"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 (南蠻, literally "southern barbarian") were aborginal tribes lived in southwestern China. They may be related to the Sanmiao, dated to around the 3rd century BCE. Nanmans were comprised of different 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 less 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.
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