Chu (state)

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Chu (state)

Chu was a kingdom

Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged in an individual, who is the head of state, often for Life tenure or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state." The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch....
in what is now central and southern China

China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
during the Spring and Autumn period (722-481 BC) and Warring States Period

Warring States Period

The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, covers the period from 476 BCE to the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE....
(481-221 BC). Its ruling house had the surname

Chinese surname

Chinese family name is one of the hundreds or thousands of family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicization List of Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, and among overseas Chinese communities....
mi, and clan name xiong, and originally was of the noble rank of zi

Chinese nobility

Di and Wang and Huangdi * The King during the Xia and Shang dynasties called themselves di * The King during the Zhou dynasty was called Wang , was the title of the China head of state until the Qin dynasty....
, roughly comparable to a viscount

Viscount

A 'viscount' is a member of the European nobility whose count title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count ....
.

It was originally known as Jing and then as Jingchu. At the height of its power, the Chu kingdom occupied vast areas of land, including the present-day provinces of Hunan

Hunan

is a province of China of People's Republic of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting . Hunan is sometimes called wikt:? for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province....
, Hubei

Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
, Chongqing

Chongqing

Chongqing is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China's four provinces of China-level municipality of China, and the only one in the less densely populated western region of China....
, Henan

Henan

Henan , is a Province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is ? , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty province that included parts of Henan....
, Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population in China and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world, with over 20 million people....
, and parts of Jiangsu

Jiangsu

is a Province of China of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou....
.

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Encyclopedia

Chu was a kingdom

Monarchy

China

Warring States Period

Chinese surname

Chinese nobility

Viscount

Hunan

Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
, Chongqing

Chongqing

Henan

Shanghai

Jiangsu

Jingzhou

Jingzhou is a city in the Hubei province of the People's Republic of China, on the banks of the Yangtze River . Population : 6.3 million. Urban population: 1.56 million....
, which is located in what is today Hubei province.

History

Founding

The land of Jing was inhabited by the native Chu people. The early Chu state was ruled by an aristocracy with close affinity to the Zhou

Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in China history?though the actual political and military control of China by the dynasty only lasted during the Western Zhou....
kings, with its capital at Danyang. Prior to the dissolution of Zhou's power, the territory was transferred by authority of the King Cheng of Zhou

King Cheng of Zhou

King Cheng of Zhou or King Ch'eng of Chou was the second sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty .King Cheng was young when he ascended the throne....
(1042-1021 BC) of Western Zhou to Xiong Yi.

Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period

In its early years, Chu was a successful expansionist and militaristic state. Chu developed a reputation for coercing and absorbing its allies. Chu grew from a small, dependent state into a large empire worthy of contention, even attaining the traditional title of one of "The Five Overlord States of the Spring and Autumn Period". Chu first consolidated its power by absorbing the lesser states within its immediate vicinity in Hubei

Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
; then, it expanded into the north towards the North China Plain

North China Plain

The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains....
. The threat from Chu resulted in multiple northern alliances against Chu and its allies; these alliances successfully kept Chu in check, with its first major victory at the Battle of Chengpu

Battle of Chengpu

The Battle of Chengpu was a conflict between the states of Jin against Chu and its allies in China in 632 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period....
. During Chu Wenwang's reign (689-677 BC), the Chu capital transferred to Ying, near Jingzhou

Jingzhou

Jingzhou is a city in the Hubei province of the People's Republic of China, on the banks of the Yangtze River . Population : 6.3 million. Urban population: 1.56 million....
in modern Hubei Province.

Chu during the Warring States Period

The kingdom's power continued even after the end of the Spring and Autumn period in 481 BC. Chu overran Cai

Cai (state)

The State of C?i was a China state during the Zhou Dynasty , prominent in the Spring and Autumn Period before being extinguished early in the Warring States Period ....
to the north in 447 BC. However, by the end of the 5th century BC, the Chu government had become very corrupt and inefficient with much of the state's treasury to pay for a large official retinue. Many officials had no meaningful task to the state except taking money. Thus, Chu's large army was of low quality due to poor funding.

In the late 390s BC, King Dao of Chu made Wu Qi

Wu Qi

Wu Qi was a China military leader and politician in the Warring States period. Born in the State of Wei , he was good at leading an army. He had served in the states of Lu and Wei....
his prime minister. Wu Qi's reforms began in 389 BCE to transform Chu into an efficient and powerful state, lowering the salaries of officials and removing useless ones. He also enacted building codes to make the capital, Ying seem less barbaric. Despite Wu Qi's massive unpopularity with the Chu government (except the King), his reforms made Chu very powerful until the late 4th century BC, when Zhao

Zhao (state)

Qin (state)

Q?n or Ch'in , was a state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Periods of China. It eventually grew to dominate the country and unite it in 221 BC, after which it is referred to as the Qin Dynasty....
were ascendant. Chu's powerful army annexed Chen

Chen (state)

Chen was a minor state of the Spring and Autumn Period in Ancient China. It was a relatively minor state based on a single urban centre near what is now Huaiyang in the plains of eastern Henan province....
and Cai

Cai (state)

The State of C?i was a China state during the Zhou Dynasty , prominent in the Spring and Autumn Period before being extinguished early in the Warring States Period ....
states, defeating the states of Wei

Wei (state)

The Wei was a state during the Warring States Period in China. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included modern areas in Henan, Hebei and Shanxi and Shandong....
and Yue

Yue (state)

Wu Qi

Wu Qi was a China military leader and politician in the Warring States period. Born in the State of Wei , he was good at leading an army. He had served in the states of Lu and Wei....
was assassinated by the Chu officials at the funeral of King Dao in 381 BC.

During the late Warring States Period, Chu was increasingly pressured by Qin to its west, especially after Qin enacted and preserved the legalistic reforms of Shang Yang

Shang Yang

Qi (state)

Yue (state)

Yue was a state in China which existed during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, in the modern province of Zhejiang. During the Spring and Autumn Period, its capital was in Guiji , near the modern city of Shaoxing....
.

By the late Warring States period (about the late 4th century BC), however, Chu's prominent status had fallen into decay. As a result of several invasions headed by Zhao

Zhao (state)

Qin (state)

Zhan Guo Ce

The Zhan Guo Ce was a renowned ancient Chinese historical work and compilation of sporadic materials on the Warring States Period compiled between 3rd century to 1st century BCE....
, a debate between Zonghengjia strategist Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi (strategist)

Zhang Yi , born in Wei during the Warring States Period of China. He was an important strategist helping Qin to dissolve the unity of the other states, and hence pave the way for Qin to unify China....
and the Qin general Sima Cuo on unifying China led to two conclusions. Zhang Yi believed conquering Han (state)

Han (state)

Han was a monarchy during the Warring States Period in China. Not to be confused with South Korea which shares the same name.Its territory directly blocked the passage of the state of Qin into the North China Plain, thus becoming a frequent target of Qin's military operations....
and seizing the Mandate of Heaven

Mandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophy concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. Heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler, but would be displeased with a despotic ruler and would withdraw their mandate....
from the figurehead resident Zhou Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in China history?though the actual political and military control of China by the dynasty only lasted during the Western Zhou....
would be wise. Sima Cuo considered Chu as its main rival in the struggle to unite the Warring States. Sima Cuo decided it was essential to control the fertile Sichuan Basin

Sichuan basin

The Sichuan basin is a Depression in southwestern China. It comprises the central and eastern parts of Sichuan province, as well as Chongqing Municipality....
to increase agricultural output and most importantly, to control the upper reaches of the Yangzi River that led to the Chu heartland.

Sima Cuo, according to the Zhan Guo Ce, remarked, "?????????????"

To obtain Shu is to obtain Chu. Once Chu is eliminated, the country will be united.

King Huiwen of Qin

Huiwen of Qin

King Qin Huiwen , also known as Monarch Huiwen of Qin and King Hui of Qin , ruled the China state of Qin from 338 BC until 311 BC. He took the title of "king", rather than "duke" as his predecessors and peers of the other Zhou states had....
decided to support Sima Cuo. In 316 BC, the Qin army conquered the Shu (state)

Shu (state)

Shu was an ancient state in what is now Sichuan, China. Shu derived its power from the Chengdu Plain, with its territory primarily in the central and western Sichuan basin, as well as in the upper Han River ....
and Ba (state)

Ba (state)

Ba was an ancient state in eastern Sichuan, China. Its original capital was Zhi , Chongqing. Ba was conquered by Qin in 316 BCE. The modern ethnic minority Tujia people trace their origins back to the Ba people....
and successively expanded to the east in the following decades. In 278 BC, Qin

Qin (state)

Bai Qi

Bai Qi was an outstanding military leader in the state of Qin in the Warring States Period. Born in Mei . As a commander of State of Qin for more than 30 years, Bai Qi slew a total of one million six hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, seized 70 cities of the other 6 States in the Warring States Period....
conquered Yingdu. Following the fall of Yingdu, the Chu government moved to various locations in the east until settling in Shouchun (in today's Anhui

Anhui

Anhui is a province of China of the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny section in the north....
province) in 241 BC.

At this critical moment when Chu was nearing annihilation, Qin set its strategic aims to Central China, especially the powerful Zhao (state)

Zhao (state)

Zhao was a China state during the Warring States Period. Zhao was a significant state in the period, along with six others. At the beginning of the Warring States Period, the state of Zhao was one of the weakest states but gained strength during the reign of King Wuling of Zhao....
. After a massive two year struggle, Bai Qi lured out, surrounded, isolated, forced the surrender of and massacred the main Zhao force of 400,000 men at Changping

Changping

Changping may refer to:*Princess Changping*Battle of Changping*Changping District, Beijing, China*Changping Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, southern China...
. After 260 BC, all major obstacles to Qin dominance ended and it was a matter of time until China's unification.

Qin's Conquest of Chu 225-223 BC

In 225 BC, only three kingdoms (states) remained independent: Chu, Yan

Yan (state)

Yan was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in China. Its capital was Ji .During the first years of the Zhou Dynasty, Yan was located near the Yellow River, but after the failed revolt led by the leaders of the Shang Dynasty, the fiefdom was relocated further north in what is now Hebei Province t...
and Qi

Qi (state)

Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States. Its capital was Linzi, which is part of the present city of Zibo in Shandong Province....
. Chu had recovered significantly enough to mount serious resistance after their disastrous defeats to Qin in 278 BC and losing their centuries-old capital of Ying (Jingzhou

Jingzhou

Jingzhou is a city in the Hubei province of the People's Republic of China, on the banks of the Yangtze River . Population : 6.3 million. Urban population: 1.56 million....
). Despite its territorial size, resources and manpower, Chu's fatal flaw was its largely corrupt government that mostly overturned the legalistic-style reforms of Wu Qi

Wu Qi

Wu Qi was a China military leader and politician in the Warring States period. Born in the State of Wei , he was good at leading an army. He had served in the states of Lu and Wei....
150 years ago, when Wu Qi transformed Chu into the most powerful state with an area of almost half of all the states combined. Ironically, Wu Qi was from the same state (Wei

Wei (state)

The Wei was a state during the Warring States Period in China. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included modern areas in Henan, Hebei and Shanxi and Shandong....
) as Shang Yang

Shang Yang

Qin (state)

Wang Jian

Gaozu of Former Shu is the posthumous name of the founding emperor of the Former Shu kingdom which was created from the ashes of the Later Tang Dynasty in 907....
how many men he needed, but Wang Jian requested 600,000 men. Li Xing, ancestor to Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
general Li Guang

Li Guang

Li Guang , born in Tianshui, was a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Nicknamed The Flying General , he fought primarily in the campaigns against the Xiongnu peoples to the north of Han China....
, said 200,000 men would suffice. The first invasion was a disaster when 200,000 Qin troops were defeated by a counterattack and ambush of 500,000 Chu troops under Xiang Yan, who is related to Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu was one of the most prominent generals in China history. His name was Ji , Yu was his courtesy name. He was a descendant of Xiang Yan , a general of Chu nobility....
. Xiang Yan lured the Qin troops into a trap by allowing them a few initial victories. During the counterattack, Chu troops burned two large Qin camps. The Qin generals were Li Xing and Meng Wu, father of Meng Tian

Meng Tian

Meng Tian was a general of the Qin Dynasty who distinguished himself against the Xiongnu and in the construction of the Great Wall of China. He descended from a great line of military generals and architects....
. Wang Jian was recalled and finally accepted to lead the second invasion force, requesting and receiving a force of 600,000 men. Wang Jian even asked for a lake, house and land for his descendants, responding to the Qin king's laughter that his extra requests will eventually pale once the empire is secured. The general continued to request luxury items and other commodities during the campaign. Wang Jian said to his dumbfounded officers that only by requesting more from the king, will the king have confidence in his general.

In 224 BC, the famed conqueror of the state of Zhao

Zhao (state)

Wang Jian

Gaozu of Former Shu is the posthumous name of the founding emperor of the Former Shu kingdom which was created from the ashes of the Later Tang Dynasty in 907....
, was recalled to lead a second invasion with 600,000 men. Chu's morale increased after their success in defeating a powerful Qin army the previous year. The Chu forces were content to await a siege. However, Wang Jian tricked the Chu army by appearing inactive in his fortifications but secretly training his troops to fight in Chu territory. After a year, Chu decided to disband due to inaction. Wang Jian then invaded and overran Huaiyang and the remaining Chu forces. Chu was finally conquered in 223 BC. During their peak sizes, both armies of Chu and Qin combined numbered over 1,000,000 troops, more than the massive battle of Changping

Battle of Changping

The Battle of Changping in 260 BC was a decisive victory of the state of Qin of China over Zhao during the Warring States Period. Even by today's standards it is one of the Most lethal battles in world history#Major operations, although a great majority of the Zhao soldiers were executed after battle instead of being killed in battle....
between Qin and Zhao 35 years before. The excavated personal letters of two Qin regular soldiers, Hei Fu and Jin , tell of a protracted campaign in Huaiyang under general Wang Jian. Both soldiers wrote letters requesting supplies (clothing) and money from home to sustain the long waiting campaign.

The Chu Land under Qin Rule, Revolt and Western Han Period

The Chu realm at its most powerful was vast with many ethnicities and various customs. Despite the diversity, the Chu people were united by a common respect for nature, the supernatural, their heritage and loyalty to their ruling house and nobility, epitomized by the famed Chu statesman-poet Qu Yuan

Qu Yuan

Qu Yuan was a Chinese people scholar and minister to the King from the southern Chu during the Warring States Period. His works are mostly found in an anthology of poetry known as Chu Ci....
and the Chu Ci

Chu Ci

Chu Ci , also known as Songs of the South or Songs of Chu, is an anthology of Chinese language poems by Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period and subsequent imitators of their poetic style....
. The Chu populace in areas conquered by Qin openly ignored the stringent Qin laws and governance, which was recorded in the excavated bamboo slips

Shuihudi Qin bamboo texts

The Shuihudi Qin bamboo texts are List of early Chinese texts written on bamboo slips, and are also sometimes called the Y?nm?ng Qin bamboo texts....
of a Qin administrator in Hubei, Xi. Chu was one of the last states to fall, only 11 years before the death of Qin Shihuang, and its people aspired of overthrowing the painful yoke of Qin rule and reestablishing the Chu state.

After Qin Shihuang's very short reign, peasants, soldiers and relatives of nobles and the ruling house of Chu quickly organized into violent insurrections against the repressive Qin governance, initializing the anti-Qin rebellion that spread to the rest of China. The people of Chu, whose culture was a naturalistic and Daoist one, were resentful of the forced labor under Qin, and folk poems recorded the mournful sadness of the Chu families of men who worked in the frigid north to construct the Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China or is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the History of China from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of Dynasties in Chinese history....
. Eventually, two men from the Chu land, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu was one of the most prominent generals in China history. His name was Ji , Yu was his courtesy name. He was a descendant of Xiang Yan , a general of Chu nobility....
led the anti-Qin revolution and fought each other in the Chu-Han Contention

Chu-Han contention

The Chu-Han contention was a post-Qin Dynasty interregnum period in China. During this period the rebel kings derived from the collapse of Qin Dynasty formed two camps fighting each other....
to reunite and rule China. Liu Bang prevailed and created the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
, ushering in an era of almost 400 years of unified rule with more than 200 years of great internal peace and prosperity.

The Chu people and customs were major influences in the new era of Western Han. Liu Bang immediately initialized the Daoist Wu wei

Wu wei

Wu wei is an important concept of Taoism , that involves knowing when to act and when not to act. Another perspective to this is that "Wu Wei" means...
governance, made peace with the Xiongnu through Heqin

Heqin

Heqin was a term used in ancient China for an wiktionary:alliance by marriage. It usually referred to the Chinese sovereign marrying off a "princess" to an aggressive "barbarian" chieftain or ruler....
intermarriages, quickly rewarding his allies and giving them pseudo-fiefdoms, and allowing the population to rest from centuries of warfare. Eventually, by the time of Han Wudi, Chu folk culture in everyday lifestyles and Chu aesthetics were gradually amalgamated with state-sponsored Confucian ideals and Qin-styled centralized governance to create a distinct and unified "Chinese" culture, visible during the Eastern Han period.

Culture

Based on archaeological finds, Chu's culture was initially quite similar to that of other Zhou states. Later on, Chu culture absorbed indigenous elements as the state expanded to the south and east, developing a distinct culture from the traditional Northern Zhou states.

Early Chu burial offerings consisted primarily of bronze vessels in the Zhou style. Later Chu burials, especially during the Warring States Period, featured distinct Chu burial objects, such as colorful lacquer

Lacquer

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....
and silk

Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from Pupa#Cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity ....
, accompanied by a reduction in bronze vessel offerings

List of Chinese names of bronze vessels

This is a list of Chinese names of bronze vessels:*ding *dou *dui *fu *guang *gu *gui *he *hu *jia *jian *jiao *jue ...
.

A common Chu motif

Motif (art)

File:Ajanta Entrance cave 17.jpgFile:TajFlowerCloseUp.jpgIn art, a motif is a repeated idea, pattern, image, or theme. Paisley are referred to as motifs....
was the vivid depiction of wildlife, mystical animals and natural imagery, such as snakes, mystical dragons, phoenixes, tigers and free-flowing clouds and serpent-like beings. Some archaeologists speculate that Chu may have had cultural connections to the vanished Shang dynasty

Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was according to traditional sources the first Dynasties in Chinese history. They ruled in the northeastern region of the area known as "China proper", in the Yellow River valley....
, since many motifs used by Chu appeared earlier at Shang sites, such as motifs depicting serpent-tailed gods.

In terms of philosophy, the Chu culture and government strongly supported Daoism and native shaman folk beliefs supplemented with some Confucian

Confucianism

Confucianism is a China Ethics and Philosophy developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . It focuses on human morality and right action....
ideals. The naturalistic and flowing art, the Chu Ci

Chu Ci

Chu Ci , also known as Songs of the South or Songs of Chu, is an anthology of Chinese language poems by Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period and subsequent imitators of their poetic style....
, historical records (Shiji), excavated bamboo documents (Guodian bamboo slips

Guodian Chu Slips

The Guodian Chu Slips were unearthed in 1993 in Tomb no. 1 of the Guodian tombs in Jingmen. The archeological team suggested the tomb should be dated to the latter half of the Warring States period ....
) and other artifacts reveal heavy Daoist and native folk influence in Chu culture. The disposition to a spiritual, often pleasurable and decadent lifestyle and the confidence in the size of the Chu realm led to the inefficiency and eventual destruction of the Chu state to the ruthless legalist

Legalism

Legalism may refer to:In legal theory:*Liberal legalism - A theory on the relationship between politics and lawIn philosophy:* Legalism , a concept in Western jurisprudence...
state of Qin. Even though the Qin realm lacked the vast natural resources and waterways of Chu, the Qin government maximized its output and created a system of ruthless efficiency under the minister Shang Yang

Shang Yang

Shang Yang was an important statesman of Qin in the Warring States Period of ancient China. With the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang enacted numerous reforms in the state of Qin that helped to change Qin from a peripheral state into a militarily powerful and strongly centralized kingdom, changing the administration by emphasizing mer...
, installing a meritocracy focused solely on agricultural and military might.

Later Chu culture was known for its affinity for employing shamanistic rituals. Chu was also known for its distinct music; archaeological evidence shows that Chu music was annotated differently from Zhou music; Chu music also showed an inclination for using different performance ensembles, as well as unique instruments; In Chu, the se
Se (instrument)

The se is an ancient Chinese plucked zither . It is probably the ancestor of many Asian zithers, including the Chinese guzheng and the Japanese koto ....
was preferred over the qin
Guqin

The is the modern name for a plucked seven-string List of traditional Chinese musical instruments of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with his qin'...
, while both instruments were equally preferred in the northern Zhou states.

Chu came into frequent contact with other peoples in the south, most notably the Ba

Ba (state)

Yue (state)

Yue (peoples)

Yue refers to ancient semi-Sinicized or non-Sinicized peoples of southern China, originally those along the eastern coastline of present-day Zhejiang....
. Numerous burials and burial objects in the Ba and Yue styles were discovered throughout the territory of Chu, co-existing with Chu-style burials and burial objects.

The early rulers of the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
romanticized the culture of Chu, sparking a renewed interest in Chu cultural elements such as the Chu Ci

Chu Ci

Chu Ci , also known as Songs of the South or Songs of Chu, is an anthology of Chinese language poems by Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period and subsequent imitators of their poetic style....
. Evidence of heavy Chu cultural influence during the early years of Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
appears in Mawangdui

Mawangdui

Mawangdui is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the western Han Dynasty....
. After the Han dynasty, Chu developed an undeserved reputation for being a barbarian state; Confucian scholars considered Chu culture with distaste, criticizing the "lewd" music and shamanistic rituals associated with Chu culture.

Chu artisanship shows a mastery of form and color, especially the lacquer

Lacquer

In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high Gloss and that can be further polished as required....
woodworks. Red and black pigmented lacquer were most used. Silk-weaving also attained a high level of craftsmanship, creating lightweight robes with flowing designs. These examples were preserved in waterlogged tombs (this preserved lacquerware, which is vulnerable to peel off in dry conditions) and coal/white clay sealed tombs (this preserved everything extremely well, since fine white clay is extremely tight-packed). Mawangdui

Mawangdui

Mawangdui is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the western Han Dynasty....
is the prefect example of well-sealed tomb.

Chu used the difficult to read script called "Birds and Worms (???}" style, which was borrowed by the Wu and Yue states. It has an intricate design that embellishes the characters with motifs of animals, snakes, birds and insects. This is another representation of the Chu reverence of the natural world and its liveliness. Chu produced broad bronze swords that were similar to Wuyue swords, but not as intricate.

Chu was in the region of many rivers, so it created an efficient riverine boat transport system augmented by wagons. These are detailed in bronze tallies with gold inlay regarding trade regulations around the capital, Ying.

Rulers

Xiong Zao, assisted King Wen of Zhou
King Wen of Zhou

King Wen of Zhou named Ji Chang was the founder of the Zhou Dynasty. He was the son of King Ji of Zhou, the third son of King Tai of Zhou, and the favored grandson of his grandfather....
, surname: Mi ? (or Nai ?, Qian ?, Xiong ?, Yan ?)
Xiong Li, son of Xiong Zao
Xiong Kuang, ruled in the reign of King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou

King Cheng of Zhou or King Ch'eng of Chou was the second sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty .King Cheng was young when he ascended the throne....
: son of Xiong Li
Xiong Yi, ruled in the reign of King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou

King Cheng of Zhou or King Ch'eng of Chou was the second sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty .King Cheng was young when he ascended the throne....
, son of Xiong Kuang
Xiong Yi, son of Xiong Yi
Xiong Tan
Xiong Sheng
Xiong Shang (or Xiong Yang ??), son of Xiong Sheng
Xiong Qu, son of Xiong Shang
Xiong Zhi , born as Xiong Zhihong ???, second son of Xiong Qu
Xiong Yan, ruled ? - 848 BC: third brother of Xiong Zhi, usurped brother
Xiong Yong, ruled 848 BC - 838 BC: son of Xiong Yan
Xiong Yan, ruled 837 BC - 828 BC: brother of Xiong Yong
Xiong Shuang, ruled 827 BC- 822 BC: son of Xiong Yan
Xiong Xun (??? (or ??), ruled 821 BC - 800 BC: third brother of Xiong Shuang
Xiong E (or ??), ruled 799 BC - 791 BC: son of Xiong Xun
Ruo Ao (Mi Xiong Yi ???), ruled 790 BC - 764 BC: son of Xiong E
Xiao Ao (Mi Xiong Kan ???), ruled 763 BC - 758 BC: son of Ruo Ao
King Li of Chu (Mi Xiongxuan ??? or Xiongxun ?[?+?]) ruled 757 BC - 741 BC: brother of Xiao Ao
King Wu of Chu (Mi Xiongtong ???), 740 BC - 690 BC: brother of King Li
King Wen of Chu (Mi Xiongzi ???), ruled 689 BC - 677 BC: son of King Wu
Du Ao, Ruler of Chu (Mi Xiongjian ???), ruled 676 BC - 672 BC: son of King Wen
King Cheng of Chu ??? (Mi Jun ??), ruled 671 BC - 626 BC: brother of Du Ao
King Mu of Chu ??? (Mi Shangchen ???) ruled 625 BC - 614 BC: son of King Cheng
King Zhuang of Chu
King Zhuang of Chu

King Zhuang of Chu was leader in the state of Chu and one of the Five Hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. His name was Mi Lu ....
and Jing (Mi Lü ??) ruled 613 BC - 591 BC: son of King Mu
King Gong of Chu (Mi Shen ??) ruled 590 BC - 560 BC: son of King Zhuang
King Kang of Chu (Mi Zhao ??) ruled 559 BC - 545 BC: son of King Gong
Jia Ao (Mi Jun ??) ruled 544 BC - 541 BC: son of King Kang
King Ling of Chu (Mi Qian ??) ruled 540 BC - 529 BC: uncle of Jia Ao
King Bi of Chu (Mi Bi ??) ruled 529 BC - 529 BC: brother of King Ling
King Ping of Chu ??? (Mi Xiongju ???) ruled 528 BC - 516 BC: brother of King Bi
King Zhao of Chu (Mi Xiongzhen ???) ruled 515 BC - 489 BC: son of King Ping
King Hui of Chu (Mi Xiongzhang ???) ruled 488 BC - 432 BC: son of King Zhao. The year before he died, Marquis Yi of Zeng died, so he made a commemorative bell and attended the Marquis's funeral at Suizhou
Suizhou

})|-| Area| 9,636 square kilometre|-| Population| 2.58 million|-| GDP'- Total'- Per Capita| Renminbi22 billion ?...
.
King Jian of Chu (Mi Xiong Zhong ???) ruled 431 BC - 408 BC: son of King Hui
King Sheng of Chu (Mi Xiong Dang ???) ruled 407 BC - 402 BC: son of King Jian
King Dao of Chu (Mi Xiong Yi ???) ruled 401 BC - 381 BC: son of King Sheng
King Su of Chu (Mi Xiong Zang ???) ruled 380 BC - 370 BC: son of King Dao
King Xuan of Chu (Mi Xiong Liangfu ????) ruled 369 BC - 340 BC: brother of King Su
King Wei of Chu (Mi Xiong Shang ???) ruled 339 BC - 329 BC: son of King Xuan
King Huai of Chu the First (????) (Mi Xiong Guai ???) ruled 328-299: son of King Wei
King Qingxiang of Chu (Mi Xiong Heng ???) ruled 298 BC - 263 BC: son of King Huai. As a prince, one of his elderly tutors was buried at the site of the Guodian Chu Slips
Guodian Chu Slips

The Guodian Chu Slips were unearthed in 1993 in Tomb no. 1 of the Guodian tombs in Jingmen. The archeological team suggested the tomb should be dated to the latter half of the Warring States period ....
in Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
.
King Kaolie of Chu (Mi Xiong Wan ???) ruled 262 BC - 238 BC: son of King Qingxiang
King You of Chu (Mi Yu ??) ruled 237 BC - 228 BC: son of King Kaolie or illegitimate son of Lord Chunshen
King Ai of Chu (Mi Xiong You ??? or Mi Hao ??) ruled 228 BC - 228 BC: brother of King You
King Fuchu of Chu (???? Mi Xiong Fuchu) ruled 227 BC - 223 BC: brother of King Ai
Lord Chang Ping of Chu ruled 223 BC - 223 BC (Chu annexed to Qin
Qin

Qin can refer to:...
): brother of King Fuchu

Pretenders

Chen Sheng
Chen Sheng

Chen Sheng...
as King Yin of Chu ruled 210 BC - 209 BC
Jing Ju as King Jia of Chu ??? (Jia for fake) ruled 209 BC - 209 BC
Mi Xiongxin as Emperor Yi of Chu
Emperor Yi of Chu

Emperor Yi of Chu , also known as Prince Huai of Chu , personal name Mi Xin was a key figure in the rebellions that led to the downfall of Qin Dynasty....
(originally King Huai II ????) ruled 209 BC - 206 BC: grandson or great-grandson of King Huai I of Chu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu was one of the most prominent generals in China history. His name was Ji , Yu was his courtesy name. He was a descendant of Xiang Yan , a general of Chu nobility....
as Hegemonial King of Western Chu ruled 206 BC - 202 BC

Famous people

Famed poet Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan

Qu Yuan was a Chinese people scholar and minister to the King from the southern Chu during the Warring States Period. His works are mostly found in an anthology of poetry known as Chu Ci....
hailed from Chu
Chu

Chu or CHU may refer to:Surname:* Chu , a common Chinese surname* Spanish writing Chu is the surname ? from Guangzhou, Guangdong .Places:...
. A government minister and a patriot, he had advocated uniting with the other states to combat the rising hegemon Qin
Qin (state)

Q?n or Ch'in , was a state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Periods of China. It eventually grew to dominate the country and unite it in 221 BC, after which it is referred to as the Qin Dynasty....
, yet to no avail; he was banished by the king of Chu. According to tradition, such was his grief upon learning of the Qin
Qin (state)

Q?n or Ch'in , was a state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Periods of China. It eventually grew to dominate the country and unite it in 221 BC, after which it is referred to as the Qin Dynasty....
invasion, he committed suicide in the Miluo River
Miluo River

Miluo River is an important river in the Dongting Lake Drainage basin. It is famous as the location of the ritual suicide in 278 BC of Qu Yuan, a poet of Chu during the Warring States period, in protest against the corruption of the era....
. The Duanwu Festival
Dragon Boat Festival

The Duanwu Festival or Tuen Ng Festival is a China traditional and statutory holiday. It is a public holiday in mainland China and Taiwan, where it is called the "Duanwu Jie" and a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, where it is called the "Tuen Ng Jit"....
honors his death for his country.
Warrior King Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu was one of the most prominent generals in China history. His name was Ji , Yu was his courtesy name. He was a descendant of Xiang Yan , a general of Chu nobility....
, also known as "Overlord of Western Chu"; he destroyed every single Qin army and also was rival to Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
founder Liu Bang. He was fearsome in the battlefield but arrogance lead to his downfall.
Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
founder Liu Bang. He was born in Pei County, in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou

Xuzhou , known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is the forth largest prefecture-level city in Jiangsu province of China, People's Republic of China....
, which is in northern Jiangsu
Jiangsu

is a Province of China of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou....
. An intelligent statesman and ruler, he defeated the military genius Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu

Xiang Yu was one of the most prominent generals in China history. His name was Ji , Yu was his courtesy name. He was a descendant of Xiang Yan , a general of Chu nobility....
through his ability to attract and command talented generals and allies. After the formation of Western Han Dynasty, a blossoming of interest in Chu culture arose under Liu Bang's patronage.

Chu (state)

History

Founding

Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period

Chu during the Warring States Period

Qin's Conquest of Chu 225-223 BC

The Chu Land under Qin Rule, Revolt and Western Han Period

Culture

Rulers

Pretenders

Famous people

See also

Further reading