The State of È was a vassal state in present-day central China from the time of the Shang Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...

 (1600–1046 BCE) until its overthrow in 863 BCE. E moved from its original location in what is now the southern province of Henan

Henan

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

  into Hubei Province. Its leader was one of the Three Excellencies

Three Excellencies

The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China...

, high officials appointed by King Zhou of Shang

King Zhou of Shang

Emperor Xin of Shang was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. He was later given the pejorative posthumous name Zhòu . He is also called Zhou Xin or King Zhou . He may also be referred to by adding "Shang" in front of any of his names...

 during the late Shang Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...

 (1600–1046 BCE)

Origin

There are a number of different theories about the origins of E, including that its original inhabitants were descended from the Baiyue  or the Daxi culture

Daxi culture

The Daxi culture was a Neolithic culture centered in the Three Gorges region, around the middle Yangtze River, China. The culture ranged from western Hubei to eastern Sichuan and the Pearl River Delta. The site at Daxi, located in the Qutang Gorge around Wushan, Chongqing, was discovered by Nels...

. Another theory claims that during the Shang Dynasty, descendants of the Yellow Emperor

Yellow Emperor

The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...

 surnamed Jí (姞) were granted land by King Zhou of Shang around modern day Xiangning County

Xiangning County

Xiangning County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city.-References:*...

, Shanxi Province that became the State of E.

History

King Zhou of Shang wanted to make the daughter of the Marquess of Jiu (九侯) an imperial concubine, but she was a dignified woman who regarded such a role as beneath her. In a fit of anger, King Zhou murdered both the Marquess and his daughter and turned the marquess’ body into mincemeat. The Marquess of E, seeing the injustice in the treatment of the Marquess of Jiu relinquished his vassalage to the Zhou Dynasty and was also murdered by King Zhou.

During the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BCE) the State of Jin moved into E’s territory forcing the state to move southwards into the northern part of modern day Nanyang City

Nanyang, Henan

Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...

 Henan Province. The relocation brought with it a threat from the powerful State of Chu

Chu (state)

The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...

, such that in the middle of the Western Zhou the State of E once more shifted south into Hubei Province, settling to the east of modern day Ezhou

Ezhou

-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...

 City.

Following a rebellion in the State of E, In 863 BCE, the seventh year of the reign of King Yi of Zhou

King Yi of Zhou (Ji Xie)

King Yi of Zhou or King I of Chou was the ninth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 885–878 BC or 865–858 BC....

, the ruler of the State of Chu Xiong Qu (熊渠) overthrew the State of E and conferred its former lands on his son Xiong Zhi (熊摯). The destruction of the State of E is recorded on an inscribed bronze Ding

Ding (vessel)

A ding is an ancient Chinese cauldron with legs, a lid and two handles opposite each other. They were made in two shapes with round vessels having three legs and rectangular ones four....

 or tripod cauldron known as the Yu Ding (禹鼎).

Legacy

Xiong Zhi continued to live in Ezhou

Ezhou

-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...

, Hubei Province, site of the former State of E, following the death of his father. The following five rulers of the State of Chu all resided in Ezhou whilst the sixth, Xiong E (熊鄂) deciding to make the location the alternative capital of Chu. King Gong of Chu (楚共王) (reigned 590–560 BC) made his third son Lord of E. In 323 BCE, the sixth year of the reign of King Huai of Chu (楚懷王), the king made his younger brother Xiong Qu (熊启) Lord of E. With the destruction of Chu by the State of Qin

Qin (state)

The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...

 in 223, Ezhou became a county of Qin Shihuang’s new dynasty.

Today E (鄂) remains the shortened name for Hubei province.