733 - As the Tibetan expansion threatens the Chinese at the southwest frontiers, the Chinese Emperor Ming Li of the Tang Dynasty enters into alliances with local Thai and other principalities at the southern and southwestern border of the Chinese empire. Among the kingdoms with which the Chinese form such an alliance is Nanchao, at that time still ruled by Pilaoko.
735 - King Pilaoko of Nanchao unites his kingdom with China, formally accepting Chinese overrule.
738 - King Pilaoko of Nanchao is recognized by the Chinese court as Prince of Yunnan.
745 - Chinese Emperor Ming Li commissions King (or from Chinese perspective: Prince) Pilaoko to repel all danger at the Chinese southwest border. This gives Pilaoko an excuse to launch a war of conquest against Tibet and to seize a number of Tibetan settlements.
750 - Pilaoko dies and his son, Kolofeng, succeeds him on the throne. Kolofeng makes Talifu in present-day Yunnan the capital of his kingdom. When he visits China, he is insulted by the Governor of Hunan. Thus provoked, Pilaoko invades China and captures 32 towns and villages. In the same year, Kolofeng enters an alliance with the King of Tibet against whom Pilaoko’s father had waged war.
752-754 - China invades Nanchao with four armies but fails to subdue the rebellious vassal kingdom.
764 - By this time Nanchao’s administration is well organized and fully established. The Kingdom becomes a power to be considered in southeast Asia and south China.
779 - Kolofeng dies and his grandson, Imoshun, succeeds. Imoshun tries to invade China, then ruled by Emperor Tai Tsong of the Tang Dynasty, but fails.
787 - Upon advice of his Chinese tutor Cheing Chui, Imoshun makes a petition to Emperor Tai Tsong of China complaining about his kingdom’s "involuntary" alliance with Tibet and the latter’s abuses of the Thais. Nanchao and China become allies again. The Chinese court formally recognizes Imoshun as the King of Nanchao.
794 - Imoshun invades Tibet and seizes 16 towns.
808 - Imoshun dies.
829 - Imoshun’s successor changes alliances again and invades China, capturing the provinces of Suichu, Yongchu and Kongchu. On his retreat, he takes many captives skilled in arts, literature and weaving. These captives very much contribute to the cultural development of Nanchao.
859 - Tsuiling becomes king of Nanchao and assumes the title of Emperor which offends Chinese Emperor Suen Tong. Because of this, new enmity develops between Nanchao and China. Nanchao invades China and besieges Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Nanchao armies also moves in a southeastern direction, trying to invade Tongking, today a Vietnamese area that was Chinese ruled at the time of Tsuiling’s expedition.
860 - Emperor Ytsong ascends the throne of China. Nanchao becomes totally independent of China.
863 - Nanchao Thais conquer parts of Annam (a predecessor of present-day Vietnam).
866 - Annam is retaken from the Thais by General Kaopien.
870 - Nanchao King Tsuiling invades China and besieges Chengdu again but fails to take the city.
875 - Another unsuccessful attempt to invade Chengdu is undertaken by the Nanchao Thais.
877 - King Taiking, also called Fa by the Chinese, ascends the throne of Nanchao and makes peace with China.
902 - The Sinulo Dynasty ends in Nanchao. Thereafter, for a considerable period of time Nanchao is not mentioned in Chinese annals. Common belief is that the following three-and-one-half centuries of Nanchao’s relations with China were more peaceful than the last two-and-one-half centuries. As troublesome neighbor (or what Chinese officials would have considered as such) the Nanchao kingdom would certainly have figured more prominently in Chinese records than it actually did for the next three-and-one-half centuries.
1254 - Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongols in central China, conquers Nanchao. Waves of Thai migrants move south, especially into the then already existing Thai state Sukhothai, considerably enhancing Sukhothai’s population and power base.
