Analysis of the reasons for the rise and fall of the lonely bamboo country
When it comes to the country of Guzhu, we will think of the Guzhu ruins located in Hebei Province, and the ancient civilization and the glorious history of the princes that belonged to the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Guzhu is an ancient country with a history of 3,500 years, it was born in the land of Beiyan, according to historical records, Tang Tefeng Motai clan in Guzhu. Although this small country was established by relying on the Yin Shang, it went through the Yin Shang and Zhou dynasties until the Spring and Autumn Period and finally perished, and existed for nearly a thousand years.
In this thousand-year-long history, the Guzhu Kingdom has experienced many ups and downs, including its prosperity in the Yin Shang period.
According to the record of "Huang Shu", the birth of the country of lonely bamboo has an inseparable relationship with Yin Shang, and it was sealed on the third day of the first month of Yin Tang. From the date of the enthronement to the era of King Yin, the Guzhu Kingdom has been passed down for nine generations, of which the last three generations of monarchs from the seventh generation are the most examinable.
According to the oracle bone inscriptions, the seventh monarch was called "Zhuhou", the temple name was "Ding", and he served as the "Zhenren" and "Sibu" of the Shang Dynasty, responsible for divination with tortoise shells.
The eighth monarch is honored as "Yawei", and the ninth monarch is the second son of Yawei, named "Yaxian".
He may not be known to everyone, but his younger brother and elder brother are household names in China – Boyi and Shuqi. They are famous patriots in Chinese history, famous for their deeds of not eating Zhou Su, picking roses, and finally starving to death on Shouyang Mountain.
As a vassal state of the Shang Dynasty, Guzhu's loyalty to the Shang Dynasty can be seen. This loyalty gave the Guzhu Kingdom a unique position during the Yin Shang period. The relationship between the Guzhu Kingdom and the Shang Dynasty was not only the relationship between the monarch and the minister, archaeologists have found the words "women's bamboo", "wife's bamboo", "bamboo concubine" and "mother's bamboo" in the oracle bone inscriptions of Yinxu, which indicates that the royal family of the Yin Shang Dynasty once married the women of the Guzhu Kingdom, and also had descendants.
This political marriage cemented the position of the Guzhu State in the Shang Dynasty, which was incomparable to that of other vassal states. Under the protection of the Shang Dynasty, the political, economic, and cultural aspects of the Guzhu Kingdom have achieved comprehensive and stable development.
The fact that the Guzhu Kingdom was able to survive for nearly a thousand years in war-torn times is enough to prove the stability of its political environment and its strong comprehensive strength. Guzhu Country is located in the middle and lower reaches of the confluence of Xuanshui and Weishui, with flat terrain and fertile land, which provides a natural advantage for the high-quality environment of production and life.
At the same time, the people of Guzhu have also developed two forms of economy, farming and nomadism, among which animal husbandry is particularly developed, which is an important pillar of Guzhu's economy. "Yi Zhou Shu Wang Hui" once mentioned that the special product of the country of Guzhu is "distance void", that is, donkeys, mules and other livestock.
These animals are not only powerful, but also easy to raise. In particular, mules are the product of the crossbreeding of horses and donkeys, which shows that Guzhu has a deep technical accumulation and research strength in animal husbandry.
As a vassal state of the Shang Dynasty, the Guzhu Kingdom attached great importance to agricultural production. Not only did they need to pay regular tribute to the Shang Dynasty with large quantities of livestock, such as donkeys and mules, but the raising of these livestock required a huge amount of grain support, which also meant that the grain production in the Guzhu Kingdom was quite developed.
From the raising of these livestock, it can be seen that the agricultural economy of the country is very prosperous. In addition, the handicraft industry in Guzhu is also very developed. Archaeologists have found a lot of bronzes in the late Shang Dynasty in Lulong County, such as tripods, bow-shaped vessels, golden arm chuan, etc., these bronzes are engraved with the words "Yaxian", the quality is exquisite, the patterns are complex, and the shape is dignified and atmospheric.
This shows that the handicraft industry in Guzhu was strong at that time, and it was also used in other regions. These exquisite utensils were paid tribute to the Shang Dynasty in exchange for the Shang Dynasty's long-term protection.
The prosperity of the handicraft industry in the country not only satisfied the needs of the royal family, but also benefited the common people. In the cultural sites of the late Shang Dynasty found in Lulong County, many daily necessities have been unearthed, such as pots, pots, mustaches, retorts, spinning wheels, grinders, etc., as well as ash pits and stove pits, etc., covering almost all the necessities of human life at that time, and comprehensively demonstrating the prosperity and development of the Guzhu Kingdom in agriculture, fishing and hunting, handicrafts, etc.
The economic development of the country depends not only on the protection of Yin Shang, but also on its unique geographical location. Located at the throat of the main roads in Shandong and Northeast China, the Guzhu Kingdom was an important channel for the Shang Dynasty to communicate with other tribes in the north.
The Guzhu region was located as a transportation hub, and was a necessary way for the Shang Dynasty to trade with other tribes in the north. With the frequent transportation and the development of the economy, after the Guzhu country met the basic needs of life, people began to pursue the development of art.
The "Pipe of the Lonely Bamboo, the Qin of the Cloud and the Dance of the Cloud Gate" mentioned in the Zhou Li, Chunguan and Da Si Le shows that the dance and music culture of the Lonely Bamboo Country is prosperous, the cultural life is rich, and the cultural strength is strong.
There is a saying that the lonely bamboo of the lonely bamboo country is "the bamboo of the lonely bamboo", the goose is a bronze wine vessel, and the bamboo is a bamboo slip or wooden slip, and the bronze is used to drink wine, and the bamboo is used as a book, which fully reflects the economic strength and cultural heritage of the lonely bamboo country.
The development of agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, economy and other aspects has laid a solid economic foundation for the prosperity of the country. The strategic location of the Guzhu Kingdom made it a key bridge between the northern and Shang dynasties.
In the process of the rise and fall of the Shang Dynasty, the Guzhu Kingdom could not avoid the laws of history. The decline of the Shang Dynasty led to the isolation of the Guzhu Kingdom in the torrent of history. At the end of the Shang Dynasty, King Wu was defeated, and the Shang Dynasty was finally overthrown, and King Wu of Zhou took over power.
In order to maintain the rule, stabilize the post-war situation, and alleviate the resistance of the remnants of the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty adopted the policy of "merchants governing the merchants", making Wu Geng, the son of the king of Zhou, a prince, a prince and managing the remnants of the Shang Dynasty as a patriarch.
In 1046 BC, King Wu of Zhou led a large army to destroy the Shang and establish the Western Zhou Dynasty. However, during this period, the lonely bamboo country located in Jixian County has encountered major changes.
In order to consolidate the Jiangshan Sheji, Zhou Zhaogong was ordered to go on a northern expedition and drove the Guzhu Kingdom out of its original place of residence and moved to other places. The Guzhu Kingdom was originally an important vassal state of the Shang Dynasty, and its status should not be underestimated.
However, under the rule of the Zhou Dynasty, the status of the Guzhu State plummeted and could not be compared with the Shang Dynasty. The status of the vassal state with the same surname disappeared, and its prestige gradually diminished, and although it was subordinated to the Zhou dynasty, it was difficult to maintain its rule over a large area.
At the same time, in the surrounding area of Jixian County, the power of the Yan Kingdom gradually grew, encroaching on the living space of the Lone Bamboo Kingdom. Some of the indigenous people of Guzhu began to rebel against Guzhu's rule, and the western region gradually formed a large Shanjung tribe.
Some of them also established the Lingzhi and other countries. In the face of internal and external troubles, the lonely bamboo country seems to be difficult to support.
During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the strength of the Guzhu Kingdom was further weakened, and it only governed a small area such as Qinhuangdao City. In the end, who will destroy the Lonely Bamboo Country? With the weakening of the Zhou royal family, the vassal states grew stronger and began a fierce battle for supremacy.
Powerful vassal states were busy with war, giving the tribes in remote areas the opportunity to grow stronger. During this period, Shanjung, which was separated from the jurisdiction of the Guzhu State, developed rapidly and began to form an alliance with the Guzhu and Lingzhi to enhance the strength of the small countries during the Spring and Autumn Period of hegemony.
As the Shanjung grew stronger, they were no longer satisfied with just a corner of their own, but began to expand outward. According to the Chinese Qi language, the Guzhu Kingdom and the Lingzhi Kingdom were the targets of Shanjung's conquest.
In the process, the Lone Bamboo Kingdom gradually declined, and was eventually conquered by the rising Shanjung and became its vassal. But this did not become the end of the Lone Bamboo Kingdom, because although Shanjung rose, its foundation was not solid.
The rapid expansion of Shanrong not only affected the Guzhu Kingdom, but also posed a threat to the Yan Kingdom. According to the records of the "Historical Records of the Yan Zhao Gong Family", the Yan State is located in the north of the barbarian raccoon dog, adjacent to the Qi and Jin countries, the terrain is treacherous, it is the weakest of the countries, and has faced the danger of extinction many times.
Faced with such a situation, Yan Guo had no choice but to ask Qi Guo for help. In 663 BC, the first overlord of the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of Qi, at the invitation of Duke Yanzhuang, led the army of Qi to the north to attack Shanjung, and by the way, eliminated the Guzhu Kingdom.
A piece of history is recorded in the "Chinese Qi Language": "(Duke Huan) went north to attack Shanrong, broke through Lingzhi, killed Guzhu and returned south, and none of the coastal princes dared not come to Hajho." ”
In this way, the Lone Bamboo State, which was the sole leader of the Yin Shang period, was destroyed by the army of Qi and disappeared in the long river of history. Although the country of Guzhu has not escaped the torrent of history, after the big waves and sand, the country of Guzhu still leaves us with a precious cultural heritage.
In this small northern country, there have been such famous people as Boyi and Shuqi, who have the patriotic spirit of being proud and willing to die, and they have the spirit of knowing etiquette and observing etiquette, loving the country and loving the people, which constitute the cultural connotation and national style of the Chinese nation that is endless, have a long history, and have had an important impact on the formation of Chinese culture.
Reference: Feng Yanli, "A Collection of Historical Materials of the Pre-Qin Guzhu Kingdom".