Summary

According to the History of Song: Guangyuan Zhou Man Zhuan (《宋史·广源州蛮传》), he followed his father, Nong Quanfu (侬全福), as the head of local Zhuang people in Quảng Uyên/Guangyuan (present-day Cao Bằng Province).

In 1042, at the age of 17, Zhigao declared independence and established a new state, Dali (大历, not to be confused with the concurrent Dali Kingdom (大理)). For his efforts, Zhigao was captured by Vietnamese troops and held at Thang Long for several years. After his release in 1048, Zhigao announced the founding of the Nantian (南天, "Southern Heavens") Kingdom. Following his announcement, Vietnamese court launched an attack on Zhigao's stronghold, succeeding only in relocating Zhigao's force and his followers farther north into Song territory. In 1052, Zhigao proclaimed the establishment of the Danan Kingdom (大南, "Great South") and declared himself the Renhui (仁惠, "Benevolent and Kind") Emperor. He then took Nanning, swept through the southeast en route to Guangdong, besieged Guangzhou for 57 days. After lifting the siege at Guangzhou, Nong Zhigao moved north, rapidly defeating a succession of Song forces due to his superior mobility. Then the Zhuang turned south and west, retaking Yong (Nanning) in the 10th month of 1052, which had again fallen into Song hands. At Yong, Nong Zhigao immediately began building boats, announcing his intention to attack Guangzhou again and found the state Nanyue there. A succession of Song forces were sent against him, but he defeated them in the mountains around Yong. The Song Emperor dispatched Di Qing, a career military official, to battle against Zhigao, and eventually managed to defeat Zhigao's army. After that he and his people fled to Yunnan, Thailand and Laos.

The defeat of Nong Zhigao may have ultimately been due to the failure of the Huang and Cen clans among the Zhuang to support him. Both the Huang and Cen clans had lost territory to the Nong clan of Nong Zhigao, and was disturbed by the Nong intrusions. One weakness of the Zhuang combined forces is their cavalry. The region was a horse-trading center and there were specialized mounted units in which both man and horse were heavily armored, but the mountainous terrain and many rivers restricted the utility of cavalry.

Veneration

The modern-day veneration of Nong Zhigao and his father Nong Quanfu and his mother A Nong in Cao Bằng province is closely tied to the shared regional identity of people from this region. Nong Zhigao remains a hero and a 「man of prowess,」 and worship includes practices that highlight the particular strengths of Nong Zhigao, including his willingness to face up to the aggression of both Song and Đai Viêt authorities and his ambition to unify and heighten the status of his region's people. From the historical record, one can also see that, by the late 19th century, annual festivals devoted to the spirit of Nong Zhigao were regionally important. It is equally apparent that the appeal of these festivals extended beyond clan or ethnic affiliations to the general populace that has often included communities on both sides of the modern political border. At Du-zhun village in Guangxi there was a Spirit Temple to him where lightning and thunder manifestations were still being recorded in the 18th century.

In stark contrast to the wealth of evidence for worship activity in northern Viet Nam, there is little confirmation in the Chinese historical record of the existence of temple sites dedicated to Nong Zhigao in China. In fact, most relevant Chinese sources only describe stelae and temples that honor the names of the Song generals who crushed Nong Zhigao′s bid for independence. Only in the last few years has the issue of a public memorial to Nong Zhigao in China been addressed. On January 8, 1997 a local group of Nong Zhigao′s descendants and their supporters from the Guangxi township of Jingxi (靖西) and the tiny village of Xia Lei (下雷) took the initiative to revive interest in this rebel′s life and deeds. The vice-director of the Center for Zhuang studies in Nanning, Pan Qixu (潘其旭), had earlier been invited to Xia Lei to authenticate the discovery of the cave believed to be Nong Zhigao′s dwelling and storehouse at the time he founded his first kingdom. A modern stele was then erected on this site. A large group of provincial officials and leading academics from Guangxi reportedly attended the commemoration ceremony.

Controversy

This ceremony did generate some controversy. Funds for this stele had to be raised privately. Organizers of this event said that high-level political figures have avoided involvement in the project, voicing concerns over its 「separatist」 implications. Nevertheless, the goal of bringing Nong Zhigao back into the public eye was largely successful, as the long list of small donors to the stele installation suggested. A glance at the large donors list, however, reveals that 32 out of the 34 persons included had the surname Nong. This fact suggests that although distant Han officials fear that the memorial could be used to fan regional 「Pan-Tai」 sentiments, older clan associations may shape local identification with this site.

Local disputes aside, this recent Guangxi memorial and the continuing regional popularity of the temples in Viet Nam are signs that the region has recovered from the 「dark days」 of the 1980s when the Sino-Vietnamese border remained tense and frosty diplomatic relations curbed official crossborder activities. Communities that honor Nong Zhigao still span a region that contains many historical sites of bloody confrontation between Chinese and Vietnamese armies. However, these communities share a common thread of identity, preserved in part by a devotion to the figure of Nong Zhigao.

生平

出身

侬智高早年受汉族文化影响较深，能写文章，曾考进士不中。其父侬全福为当地势力最大的部族首领，于1029年后在当地建立「长生国」（一作「长其国」），自称「昭圣皇帝」，立其妻阿侬为「明德皇后」，封侬智聪为「南衙王」。侬全福一度依附大瞿越李朝，但不久又宣布独立，不接受李朝的宗主地位。1039年（李太宗通瑞五年），李朝皇帝李太宗率军突袭长生国，焚毁城寨，俘虏侬全福、侬智聪等五人至升龙。侬智高与其母阿侬逃脱。

继位

李太宗虽杀死侬全福、侬智聪等人，却任命侬智高为广源州知州，增授雷火、平安、婆四洞及思琅州之地。侬智高遂奉行依附北宋的策略，七次奉上黄金要求内附，但北宋担心此举将激怒大越，未予以答应。侬遂于1041年（宋仁宗庆历元年）自立为王，国号「大历国」。这招致了李朝又一次军事进攻，侬智高被俘。但是，侬智高在表示愿意臣服于李朝之后，李太宗将侬智高释放，任命他为广源州知州，增授雷火、平安、婆四洞及思琅州之地，。1043年，又派魏徵出使广源州，赐予侬智高都印，拜授太保官职。

1045年（庆历五年），侬智高占领安德州，宣布建立「南天国」，年号景瑞，再次与李朝决裂。1048年（景瑞三年），李朝派太尉郭盛溢攻打侬智高，侬智高投降李朝。次年，侬智高开始袭扰北宋，希望能在北宋和大越之间建立一个独立势力。

侬智高其后仍多次向北宋求取官职，均被北宋地方官员拒绝，在此情况之下，侬智高决定全力反宋，希望能乘宋军主力不在南方之机迅速控制岭南地区，并以此为基本与北宋议和。

起事

皇佑四年（1052年）四月初六，侬智高以五千人起兵。五月初一（5月31日），攻占邕州（在今广西壮族自治区南宁市），守将张日新等战死，邕州指挥使元斌贝被侬智高生擒。侬智高在邕州自立为「仁惠皇帝」，国号「大南」，年号启历，一应官制都按照中国规制设立，兵员增至一万馀人。

五月初九，侬率主力东征，一路势如破竹，「一人持牌以蔽身，二人持枪以杀人，众进如堵，弓矢莫能加」，连下横（今广西横县）、贵（今广西贵港市）、浔（今广西桂平县）、龚州、藤（今广西藤县）、梧（今广西梧州市）等十二州；唯浔州、封川、康州抵抗，孙抗下落不明，曹觐、赵师旦殉国。1052年6月21日（五月廿六）进围广州。英州知州苏缄认为广州是中心地区，不去救援就会无义，便将公务暂委下属，亲自招募数千兵士前往救援。苏缄捕杀了侬智高手下谋士黄师宓之父，使对手丧失斗志，乘机狙击而立下战功。宋仁宗为表嘉奖，任苏缄为供备库副使、广东都监，管押两路兵甲，遣中使赐朝衣、金带。但后来在追击的战斗中失利，主将陈曙被诛，苏缄也被降为房州司马。由于广州城池坚固，侬智高又缺乏攻城器械，被迫在围攻57天不克后撤围北上。此时，侬智高全军已发展为5万人。其后，侬智高军队席卷广西、广东各地，并计划北上攻打湖南。

1052年10月（阴历九月），宋仁宗被迫撤回西夏前线的主力，任命狄青为枢密副使，率兵南征侬智高。狄青为提振军心，在桂州城南一庙宇内撒出百板铜钱，结果百枚铜钱字面无一不朝上，全军欢声雷动。狄青先锋杨文广于年底抵达桂州，与侬军相遇，作战不利，一度被困。狄青传令在西军主力未到之前，广南西路各部不得主动出击。1月30日，狄青为整顿军纪，将擅自出兵大败而溃于昆仑关（今广西邕宁、宾阳交界处）的广西钤辖陈曙等三十一人处斩，孙沔、余靖相顾愕眙，陈曙是经略安抚使余靖的部下，余靖上前谢罪说：「曙之失律，亦靖节制之罪也。」狄青回答说：「舍人文臣，军旅之责非所任也。」，于是「兵将股栗，咸思用命」。

1053年初，狄青主力抵达广西。侬智高中狄青的缓兵之计，被狄青偷袭昆仑关得手，被迫在正月十八日己未与狄青决战于邕州归仁铺战役，侬智高军的特点是标枪与蛮牌互为弥补，在归仁铺的平原上，无法抵挡宋军骑兵的冲击。是役宋军追奔十五里，斩首二千二百馀级，生擒五百馀人，尸甲如山，积于道路，将相死者五十七人。大南国黄师宓、侬建侯、侬志忠均战殁于阵。侬智高率残兵退入邕州，当晚纵火烧城遁于铜柱之外。邕州城破之时，侬智高依附于特磨寨（又称特磨道或特磨峒，在今云南广南县一带）之侬夏卿，练习骑战，以图东山再起。侬智高很早就知道难以抗衡狄青的骑兵，他在写给结峒酋长黄守陵的信中，坦承自己的军队如与宋军的骑兵作战，不太可能获胜。二月二十九日己亥，狄青班师至桂林。

侬智高派梁珠前往李朝求援，李朝派指挥使武珥前往救援，但援军未至，侬智高又被狄青击败。侬智高率兵五百及六妻六子逃奔大理国，被安置于元江流域。皇佑五年十二月（1054年），余靖以杨元卿、陈充等人率六州之兵袭击特磨寨，生擒侬智高之母阿侬、弟侬智光、二子侬继封、侬继明。次年，侬智高因故被大理国朝廷处决。

历史形象

传统的中、越史料皆将侬智高视同叛逆之人。而由于侬智高引起的战乱严重的极大损害了岭南汉族的利益，因此在汉族史书中，侬智高往往被描写成为恶魔或者邪恶巫师形象。

最早为侬智高鸣不平的学者是黄现璠。1962年4月2日，黄现璠在《广西日报》上发表《侬智高起兵反宋是正义的战争》一文，后又撰写了《侬智高》一书，尝试全面论证侬智高起兵反宋的正义性。广西壮族自治区人民政府原主席韦纯束以及一些学者相继评价。