The traditional belief is that people from the same large family should have the same surname. But during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this concept did not apply. For example, King Chuzhuang is called "Bear Brigade" by us, but this does not mean that his surname is Xiong.
His nephew's name is Yang Kuo, and his great-grandson's name is Nangwa, and their surnames are different. So, what exactly is the surname of the Chu royal family? What's going on?
The Origin and Evolution of the "Surname": A Symbol of Blood Relations "Surname" and "clan" are two different but related concepts, both used to indicate a person's family kinship.
According to the Tongjian Waiji, the "surname" originated at the end of the primitive society and was used to trace the ancestral lineage, and its main role was to distinguish the descendants of different clans in the tribe and promote intermarriage between different clans, which was an important milestone in the progress of human civilization.
"Clan" is a branch of the "surname", which is the symbol of each branch of the ancestor of the same father's surname. Unlike surnames, surnames are flexible and changeable, and will change with the change of ancestors' names, fiefdoms, and official positions.
Thus, the father and son generations may have different clans, or someone's descendants may have more than one clan. For example, the "Yang" of Yanglu, the "Nang" of Nangwa, and the "Qu Family" of Qu Yuan all come from the surname of the Chu royal family, the surname Mi, which can be called the surname Yang of Mi, the surname of Mi, and the surname Qu of Mi respectively.
In ancient China, "surname" and "clan" were two different concepts, and men were called by their first name but not by their surname. For example, although Qu Yuan is surnamed Qu, we usually call him Qu Yuan, not Mi Yuan.
In the same way, Yingdang is called King Wu of Qin, not "lewd". Since the Qin and Han dynasties, surnames have gradually become unified, and surnames have become the mainstream. However, some ancient surnames such as Ying and Ji have gradually become niche.
So, what is the clan of the Chu royal family? Some people think that it is a "bear", because the king of Chuzhuang is called the bear brigade. However, Ah Yue believes that the clan of the Chu royal family should be "Chu", not "Xiong".
Some scholars have pointed out that ancient Chinese monarchs usually did not have clans, but rather took the name of the country as their clan. For example, on special occasions such as alliances, the name of the monarch is used as the name of the country.
For example, the state of Chu in the Western Zhou Dynasty must have participated in the alliance presided over by Zhou Tianzi, so it should not be an exception. Therefore, the clan of the Chu royal family should be "Chu".
Xiong Qu had three sons. During the reign of King Yi of Zhou, the royal family declined, and the princes no longer met in court. Xiongqu is deeply loved by the people in the Jianghan area......So, he appointed his eldest son Kang as the king of Ju Kang, the second son Hong as the king of E, and the younger son Zhiqi as the king of Yuezhang ......Later, Xiong Wukang died early, Xiong Qu died, and his son Xiong Zhihong inherited the throne.
After Xiong Zhihong's death, his younger brother killed him and usurped the throne himself, calling Xiong Yan.
The most direct evidence is mentioned in "Zuo Chuan: The Thirteenth Year of Zhaogong" that after King Chuping ascended the throne, he changed his name from Qiji to Xiongju. If "Xiong" is the surname of the Chu royal family, then King Chuping does not need to be specifically emphasized when changing his name, only part of the name needs to be changed.
Therefore, it can be inferred that the character "bear" can only be used by the sons or kings of Chu in previous dynasties, and is the exclusive title of the head of the Chu people, not the surname of the Chu royal family. "Chu" is the surname used by members of the Chu royal family when they need to be surnamed.
Of course, for the sake of writing convenience, some two-character names will be omitted as single words, such as Jin Wen Gong Chong'er is sometimes abbreviated as "heavy". And the word "bear" is a proper noun of the king of Chu, and it is natural to omit it.
This is also the root of the surname of many royal family members after the fall of the Chu State.