Dali was a state in the region of modern Yunnan province, founded by lords of the Bo 僰 Nationality (might be identical to modern Bai Nationality, Baizu 白族) during the 10th century. At the begin of the 10th century when the control of the central government of the Tang Dynasty 唐 was already quite weak Zheng Maisi 鄭買嗣, a noble of the Nanzhao state 南詔, overthrew the ruling Meng family 蒙 and founded a state called Da Changhe 大長和 in 902. Already in 928 Yang Ganzhen 楊干貞 destroyed the state of the Zheng clan and installed Zhao Shanzheng 趙善政 as ruler of a state called Da Tianxing 大天興 only to mount the throne himself a few months later, as ruler of Da Yining 大義寧. In 937 Duan Siping 段思平, military governor (jiedushi 節度使) of Tonghai 通海, conquered the capital Dali 大理 and founded the dynasty with the same name, as king and representant of 37 aboriginal lords. The dynastic line of the Duan family was interrupted in 1080 when Yang Yizhen 楊義貞, prime-minister of Duan Lianyi 段廉義, killed his lord and usurped the throne. Gao Zhilian 高智廉, Marquis of Shanchan 善闡侯, and his son Gao Shengtai 高昇泰 defeated the usurper, reinstituted the Duan family and from now on controlled the government of Dali as prime-ministers. Gao Shengtai even proclaimed himself king of the state of Da Zhong Guo 大中國. The period from 1096 on is called "Later Dali" (Hou Dali 後大理 or Houli guo 後理國). In 1253 the troops of the Mongol prince Khubilai conquered the state of Dali. The members of the Duan family, subservient to their new masters, were installed as aboriginal rulers (tusi 土司) under the administration of a field-secretariate ("province"; xingsheng 行省) of Yunnan. The eight administrative regions of Dali (see map) were often called "lands" (guo 國) although they were officially military regions (jiedu 節度 or dudu 都督), during the Later Dali period the military regions - a term used by the Tang and earlier Chinese dynasties - were transformed into prefectures (fu 府) as it was common in the contemporary Song empire 宋. The structure of the central government was interited from Nanzhao: The king acted as piaoxin 驃信, aided by four ministers (qingpingguan 清平官) called tanchuo 坦綽, buxie 布燮, jiuzan 久贊, and yanzan 彥贊. The area of Dali, especially the region around Lake Kunming 昆明湖 produced agricultural commodities of high standards. Dali was famous for her iron weapons and lacquerware and exported horses (!) that were bred in the central region around the capital Dali. The trade between China in the north and east and the Southeast Asian states in modern Viet Nam and Myanmar (Burma) was of great importance for Dali merchants. Deeply influenced by the culture of the neighboring Song empire documents of the Dali government, Buddhist writings, but also tales, poems and folksongs could be written in Chinese characters that were read in local pronunciation. We know much about Dali culture from Chinese writings like Guihai yuheng zhi 桂海虞衡志 by Fan Chengda 范成大, or the famous "Dali Painting Scroll" Dali huajuan 大理畫卷 by Zhang Shengwen 張勝溫. Less known sources for the history of Dali are Nanzhao yeshi 南詔野史 "Unofficial history of Dali", and Dali xingji 大理行紀 "A Travel to Dali" by Guo Songnian 郭松年. The most important religion of the Dali state was Buddhism that flourished under the protection of the Duan family.

Kings of Dali 大理 938-1253 Duan Siping 段思平 938-944 -----Wende 文德 938-? -----Shenwu 神武 ? Duan Siying 段思英 945 -----Wenjing 文經 945 Duan Siliang 段思良 946-951 -----Zhizhi 至治 946-951 Duan Sicong 段思聰 952-968 -----Mingde 明德 952-? -----Guangde 廣德 ? -----Shunde 順德 968 Duan Sushun 段素順 969-985 -----Mingzheng 明政 969-985 Duan Suying 段素英 986-1009 -----Guangming 廣明 986-1004 -----Mingying 明應 1005 -----Mingsheng 明聖 1006 ? -----Mingde 明德 1007 ? -----Minzhi 明治 1008-1009? Duan Sulian 段素廉 1010-1022 -----Mingqi 明啟 1010-1022 Duan Sulong 段素隆 1023-1026 -----Mingtong 明通 1023-1026 Duan Suzhen 段素真 1027-1041 -----Zhengzhi 正治 1027-1041 Duan Suxing 段素興 1042-1044 -----Shengming 聖明 1042-1043 ? -----Tianming 天明 1044 ? Duan Silian 段思廉 1045-1074 -----Baoan 保安 1045-1052 -----Zheng'an 正安 1053-1059 ? -----Zhengde 正德 ? -----Baode 保德 ? Duan Lianyi 段廉義 1075-1080 -----Shangde 上德 1076 -----Guang'an 廣安 1077-1080 Usurper: Yang Yizhen 楊義貞 1080 Duan Shouhui 段壽輝 1081 -----Shangming 上明 1081 Duan Zhengming 段正明 1082-1094 -----Baoli 保立 1082-1085 ? -----Jian'an 建安 ? -----Tianyou 天祐 ? Usurper Gao Shengtai 高昇泰 1095, Kingdom of Da Zhong Guo 大中國 -----Shangzhi 上治 1095 Later Dali 後大理 1096-1253 Duan Zhengchun 段正淳 1096-1108 -----Tianshou 天授 1096 -----Kaiming 開明 1097-1102 -----Tianzheng 天正 1103-1104 -----Wenan 文安 1105-1108 Duan Zhengyan 段正嚴 1109-1147 -----Rixin 日新 1109 -----Wenzhi 文治 1110-? -----Yongjia 永嘉 ? -----Baotian 保天 1129-? -----Guangyun 廣運 ? Duan Zhengxing 段正興 1148-1171 -----Yongzhen 永貞 1148 -----Dabao 大寶 1148-1155 -----Longxing 龍興 ? -----Shengming 盛明 ? -----Jiande 建德 ? Duan Zhixing 段智興 1172-1200 -----Lizhen 利貞 1172-1175 -----Shengde 盛德 1176-1180 -----Jiahui 嘉會 1181-1184 -----Yuanheng 元亨 1185-1195 ? -----Anding 安定 ? Duan Zhilian 段智廉 1201-1204 -----Fengli 鳳曆 1201-1203 -----Yuanshou 元壽 1204 Duan Zhixiang 段智祥 1205-1239 -----Tiankai 天開 1205-1225 -----Tianfu 天輔 1226-? -----Renshou 仁壽 ? Duan Xiangxing 段祥興 1239-1251 -----Daolong 道隆 1239-1251 Duan Xingzhi 段興智 1251-1253 -----Tianding 天定 1251-1253