The three small countries of the Spring and Autumn Period, the ups and downs of the Chu State conque

Mondo History Updated on 2024-01-19

The Spring and Autumn Period, the first half of the history of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty is known as the "Spring and Autumn Period", from 770 BC to 476 BC, and the history of this period witnessed the fate of small states such as Dao, Bai, and Jiang in the conquest of Chu. These three neighboring small countries, located in the area of today's Zhumadian City, Henan Province, have left unique footprints on the stage of history.

First of all, we focus on Daoguo, which is located in the area of Queshan County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province. According to historical materials such as "Zuo Chuan", the Dao Kingdom was a vassal state surnamed Ji divided by the Zhou Dynasty, and King Wu of Zhou divided many clans into various places in order to control the vast territory. In the early Spring and Autumn Period, in order to protect itself, the Dao State chose to attach itself to the Qi State. However, after the death of Duke Huan of Qi, the state of Qi fell into civil strife, providing an opportunity for the expansion of the state of Chu. The state of Chu took advantage of the situation to expand, controlling the area between Huai and Ru, and finally eliminated the state of Dao.

The state of Chu once moved the state of Dao to Jingdi, and later moved back to its original territory and restored the country. However, the Dao State was eventually annexed by the Chu State. In order to commemorate their homeland, the people of the Taoist country take the original country name as their surname and call it the Taoist family. Nowadays, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Guangdong, Hunan and other places have Taoist surnames, and the existence of Taoist countries has become one of the sources of surnames in these regions.

Baiguo, also known as Baiziguo, is located in the area of Xiping County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province. The founding king was Bai Gao, a courtier of the Yellow Emperor, who was canonized by the Zhou royal family with the title of viscount. The viscount was relatively low in the title system, however, Bai Guo was a servant of the Zhou royal family during the Western Zhou Dynasty.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the monarch of Chu usurped the throne and tried to fight against the Zhou royal family. The state of Bai was located in the area of Xiping County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province, and was eventually annexed by the state of Chu. After the fall of the Bai Kingdom, the descendants took the country name as their surname, forming the widely distributed Bai surname today.

Jiangguo was a vassal state from the Yin Shang to the Spring and Autumn Period, also known as "Hongguo" and "Qiongguo". Jiangguo took "Hongniao" as the totem, founded by Jiang Yuanzhong, and was located in the area of Zhengyang County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province. In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, Jiang Guo adopted the method of marriage and alliance to attach itself to Chu in order to rejuvenate.

However, due to its geographical location and the flooding of the Huai River, Jiang failed to rise. In 624 BC, King Chu Mu sent troops to attack Jiang, and Jin sent troops to relieve the siege but were unsuccessful. The following year, the state of Chu attacked again, and the state of Jiang was isolated and helpless, and was finally wiped out by the state of Chu. Some of the people of Jiang were moved to the land of Chu, and some came to Chen, forming the surname Jiang.

These three small states all died out during the Spring and Autumn Period due to geopolitics and the expansion of the Chu State, but their existence left a strong historical imprint. The surnames Ji, Bai, and Jiang are now scattered all over the country, carrying the vicissitudes of fate of these small countries. The changes in the Spring and Autumn Period, the ups and downs of these three small countries, witnessed the rise and fall of an era.

In this article, we review the rise and fall of three small states during the Spring and Autumn Period, namely the Dao State, the Bai State, and the Jiang State, which died out in the conquest of the Chu State, leaving a deep historical imprint. This history not only reflects the political pattern and the relationship between countries at that time, but also shows the helpless fate of small countries in the whirlpool of large countries.

First of all, the Dao State, as a vassal state surnamed Ji, chose to attach itself to the Qi State in order to protect itself in the early Spring and Autumn Period. However, due to the civil strife that fell into the state after the death of Duke Huan of Qi, the state of Chu was able to take advantage of the opportunity to expand, eventually eliminating the state of Dao. This reflected the political environment of the time, in which small countries were not immune to themselves and often had to find stronger allies to survive.

Secondly, the state of Bai, as a state of the Yellow Emperor's courtiers, was finally annexed by the state of Chu during the period when the monarch of the state of Chu usurped the throne. This episode shows that even a country with the blood of the Yellow Emperor failed to stand alone in the face of the powerful state of Chu. This may also reflect that during the Warring States period at that time, bloodline was not the only magic weapon to win, and political and diplomatic means were also crucial.

In the end, the fate of Jiang Guo appeared to be more tortuous. It once united the Qi State and the Song State to crusade against the Chu State, but because of the geographical location and the influence of the Huai River flood, it has not been able to rise. King Chu Mu sent troops to attack Jiang, and although he received reinforcements from Jin, he was eventually destroyed by Chu because of the lack of reinforcements. This history paints a picture of a small country struggling to survive under external pressure, and it also shows the decisive influence of a strong country on a weak country.

On the whole, the fate of these three small countries has not only left a mark on history, but also inspired us to think about politics, diplomacy, geography and other factors. The history of the Spring and Autumn period was an era full of turbulence, and the rise and fall of small states was not only a microcosm of history, but also a product of political evolution and diplomatic games. Through an in-depth understanding of this history, we can better understand the intricacies of the relationship between countries at the time, and the difficult situation of small countries trying to survive in the midst of powerful states.

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