishan'%20(Green%20Jade%20cock%20Hill).%20The%20second%20son%20of%20Ashoka%20also%20reached%20the%20bank%20of%20Dianchi,%20and%20settled%20down%20there.%20Then,%20Ashoka%20sent%20his%20brother-in-law%20to%20look%20for%20them,%20who%20also%20settled%20down%20in%20Yunnan%20along%20with%20the%20three%20nephews.%20Later,%20their%20descendants%20intermarried%20with%20the%20Han%20people%20and%20created%20a%20new%20race%20the%20Bai%20(white)%20people.]
* The Transformation of Yunnan in Ming China, page 53
*Chieftains Into Ancestors
Imperial Expansion and Indigenous Society in Southwest China
2013, page 108 [https://books.google.mu/books?id=IbpCRZnkxZcC&pg=PA108&dq=ashoka+and+bai+people&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYzfDesbyHAxWJwQIHHXBMIxwQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=ashoka%20and%20bai%20people&f=false]