32 continental south asia and the islands
of 1036, 1059, 1060, 1076, and 1076 may have largely rested with
local Annamese chiefs. But in 1076, a brief confrontation took place
in which China was allied with Champa and the Khmer Kingdom.
Chiao-chih/Annam was in a peculiar situation. It bordered in the
south on the hostile Champa, in the west on the powerful Khmer
Kingdom, and in the north on a China which previously for over
a millenium had governed it as a colony. While the Sung was not
altogether at ease with its southern neighbour, it had lost all aspira-
tions of regaining this former colony. As it did with other countries, it
merely incorporated Chiao-chih/Annam into the empire on paper by
appointing its rulers as Protector Generals and Military Commission-
ers of the Army Which Quiets the Sea. This made them Protectors
of what they had already and Commanders of Chinese armies which
did not exist. In spite of Chinese window-dressing, the Annamese
kings were independent, but this does not neccessarily mean that
they felt secure. They therefore may have found it useful not to rely
exclusively on high levels of diplomacy and trade to benefit politically
and profit commercialy from their relations with with the Sung. They
made the concession of buying themselves peace, just as Sung did
with especially Liao and Chin. It is recorded that in the 12th month
(Dec./Jan., 1053) of the Chinese year 1052 an administrator in South
China reported to the court that the annual tribute from Chiao-chih
had not arrived because an aboriginal rebellion had blocked the road
(Sung hui-yao kao 10122:14a-14b).^82 On Sep.22, 1081, a local admin-
istrator in the Kuang-hsi Circuit reported that Chiao-chih had paid
tribute (Sung hui-yao kao 10122:20b). It follows that, when all is said
and done, there existed some kind of a tributary relationship between
Chiao-chih/Annam and Sung, whereby products were brought across
China’s southern border. When Chao Ju-kua states that Chiao-chih
(^82) Another entry is misleading. Sung hui-yao kao 10122:14b records that to com-
memorate his enthronement on Feb.18, 1189, Emperor Kuang-tsung of Southern
Sung ordered that only 1/10 of the tribute from Annam should be accepted. There
is a similar entry for Champa following the enthronement of Emperor Hsiao-tsung
on July 24, 1162. The first recorded mission from Champa to reach the Southern
Sung court after that date was on Nov.14, 1174. According to Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 332:
17b, the “tribute” of Champa was at that occasion reduced to 1/10. But Champa
never had any tributary relationship with China, so that this is an empty statement.
It merely pleased the Chinese court, which considered all presents from all foreign
countries as “tribute”, to show a disingeneous and entirely meaningless magnanimity
after enthronements, while the exchange of goods no doubt went on as before.