Don't really have anything to post about, but I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on the Dornish Wars.

Thoughts/Discussion on a series of wars (invasions, guerilla wars, attacks, etc.) between the Iron Throne and Dorne* that took place over about 150 years.

Note: I will use the term "Dorne" pretty loosely in this post, as sometime it will mean Dorne as whole, sometimes outlaws/rebels and possibly sometimes outlaws backed by Dorne, etc. I will try to be clear who I mean though in each heading.

Background: Dorne was the only region not conquered by Aegon I during the initial conquest. The Dornishmen refused to fight when Rhaenys/Meraxes was sent to conquer them.

First Dornish War

Dates: (4-13 AC)

Targaryen King: Aegon I

Dornish Leader: Meria (4-13 AC), Nymor (13 AC)

Events:

• Aegon I invaded Dorne in 4 AC, but the Dornish lords abandoned their castles refusing to defend them nor bend the knee. When they arrived at Sunspear, they declared themselves victorious. Once they returned to King's Landing
• Dornish rebelled after they left (Lord Rosby was captured and killed, Lord Tyrells entire army disappeared)
• The Targaryens returned in 8/9AC burning as they will, but Meraxes was hit by scorpion bolt in the eye and killed
• Following 2 years known as the Dragon's Wroth in which every Dornish stronghold was burned at least once except Sunspear
• Assassins were hired on both sides and although Dorne was a scorched wasteland, they continued to fight

Result:

• The war came to an end in 13 AC when Meria Martell died and her son (quite old himself) sent his daughter to negotiate peace
• A letter read only by Aegon seemed to influence him greatly (unknown contents) and he agreed to the peace terms

Other Thoughts:

Aegon I slays the "champion" of House Toland with Blackfyre and it turns out to actually be Lord Toland's mad fool.

Since House Toland seems to foreshadow the upcoming Dance of the Dragons II, I thought the heraldry for House Toland should be mentioned here:

Their arms depict a green dragon biting its tail:

At Ghost Hill, the seat of House Toland atop the white chalk hill that overlooks the Sea of Dorne, Aegon saw the banner bearing the Toland ghost flying above the walls and received word that Lord Toland had sent out his champion to face him. Aegon slew the man with his sword, Blackfyre, only to learn that he was Lord Toland's mad fool and that Lord Toland himself was gone with his household from the castle

In later days, the Tolands would take a new banner, showing a dragon biting its own tail, green on gold in memory of the motley of their brave fool. -TWOIAF, Dorne: Dorne Against The Dragons

and:

"Have you ever seen the arms of House Toland of Ghost Hill?"

He had to think a moment. "A dragon eating its own tail?"

"The dragon is time. It has no beginning and no ending, so all things come round again. -AFFC, The Soiled Knight

Second Dornish War

Dates: (37AC)

Targaryen King: Aenys I

Dornish Leader: The First Vulture King (possible indirect support from House Martell)

Events:

• Thinking Aenys to be weak, the Vulture King (a Dornish outlaw) gathered followers to avenge the Dornish losses during the First Dornish War. He invaded the Stormlands/Reach, burning, looting and torturing.
• The leader of House Martelll (Deria) denounced the Vulture King but did not take the field.
• There were 3 other rebellions going on during this time (Red Harren in the Riverlands, Lodos on the Iron Islands and Ronnel in the Vale) and due to what happened with his mother, Aenys was afraid to send dragons
• The Vulture King won numerous early victories growing his support (but mainly from smallfolk/commoners) and then split his forces

Result:

As Orys Baratheon defeated one of the forces that was led by Lord Walter Wyl (similar situation to Jaime Lannister) and the other force led by the Vulture King was defeated by House Caron, House Dondarrion and Savage Sam Tarly, resulting in what was known as the Vulture Hunt

Now they could be defeated piecemeal by the former Hand Orys Baratheon and the might of the Marcher lords—especially Savage Sam Tarly, whose sword, Heartsbane, was said to be red from hilt to point after the dozens of Dornishmen he cut down in the course of the Vulture Hunt, as the chase after the Vulture King became known. -TWOIAF: The Reign of the Dragons: Aenys I

• Although the singers like to claim that the first Vulture King was torn to pieces by vultures, it is likely that he died due to thirst/exposure after being tied naked between posts and left to die.
• House Baratheon, Tarly, Caron and Dondarrion received gold, offices and honors

Third Dornish War

Dates: (61 AC)

Targaryen King: Jaehaerys I

Dornish Leader: the second Vulture King (possible indirect support from House Martell)

Events:

• Also known as "Lord Rogar's War" (by the smallfolk), this conflict largely occurred in the Dornish Marches and the armies of Dorne were not involved.
• When Lord Rogar Baratheon finally had a son/heir, his younger brother Ser Borys (no longer heir) fled to the Free Cities before joining forces with a new Vulure King, and used his knowledge of the Stormlands to assist in the raiding
• Lord Rogar (formerly married to Jaehaerys' mother) travels to King's Landing to request leave to end the threat, which Jaehaerys not only granted, but also chose to assist.
• Normal guerilla tactics did not work as Jaehaerys used Vermithor to find the enemy camps and burn them

Result:

• The war lasted less than half a year and ended when after being cornered Borys was slain by Jaehaerys (w/Blackfyre and preventing Lord Rogar from becoming a kingslayer) and the Vulture King was slain in single combat by Rogar
• With the death of this Vulture King, raiding fell off sharply in the Dornish Marches for a time
• Jaehaerys' respect grew amongst his lords/bannermen

Fourth Dornish War

Dates: (83 AC)

Targaryen King: Jaehaerys I

Dornish Leader: Morion Martell

Events:

• Like the the Third Dornish War/Lord Rogar's War, the Fourth Dornish War is better named by the smallfolk as well, Prince Morion's Madness or the War of the Hundred Candles
• Prince Morion took some of the events of the Third Dornish War as a slight against Dorne and began plotting an invasion of the Seven Kingdoms. Since Dorne lacked sea strength (since Nymeria), he hired corsairs, sellsails/swords and pirates
• Morion's plotting took him almost a year and the Iron Throne's spies warned Jaehaerys of this plan
• The war/attack consisted of a single battle that lasted a single day. Even though Morion had brought countless bows/crossbows/scorpions in preparation for the dragons, he did not expect Caraxes, Vermithor and Vhagar to be awaiting him on the shores of Cape Wrath.

Result:

• Morion's entire fleet was burned as the dragons descended from the skies.
• Jaehaerys/Aemon/Baelon returned to King's Landing as heroes, winning the Fourth Dornish War without losing a man
• Mara Martell succeeded Morion
• Piracy in the Stepstones was less troublesome for a bit
• Years later Viserys I considered wedding his daughter Rhaenyra to the Prince of Dorne in order to bring Dorne into the realm

The Conquest of Dorne

Dates: (157-161 AC)

Targaryen King: Daeron I (the Young Dragon)

Dornish Leader: Nymeros Martell

Events:

• The Young Dragon became king at the age of 14 and desired to bring Dorne into the realm, famously responding to his council when reminded he had no dragons that "You have a dragon, he stands before you".
• Three hosts were sent one through the Prince's Pass (Lyonel Tyrell), sea (Alyn Velaryon) and the Young Dragon down the Boneway and defeated the Dornish in a series of battles
• By 158 AC the Targaryen armies had reached Sunspear and the Prince of Dorne and numerous other powerful Dornish lords bent the knee in the Submission of Sunspear binding the 7 Kingdoms as one (in name).
• Prince Aemon the Dragonknight was hit with a poison arrow meant for Daeron
• Open Rebellion occurred after Daeron left:

"A conquest that lasted a summer," his uncle pointed out. "Your Boy King lost ten thousand men taking the place, and another fifty trying to hold it. Someone should have told him that war isn't a game." He took another sip of wine. "Also," he said, wiping his mouth, "Daeren Targaryen was only eighteen when he died. Or have you forgotten that part? -AGOT, Jon I

• Pentos and Lys aided the Dornish rebellion due to the Iron Throne's ties to Braavos at the time (they were at war at the time)
• Daeron returned in 160 (along with Rickon Stark the heir to Winterfell), and was killed while negotiating under a peace banner along with several kingsguard and the Dragonknight was captured

Result:

• Daeron wrote about the initial conquest in the Conquest of Dorne which is written with "elegant simplicity" and according to Doran Martell, the Young Dragon exaggerated the strength of the Dornish forces to make his own victories seem better.
• Baelor I desired peace with Dorne and achieved through words, promises and marriages what his ancestors could not through Fire & Blood

If interested: Comparing Young Griff and the Young Dragon

Aegon the Unworthy IV

Dates: (174 AC)

Targaryen King: Aegon IV

Dornish Leader: Maron Martell

Events:

In 174 AC, Aegon IV decided to invade Dorne with ships/"dragons" even though Dorne was already a part of the realm:

Fortunately for the realm, the king's plans to invade Dorne in 174 AC proved a complete failure. Though His Grace built a huge fleet, thinking to succeed as Daeron the Young Dragon had done, it was broken and scattered by storms on its way to Dorne.

This was far from the greatest folly of Aegon IV's stillborn invasion of Dorne, however, for His Grace had also turned to the dubious pyromancers of the ancient Guild of Alchemists, commanding them to "build me dragons." These wood-and-iron monstrosities, fitted with pumps that shot jets of wildfire, might perhaps have been of some use in a siege. But Aegon proposed to drag these devices up and through the Boneway, where there are places so steep that the Dornishmen have carved steps. -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV

and (possibly):

Did we learn nothing from Aerion Brightfire, from the nine mages, from the alchemists? Did we learn nothing from Summerhall? No good has ever come from these dreams of dragons, -ASOS, Davos III

Result:

The ships were destroyed, the dragons burned and Aegon never spoke of invading Dorne again:

They did not come even that far, however, for the first of the dragons went up in flames in the kingswood, far from the Boneway. Soon all seven were burning. Hundreds of men burned in those fires, along with almost a quarter of the kingswood. After that, the king gave up his ambitions and never spoke of Dorne again. -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV

If the Vulture Kings interest you: Outlaws of Ice and Fire & By Siege or Storm, A Look at Attacks on the Great Castles of Westeros

TLDR: A list of the major events surrounding the Dornish Wars in Westeros