The Kingdom of Dali was preceded by the
Nanzhao Dynasty, which was overthrown in 902. Three dynasties followed in quick succession, until
Duan Siping seized power in 937 and established Dali.
[1] Gao Shengtai forced the puppet king
Duan Zhengming to abdicate and become a monk in 1095, and renamed the state
Dazhong. He returned the power to the Duan family upon his death.
Duan Zhengchun renamed the state
Hou Li (lit. The later Dali) in the next year.
The 11th king of Nanzhao established
Buddhism as the
state religion. Ten of the 22 kings of Dali gave up the throne and became
monks.
[2].
It is claimed that despite their military prowess and superior numbers, the Mongols could not breach the defenses of the
Erhai valley, which was so suited to defense that even just a few defenders could hold out for years. It is said that the Mongols found a traitor who led them over the
Cangshan mountains along a secret path, and only in this way were they able to penetrate and overrun the Bai defenders. Thus ended five centuries of independence. In 1274 the Province of
Yunnan was created, and thus the region has since been incorporated within China as the result of the expansion of the
Mongol Empire at the beginning of
Yuan China.