建立與疆域

吳越國前身與基礎可一直上溯至唐末大混亂時期杭州地方的鄉兵集團杭州八都。

錢鏐本為石鏡都的副將，助主將董昌取得杭州、擊敗浙東觀察使劉漢宏的侵略後，董昌將杭州刺史一職以及杭州八都集團的大部分讓給了錢鏐，是錢鏐獲得獨立地盤之始。以下表列出此政權之擴張事件及領域變動。

893年，錢鏐為唐鎮海節度使。 907年被後梁封為吳越王。

975年援北宋滅南唐，978年吳越末代國王錢俶為了避免戰亂主動獻土併入北宋。

吳越國一軍十三州：

• 杭州（首府）：轄錢塘、錢江、鹽官、餘杭、富春、桐廬、于潛、新登、橫山、武康十縣。

• 越州（東府）：轄會稽、山陰、諸暨、餘姚、蕭山、上虞、新昌、瞻八縣。

• 湖州：轄烏程、德清、安吉、長興四縣。

• 溫州：轄永嘉、瑞安、平陽、樂清四縣

• 台州：轄臨海、黃岩、台興、永安、寧海五縣。

• 明州：轄鄞、奉化、慈谿、象山、望海、翁山六縣。

• 處州：轄麗水、龍泉、遂昌、縉雲、青田、白龍六縣。

• 衢州：轄西安、江山、龍遊、常山四縣。

• 婺州：轄金華、東陽、義烏、蘭溪、永康、武義、浦江七縣。

• 睦州：轄建德、壽昌、遂安、分水、青溪等五縣。

• 秀州：轄嘉興、海鹽、華亭、崇德四縣。

• 蘇州：轄吳、晉洲、崑山、常熟、吳江等五縣。

• 福州：轄閩、侯官、長樂、連江、長溪、福清、古田、永泰、閩清、永貞、寧德等十一縣。

• 安國衣錦軍：即今杭州臨安，是錢鏐的誕生地，故特升為衣錦軍。

經濟及文化

吳越國採取保境安民的政策，經濟繁榮，漁鹽桑蠶之利甲于江南；文士薈萃，人才濟濟，文藝也著稱于世。由于吳國阻隔陸路，因此吳越朝貢中原王朝多經登、萊海路，海上交通發達，與後百濟、新羅、日本的海上貿易和文化交流頻繁。

吳越國的水利在十國中是最著名的。錢鏐設撩湖軍，開浚錢塘湖，得其遊覽、灌溉兩利，又引湖水為湧金池，與運河相通。此外，在唐末時期，錢塘江口地區因海潮襲擊，「自秦望山東南十八堡，數千萬畝田地悉成江面，民不堪命」。後梁開平四年/吳越天寶三年（910年），錢鏐動員大批勞力，修築「捍海石塘」。用木樁把裝滿石塊的巨大石籠固定在江邊，形成堅固的海堤，保護了江邊農田不再受潮水侵蝕。並且由於石塘具有蓄水作用，使得江邊農田得獲灌溉之利。由是「錢塘富庶盛於東南」。

錢鏐還在太湖地區設「撩水軍」四部、七八千人，專門負責浚湖、築堤、疏濬河浦，使得蘇州、嘉興、長洲等地得享灌溉之利。此外錢氏還修建武義縣的長安堰，受益農田上萬頃；東府的鑑湖，餘杭縣的上湖、下湖、北湖，諸暨的完浦，慈谿的慈濟湖，明州的南湖，鄞縣的廣德湖、東錢湖、它山堰，也都是重要的灌溉水源。吳越境內田塘眾多，土地膏腴，有「近澤知田美」之語。

錢鏐在位時，即鼓勵擴大墾田，下令「荒田任開，不起稅額」。由是「境內無棄田」，歲熟豐稔，民間五十錢可糴白米一石。兩浙又為著名桑麻產地，湖州顧渚山出產著名的「紫筍茶」，天福七年（942年）忠獻王錢弘佐一次就向後晉進貢二萬五千斤之多。

吳越國的手工業高度發達，官府生產的各色繡金錦緞綾絹不僅供王宮之需，還大量進貢中原王朝。吳越國的陶瓷業也相當興盛，主要的陶瓷器生產場地是越州餘姚上林湖的越州窯，此外還在處州龍泉、上虞窯前寺等地設立官窯。吳越生產的「秘色瓷」昔日為錢氏內用，大臣非有功不得賜，故名。其工藝細膩，胎骨均勻，底部光潔，為吳越進貢及海外貿易的主要物資之一。溫州出產的蠲紙，潔白堅滑，專門供應官府。

佛教是吳越國文化的重要組成部分，歷代吳越國王均篤信佛教，吳越境內佛寺林立。忠懿王時期，境內佛塔達到8萬4千座，有名的如今天杭州的保俶塔、雷峰塔。受吳越國的佛教氛圍影響，杭州的雕版印刷業異常發達，僅忠懿王錢俶（錢弘俶）時期印刷的經書、佛像就達六十六萬兩千卷之多。宋代杭州印刷業居全國第一，即緣于此故。

吳越與南漢、新羅、後百濟、高麗、日本、琉球等國通商于海上。吳越向海外出口瓷器、錦緞、綾絹，進口蘇木、乳香、沉香、龍腦、玳瑁、珍珠、日本欏木、銅器、扇子等貨物，甚至包括大食的猛火油。吳越與中原內地的貿易最初通過楚國和荊南，後吳國占領江西全境，吳越的北方貿易改走海路，在登州、萊州、青州等地登陸，經陸路至汴梁、洛陽。杭州與明州是最重要的兩座港口，都城杭州「舟楫輻輳，望之不見首尾」。

政治及外交

吳越國在錢氏家族治理下，政治上比較安定，對外謹事中原王朝，奉正朔，歲時進貢；內無楊吳、馬楚、南漢的兄弟相殘之禍，保境安民，社會繁榮，經濟富裕。

司馬光《資治通鑑》載，吳越忠獻王錢弘佐年十四即位，問倉吏「今蓄積幾何？」答曰「十年」，錢弘佐曰「軍食足矣，可以寬吾民」，於是命境內免稅三年。明朝朱國楨則評價吳越政治稱「錢立國，置營田數千人於松江，闢土而耕，…民老死無他纏累，且完國歸朝，不殺一人，則其功德大矣！」

然而北宋歐陽修《五代史·吳越世家》評價吳越國則稱，自錢鏐時起，賦稅繁苛，小至雞、魚、雞卵、雞雛，也要納稅。貧民欠稅被捉到官府，按各稅欠數多少定笞數，往往積至笞數十以至百餘（一說五百餘），民尤不勝其苦。而宋代即有論者稱歐陽修此舉為挾私怨於褒貶之間。

吳越曾向後唐進貢萬壽節金器、連花金食器、盤龍鳳錦織成紅羅袍、金排方盤龍帶禦衣、通犀瑞象腰帶、紅地龍鳳錦被、錦綺、越綾、吳綾、異紋綾、金條紗、絹布、綿布、秘色瓷器、銀妝花櫚木櫥子、龍鳳紗紋櫥、紅藤龍鳳箱、佛頭螺子青、山螺子青、菩薩石蟹子、白龍腦、大茶、腦源茶等物。向後晉進貢銀、絹、絲、細甲、弓弩、箭、扇子、靴履、細酒、細紙、蘇木、乾薑、秘色瓷、乳香、啟聖節金大排方坐龍腰帶、禦衣等物。向後漢進貢禦衣、通犀帶、戲龍金帶、金器、銀器、兵仗、綾絹、茶、香、藥物、鞍履、海味。向後周進貢禦衣、銀、綾、絹、龍舟、天祿舟。

宋朝開國後，吳越國日益向其進貢無算，宋太祖曾說：「這些我遲早都要拿的，哪需要獻來呢？」吳越常向宋朝進貢赭黃犀角、龍鳳龜魚、仙人鰲山寶樹等物。進貢通犀寶帶七十餘條，玉帶二十條，紫金獅子帶一條，塗金銀香龍一座，及珊瑚樹十棵、高三尺五寸，皆稀世之寶。又向宋進貢金飾玳瑁器皿一千五百餘件，水晶瑪瑙玉器四千餘件，金銀器及秘色瓷十四萬餘件，金銀飾龍鳳舟二百餘艘，銀飾器物七十萬件，金九萬五千餘兩，銀一百一十萬餘兩，繡金盤龍鳳錦緞衣料數萬匹，白龍腦二百餘斤。至於珍珠、玳瑁、琥珀、乳香、沉香、龍涎香、蘇木、貢茶、御酒、綾絹、海味等物無數。而宋朝舉朝文武及宮中內官亦多有饋贈。以十三州之力，供大國歡心，吳越國力以是漸貧。

吳越最大的敵國是其西北的楊吳政權，吳越與其攻伐多年，919年無錫​​之戰後應吳國齊王徐溫要求，兩國修和。但楊吳的繼承者南唐也是吳越發展的主要競爭對手。為保護吳越國，歷代國王尊奉後梁、後唐、後晉、後漢、後周、宋朝六個中原王朝，事大主義，抵抗兩淮，保境安民。吳越國曾和南唐共同攻打閩國，後擊退唐軍，得以佔領閩國最繁華的都城福州地區。雖然吳越丞相沈虎子以南唐為屏障為由反對攻打南唐，南唐國主李煜也曾以唇亡齒寒的道理勸說，但在宋滅南唐的戰役中，吳越仍然出兵援宋。

935年，吳越與日本的國交始開。次年，藤原忠平向吳越王送抵國書，建立兩國良好關係。940年藤原仲平、947年藤原實賴、953年藤原師輔相繼向吳越王遞交國書。957年吳越王回送黃金。

君主

君主列表

君主世系圖

注釋

Founding

Beginning in 887, the Qian family provided military leaders to the Tang Dynasty. Qian Liu was named Prince of Yue in 902, with the title of Prince of Wu added two years later. In 907, when the Tang Dynasty fell and was replaced in the north by the Later Liang, military leaders in the south formed their own kingdoms. Qian Liu used his position to proclaim himself the King of Wuyue. This signaled the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period which would last until the founding of the Song Dynasty in 960.

Origin of name

The name Wuyue comes from the combination of Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom, two ancient kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn period from 770 to 476 BC.

Territorial extent

With its capital in Hangzhou, also called "Xifu", the kingdom included present-day Zhejiang, Shanghai, along with the southern portion of Jiangsu Province. It also later absorbed some of the northern part of Fujian when the Min Kingdom fell in 945. The territorial extent of Wuyue roughly corresponded to the territories of the ancient Yue, but not the ancient Wu—which led to charges by the neighboring Wu (also known as Southern Wu) that Wuyue had designs on its territory, and the name was a source of tension for years between the two states.

In the early decades of its existence, Wuyue bordered the Min Kingdom on its south and the Southern Tang Kingdom on its west and north. With the rebellion of Yin from the Min from 943 to 945, Wuyue briefly had a third border. However, before long, Wuyue was completely encircled (except for the East China Sea) as both Yin and Min were absorbed by the Southern Tang.

The population was approximately 550,700 households, with many people living in commercial centers and major seaports.

Administrative divisions

Wuyue was not a large kingdom compared to many of its neighbors. Although initially 12 prefectures (州), it later consisted of 13 prefectures and 86 counties or sub-prefectures (縣). Fuzhou was incorporated into Wuyue as its 13th prefecture, after the Min court declared allegiance to it as they were besieged by Southern Tang.

Former Administrative Divisions

• Changzhou (常州) from 886–891 CE, ceded to Yang Xingmi

• Runzhou (潤州) from 886–891 CE, ceded to Yang Xingmi

Reign of Qian Liu

Under Qian Liu's reign, Wuyue prospered economically and freely developed its own regional culture that continues to this day. He developed the coastal kingdom's agriculture, built seawalls, expanded Hangzhou, dredged rivers and lakes, and encouraged sea transport and trade. On his death-bed he urged a benign administration of state affairs and his words were strictly followed by four succeeding kings.

Foreign diplomacy

In 935, Wuyue established official diplomatic relations with Japan. The kingdom also took advantage of its maritime location to maintain diplomatic contacts with north China, the Khitans, Bohai, and the Korean states of Later Baekje, Goryeo, and Silla. Buddhism played a large role in the diplomatic relations with Japan and Goryeo. Japanese and Korean monks traveled to Wuyue, while monks from Wuyue went to Japan and Korea as well. The rulers of Wuyue also tried to find sutras that had been lost during the turbulent final years of the Tang. In 947, Qian Zuo sent gifts to Japan and offering to buy any sutras, however none were available. In 961, Qian Chu sent fifty precious objects and a letter to Goryeo inquiring about the missing sutras, and Gwangjong sent the monk Jegwan (諦觀) with a complete set of Tiantai sutras.

Fall of the kingdom

In 978, in the face of certain annihilation from northern imperial Chinese troops, the last king of Wuyue, Qian Chu, pledged allegiance to the Song Dynasty, saving his people from war and economic destruction. While Qian Chu nominally remained king, Wuyue was absorbed into the Song Dynasty, effectively ending the kingdom. The last king died in 988.

Legacy

Cultural legacy

A section of the West Lake with the pavilion on the left that is said to mark the spot of an archery range in the Wuyue period.

The Wuyue Kingdom cemented the cultural and economic dominance of the Wuyue region in China for centuries to come, as well as creating a lasting regional cultural tradition distinctive from the rest of China. The leaders of the kingdom were noted patrons of Buddhism, and architecture, temple decoration, and religious sculptures related to Buddhism. The cultural distinctiveness that began developing over this period persists to this day as the Wuyue region speaks a dialect called Wu (the most famous variant of which is Shanghainese), has distinctive cuisine and other cultural traits. The Baochu Pagoda, constructed during the reign of Qian Chu, was one of many temples and pagodas built under the patronage of the Wuyue kings.

Infrastructure

The physical legacy of the Wuyue Kingdom was the creation of the system of canals and dikes which allowed the region to become the most agriculturally rich region of China for many centuries. As a result, shrines to Qian Liu sprang up all across the region, and many can still be found today.

Personal legacy

Qian Liu was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of his extensive hydro-engineering schemes which "tamed" the seas. The kings of Wuyue continue to enjoy positive treatment in orthodox history. They were popularly revered because of the hydro-engineering works, ensuring the economic prosperity of the region, and for finally surrendering to the Song Dynasty, which ensured both a unified Chinese nation and that the region would not be ravaged by war.

During the early Song Dynasty, the Qian royal family were treated as second only to the ruling Zhao imperial family, as reflected in the Hundred Family Surnames. Subsequently, many shrines were erected across the Wuyue region where the kings of Wuyue were memorialised, and sometimes, worshipped as dictating weather and agriculture. Many of these shrines, known as "Shrine of the Qian King" or "Temple to the Qian King", remain today, the most popularly visited example being that near West Lake in Hangzhou.

Qian Liu reputedly had more than a hundred sons born to many different wives and concubines. His progeny were posted to various parts of the kingdom. The Qian family remains very widely spread throughout the region. Several branches are considered "prominent families" (望族) in their local areas.

Rulers

Qian Chu submitted to the Song Dynasty in 978 and continued to reign nominally, successively as King of Huaihai, King of Hannan, King of Hanyang and Prince of Xu, and finally Prince of Deng, until his death in 988. After his death he was also posthumously created King of Qin.

Rulers family tree