Âu Lạc: Map & History
Âu Lạc (chữ Hán: 甌貉 or 甌駱; pinyin: Ōu Luò; Wade–Giles: Wu1-lo4 Middle Chinese (ZS): *ʔəu-*lɑk̚ < Old Chinese *ʔô-râk) was a supposed polity that covered parts of modern-day Guangxi and northern Vietnam.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Âu Lạc (chữ Hán: 甌貉 or 甌駱; pinyin: Ōu Luò; Wade–Giles: Wu1-lo4 Middle Chinese (ZS): *ʔəu-*lɑk̚ < Old Chinese *ʔô-râk) was a supposed polity that covered parts of modern-day Guangxi and northern Vietnam. Founded in 257 BCE by a figure called Thục Phán (King An Dương), it was a merger of Nam Cương (Âu Việt) and Văn Lang (Lạc Việt) but succumbed to the state of Nanyue in 179 BCE, which, itself was finally conquered by the Han dynasty. Other historical sources indicate that it existed from 257 BC to 208 BC or from 208 BC to 179 BC. Its capital was in Cổ Loa, present-day Hanoi, in the Red River Delta.
Modern Countries Once Part of Âu Lạc
At its mapped extent, Âu Lạc covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Âu Lạc's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Âu Lạc in Depth
History
According to folklore, prior to Chinese domination of northern and north-central Vietnam, the region was ruled by a series of kingdoms called Văn Lang with a hierarchical government, headed by Lạc Kings (Hùng Kings), who were served by Lạc hầu and Lạc tướng. In approximately 257 BCE, Văn Lang was purportedly annexed by the Âu Việt leader Thục Phán, who according to traditional Vietnamese historiography, was either the prince or king of Shu. These Âu Việt people inhabited the southern part of the Zuo River, the drainage basin of You River and the upstream areas of the Lô, Gâm, and Cầu Rivers, according to Vietnamese historian Đào Duy Anh.
Government and society
Based on evidence from the historical and archaeological records, Kim (2015) believed that a "highly centralized, overarching state-level society with enduring political institutions and structure" between 300 and 100 BCE was responsible for the construction of the Cổ Loa settlement. Its size and the requisite workforce to construct it implied "a strong military force and significant centralized, state-like control". The number of bronze tools also suggested the existence of centralized production, social stratification, and material monopolization. That roof tiles can only be found at Cổ Loa also indicated that the site was the capital. Surrounding villages and communities seem to have paid taxes to the centralized polity.
Economy
The economy was characterized by agriculture with wet rice cultivation, draft animals, metal plowshares, axes and other tools, as well as irrigation complexes. The cultivation of irrigated rice may have started in the beginning of the second millennium BCE, evidenced by findings from palynological sequences, while metal tools were regularly used before any significant Sino-Vietic interaction. Chapuis (1995) also suggested the existence of line fishing and some specialization and division of labor.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Âu Lạc (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Âu Lạc: Key Facts
| Capital | Co Loa Citadel |
|---|---|
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 257 BCE |
| Dissolved | 207 BCE |
Preceded by
- Văn Lang
Facts from Wikidata Q867227 (CC0).
Âu Lạc Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 140,776 km² in 208 BCE.
Âu Lạc: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Âu Lạc exist?
Âu Lạc is dated to 256 BCE – 207 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Âu Lạc?
The capital of Âu Lạc was Cổ Loa.
How large was Âu Lạc at its peak?
At its peak in 208 BC Âu Lạc covered about 140,776 km².