The State of Chu, a country that played an important role in ancient Chinese history. Since the pre-Qin period, the state of Chu has been inextricably linked with the Zhou Dynasty, sometimes loving each other, sometimes chasing after me, and opening a historical chapter of ups and downs. However, during the Warring States Period, although the state of Chu was vast in land and resources, it failed to show a strong strength commensurate with its size, and eventually drifted away in the long river of history. So, why did the state of Chu do nothing during the Warring States period and become a mystery of history?
First, let's review the glory of the state of Chu in the pre-Qin period. The state of Chu not only intersected with the Zhou Dynasty politically, but also showed its own unique charm in terms of culture and military. However, with the changes of the times, the performance of the Chu State during the Warring States period was very different.
The sheer size of Chu's territory and population gave it a certain advantage, but it could also be a burden for it. The vast territory of the state of Chu and the complex and varied terrain in the south made it difficult to govern. In contrast, the geographical location of the Qin state was more centralized and easy to manage in a unified manner, which laid the foundation for the later rise of the Qin state.
Secondly, there are also some shortcomings in the internal political system of the Chu State. The state of Chu has long been a feudal state, and the major nobles have huge power, which has led to political and internal strife. In contrast, the Qin state implemented a centralized system under the unification of Yingzheng, which made the political centralization and administrative efficiency higher, which made the Qin state achieve a great advantage during the Warring States period.
In addition, Chu's diplomatic mistakes were also one of the important reasons for its inaction. The state of Chu once turned its back on the alliance with the state of Qi, which led to the crushing defeat of several major battles in a row, and the national strength was greatly weakened. In contrast, the Qin state adopted a more pragmatic policy in diplomacy and succeeded in placing itself in an advantageous position.
Finally, although the military strength of the Chu State was huge, it was difficult to form a unified command due to the independent forces of the major nobles, which affected the combat effectiveness of the army. The military strength of the Qin state came from its centralized and unified command and management on the one hand, and a series of military reform measures implemented by Ying Zheng on the other hand.
To sum up, there were many reasons for the inaction of the Chu state during the Warring States period, including the shortcomings of the internal political system, diplomatic mistakes, and the dispersion of military forces. In contrast, the state of Qin emerged during the Warring States period and eventually replaced the state of Chu as the first unified centralized state in Chinese history, which is also an inevitable choice of history.