Chiefdom of Yongning
# Chiefdom of Yongning

Chiefdom of Yongning (simplified Chinese: 永宁土司; traditional Chinese: 永寧土司; pinyin: Yǒngníng Tǔsī) was a Mosuo autonomous Tusi chiefdom during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The chiefdom was located at present-day Ninglang Yi Autonomous County at the convergence of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet.

According to legend, the ancestor of Yongning chieftains was from Tibet. He arrived at Yongning in 24 AD. Yongning was a part of Nanzhao and later a part of the Dali Kingdom. The Mongol Empire invaded Dali in 1253. He Zi (和字), the chieftain of Yongning, surrendered to the Mongol Empire. The chiefdom later came under the administration of the Yuan dynasty.

Yongning swore allegiance to the Ming dynasty since 1371. Chieftain Budu Geji (卜都各吉) went to the Ming capital to have an audience with the Hongwu Emperor in 1381, from then on, Yongning joined the Ming Tusi System. Since 1406, the hereditary chieftains received the official position "Magistrate of Yongning" (永寧知府) from the Ming emperor.

A Ju (阿苴) was the first chieftain who used the surname "A" (阿). Joseph Rock stated that the surname was given by the Ming emperor. On one occasion the chieftain came to have an audience with the Ming emperor. The chieftain did not understand the Chinese language. When the Ming emperor spoke to him, he replied "ah", so was given the surname "A".

According to The Ancient Nakhi Kingdom of Southwest China by Joseph Rock, Yongning used to be great power. However, in 1648, Muli was given to a lama and established the Chiefdom of Muli; later, in 1710, Yongning was divided into several chiefdoms under the order of the Kangxi Emperor.

In 1917, Chiefdom of Langqu (蒗蕖土司) was abolished, its territory merged into Yongning. Since then, Yongning changed its name to Ninglang. Yongning Chiefdom was abolished by the Chinese Communist Party in 1956.

## List of chieftains of Yongning

| Name | Reign | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| Budu Geji 卜都各吉 | 1381 –? | |
| Geji Bahe 各吉巴合 | ? – 1414 | |
| Busa 卜撒 | 1414 – October 1417 | murdered by Lamafei |
| Lamafei 剌馬非 | October 1417 – July 31, 1423 | usurper chieftain of Zuosuo (左所土司) |
| Nanba 南八 | July 31, 1423 – 1458 | |
| A Ju 阿苴 | July 28, 1458 – 1484 | started to use the Chinese surname "A" (阿) |
| A Chuo 阿綽 | September 12, 1484 – 1496 | |
| A Gui 阿貴 | February 22, 1496 – 1515 | |
| A Hui 阿暉 | July 24, 1515 – 1530 | |
| A He 阿和 | May 29, 1540 – 1557 | |
| A Ying 阿英 | September 27, 1557 – 1574 | |
| A Xiong 阿雄 | September 19, 1574 – 1586 | |
| A Chengzhong 阿承忠 | 1591 – 1610 | |
| A Quan 阿銓 | 1610 – ? | coronation: July 11, 1614 |
| A Zhenlin 阿鎮麟 | ? – August 27, 1669 | |
| A Tingkun 阿庭錕 | 1670 – 1705 | |
| A Jinhui 阿錦暉 | January 23, 1707 – December 29, 1711 | |
| A Jinxian 阿錦先 | May 16, 1727 – May 24, 1727 | |
| A Youwei 阿有威 | April 28, 1728 – April 26, 1740 | |
| A Shichang 阿世昌 | November 1741 – 1770 | |
| A Liangbi 阿良弼 | 1770 – 1771 | not recognized by China |
| A Qichang 阿啓昌 | October 16, 1771 – March 28, 1796 | |
| A Liangfu 阿良輔 | April 27, 1798 – October 21, 1815 | |
| A Huiyuan 阿會元 | March 12, 1817 – March 4, 1867 | |
| A Yuxing 阿毓興 | 1867 – 1879 | not recognized by China |
| A Hengfang 阿恒芳 | April 23, 1879 – 1894 | |
| A Yingrui 阿應瑞 | 1894–October 6, 1923 | |
| A Minhan 阿民漢 | March 1930 – 1956 | title abolished |
