Shen (state)
Encyclopedia
The State of Shen was a Chinese vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty
(1046 – 221 BCE) ruled by the Jiāng family (薑/姜) as an earldom. At the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period the State of Shen was annexed by the State of Chu
and became one of its counties.
and Zhèng
, the State of Shēn lay to the south of modern day Huáiyáng
and Xīnzhèng
counties in Henan Province
. The state’s capital stood in Wăn County (宛县) , Nányáng
bordered to the north by the Míngè Pass (冥厄關/冥厄关) and to the south by the Huai River
.
. During the reign of King Xuān of Zhōu
(reigned 827 – 782 BCE), the Earl of Shēn was granted the title and lands of King Xuān’s maternal uncle in the former State of Xiè (謝國/谢国). The enfeoffed territory of the State of Shen acted as a strategic southern gateway to the lands controlled by the Zhou Kings. King Xuan dispatched Earl Hŭ of Shao (召伯虎) to Shen to negotiate with the Earl of Shēn and obtain part of their land for use in the public fields system (公田). The King also sent his close aide Fù Yù (傅御) to relocate the population (the Earl of Shēn’s former subjects) in order to rapidly consolidate his control over the area.
King Yōu
ascended the throne of Zhōu in 781 BCE. His queen and first wife was the daughter of the Marquess of Shēn
. The king’s concubine Bāo Sì
wanted to oust Crown Prince Yíjiù (宜臼) and replace him with her own son Bófú
(伯服) thereby arousing the fury of the Marquess of Shēn. As a result in 771 BCE the Marquess of Shēn allied with the State of Zēng (繒/缯) along with Quănróng nomads
(犬戎) and attacked the Zhōu capital at Hàojīng
(鎬京/镐京). King Yōu lit beacons to summon his nobles in defence but none came and he was subsequently killed at the foot of Líshān
near modern day Xī’ān (西安). Thereafter the Marquesses of Shēn and Lŭ
(鲁) together with Marquess Wén of Xŭ (许文公) enthroned Yíjiù as King Ping of Zhou
in the State of Shēn thereby ushering in the Spring and Autumn Period.
In 761 BCE, another daughter of the Marquess of Shēn called Wǔjiāng (武姜) married Duke Wǔ of Zhèng (鄭武公/郑武公). She subsequently gave birth to two sons, the elder of whom, Wùsheng (寤生) would succeed his father as Duke Zhuāng of Zhèng
.
During the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period the State of Chŭ
began to expand. In 688 BCE King Wén of Chŭ (楚文王) dispatched an army to attack the State of Shen. According to the Zuo Zhuan
, as the troops passed through the State of Dèng
, Marquess Qí of Dèng remarked: King Wén of Chu is the son of my sister. As a result, Marquess Qí allowed him to stop in the State of Shen and provided a feast and entertainment. The officials Zhuīshēng (騅甥/骓甥), Dānshēng (聃甥) and Yǎngshēng (養甥/养甥) asked Marquess Qí to kill King Wén but he would not hear of it whereupon the three officials replied:
After King Wén suppressed the State of Shēn using armed force he became caught up in a war between the State of Deng and the State of Ba
. What happened to the State of Shēn after this suppression is not clear.
The "Zuo Zhuan
• Fourteenth Year of Duke Ai" traces the establishment of the counties of Shēn and Xī (息), dating the overthrow of the State of Xī
to 680 BCE. As a result, the destruction of the State of Shēn must have taken place around the same time – somewhere between 688 and 680 BCE.
After its absorption into the State of Chǔ, Shēn became an important northern county. At the Battle of Chéngpú, Chǔ Prime minister Chéng Déchén (成得臣) did not lead the main Chǔ army but a smaller force composed of troops from the counties of Shēn and Xī. As a result, Chéng Déchén lost the battle whereupon King Chéng of Chŭ said If you return home, what will the elders of the counties of Shēn and Xī do?
In 594 BCE, King Zhuāng of Chŭ
agreed to confer territory in the counties of Shēn and Lŭ
on Zĭchong (子重). The king’s senior official Wū Chén (巫臣) remonstrated with him:
In the sixth year of Duke Cheng of Lu
(585 CE), the State of Jìn attacked the State of Cài
. Chǔ sent troops from Shēn and Xī to assist Cài. The high ranking military leaders of Jìn knew that if they won this battle it would only mean the defeat of Shēn and Xī counties, not the entire State of Chǔ – if they lost it would be a major humiliation so the army decided to retreat. Academic Gu Jiegang
points out that since the two counties of Shēn and Xī had enough troops and were sufficiently powerful to deal with the State of Jin’s army, it is clear that the counties were both rich and populous.
Later on, in 529 CE, King Ling of Chu
died and King Ping of Chu ascended the throne. During the reign of King Ling, after he had overthrown the State of Cài he had annexed the states of Xŭ
, Hú (胡国), Shĕn (沈国), Dào
, Fáng (房国) and Shēn, bringing them within the borders of his territory. After King Ping took over the throne of Chŭ, he restored the states of Chén
and Cài so that they once more became small countries.
uncovered a number of the state's bronze artifacts. These included a bronze sacrificial vessel inscribed with text that scholar Li Xueqin (李学勤) has deciphered as Count of Southern Shen (南申伯). Li further infers that the nobleman referred to is one of those mentioned in the Daya (大雅) section of the Book of Songs in the poem entitled Song Gao (崧高).
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
(1046 – 221 BCE) ruled by the Jiāng family (薑/姜) as an earldom. At the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period the State of Shen was annexed by the 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...
and became one of its counties.
Territory
Located around the states of ChénChen (state)
Chen was a minor Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese History. It was a relatively minor state based on a single urban centre near what is now Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province...
and Zhèng
Zheng (state)
Zheng （) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty located in the centre of ancient China in modern day Henan Province on the North China Plain about east of the royal capital at Luoyang. It was the most powerful of the vassal states at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou...
, the State of Shēn lay to the south of modern day Huáiyáng
Huaiyang County
Huaiyang County is a county in the prefecture-level city of Zhoukou in Henan province, People's Republic of China. During the Spring and Autumn Period the capital of the state of Chen was located there....
and Xīnzhèng
Xinzheng
Xinzheng is a small county-level city of Zhengzhou in the south of Henan province of Central China. The city has a population of 600,000 people and covers an area of .-History:...
counties in Henan Province
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...
. The state’s capital stood in Wăn County (宛县) , Nányáng
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...
bordered to the north by the Míngè Pass (冥厄關/冥厄关) and to the south by the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
.
History
The history of the State of Shen began with the bestowal of the Earldom of Shēn (later a Marquessate) which descended from the matriarchal line of the Zhōu KingsZhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
. During the reign of King Xuān of Zhōu
King Xuan of Zhou
King Xuan of Zhou was the eleventh sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 827-782 BC or 827/25-782 BC.He worked to restore royal authority after the Gong He interregnum. He fought the 'Western Barbarians' and another group on the Huai River to the southeast. In...
(reigned 827 – 782 BCE), the Earl of Shēn was granted the title and lands of King Xuān’s maternal uncle in the former State of Xiè (謝國/谢国). The enfeoffed territory of the State of Shen acted as a strategic southern gateway to the lands controlled by the Zhou Kings. King Xuan dispatched Earl Hŭ of Shao (召伯虎) to Shen to negotiate with the Earl of Shēn and obtain part of their land for use in the public fields system (公田). The King also sent his close aide Fù Yù (傅御) to relocate the population (the Earl of Shēn’s former subjects) in order to rapidly consolidate his control over the area.
King Yōu
King You of Zhou
King You of Zhou was the twelfth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty and the last of Western Zhou Dynasty. He reigned from 781 to 771 BCE.In 780 BCE, a major earthquake hit Guanzhong...
ascended the throne of Zhōu in 781 BCE. His queen and first wife was the daughter of the Marquess of Shēn
Marquess of Shen
The Marquess of Shēn was a ruler of the State of Shēn during the Zhōu Dynasty period of Chinese history. A vassal state of the Zhōu Kings, Shēn state covered the area of modern day Nanyang City in Henan Province....
. The king’s concubine Bāo Sì
Baosi
Baosi was the concubine of the Ancient Chinese sovereign King You of Zhou. She was considered one of the most beautiful Chinese women ever.-Life:...
wanted to oust Crown Prince Yíjiù (宜臼) and replace him with her own son Bófú
Bofu
Bofu , sometimes referred to as Bopan , was the son of Chinese Zhou Dynasty monarch King You of Zhou and his concubine Baosi . After Baosi entered the royal palace, King You deposed Queen Shen and her son Crown Prince Yijiu , replacing them with Baosi and Bofu...
(伯服) thereby arousing the fury of the Marquess of Shēn. As a result in 771 BCE the Marquess of Shēn allied with the State of Zēng (繒/缯) along with Quănróng nomads
Quanrong
The Quǎnróng , literally "Dog Rong", were an ethnic group active in the north western part of China during the Zhōu and later dynasties. Their language is classified as part of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages family....
(犬戎) and attacked the Zhōu capital at Hàojīng
Haojing
This article is about the ancient Zhou Dynasty capital, for Haojing'ao see MacauHaojing was one of the two settlements comprising the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty , the other of which was Fēngjīng . Together they were known as Fēnghào and stood on opposite banks of the Feng River with...
(鎬京/镐京). King Yōu lit beacons to summon his nobles in defence but none came and he was subsequently killed at the foot of Líshān
Mount Li
Mount Li is a mountain located in the northwest of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, China. The mountain is part of the Qinling mountain range and rises to a height of 1302 metres above sea level...
near modern day Xī’ān (西安). Thereafter the Marquesses of Shēn and Lŭ
Lu (state)
The State of Lu, was a Zhou Dynasty ducal vassal state before and during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Founded in the 10th century BC, its dukes used Ji as their family name. The first duke was Boqin |Qi]] and to the south by the powerful state of Chu...
(鲁) together with Marquess Wén of Xŭ (许文公) enthroned Yíjiù as King Ping of Zhou
King Ping of Zhou
King Ping of Zhou , also referred to as Crown Prince Yijiu or King P'ing of Chou was the thirteenth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty and the first of Eastern Zhou Dynasty...
in the State of Shēn thereby ushering in the Spring and Autumn Period.
In 761 BCE, another daughter of the Marquess of Shēn called Wǔjiāng (武姜) married Duke Wǔ of Zhèng (鄭武公/郑武公). She subsequently gave birth to two sons, the elder of whom, Wùsheng (寤生) would succeed his father as Duke Zhuāng of Zhèng
Duke Zhuang of Zheng
Duke Zhuang of Zheng was the third ruler of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period in ancient China. His ancestral name is Ji,given name is Wusheng , which means "a difficult birth". In 743 BC, he became the duke of Zheng, and later defeated his brother Gongshu Duan, who had led a...
.
During the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period the State of Chŭ
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...
began to expand. In 688 BCE King Wén of Chŭ (楚文王) dispatched an army to attack the State of Shen. According to the Zuo Zhuan
Zuo Zhuan
The Zuo Zhuan , sometimes translated as the Chronicle of Zuo or the Commentary of Zuo, is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It is one of the most important sources for understanding the history of the Spring and Autumn Period...
, as the troops passed through the State of Dèng
Deng (state)
The State of Deng was a Chinese vassal state during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Spring and Autumn Period ruled by the Màn family .-Territory:...
, Marquess Qí of Dèng remarked: King Wén of Chu is the son of my sister. As a result, Marquess Qí allowed him to stop in the State of Shen and provided a feast and entertainment. The officials Zhuīshēng (騅甥/骓甥), Dānshēng (聃甥) and Yǎngshēng (養甥/养甥) asked Marquess Qí to kill King Wén but he would not hear of it whereupon the three officials replied:
- This man will be responsible for the death of the State of Dèng. Up to now he has overthrown the State of Shēn and when he returns he will destroy Dèng. It seems like he is biting at our navel and it is too late to form a conspiracy to deal with him. Now is the time to kill King Wen.
After King Wén suppressed the State of Shēn using armed force he became caught up in a war between the State of Deng and the State of Ba
Ba (state)
Ba was an ancient state in eastern Sichuan, China. Its original capital was Yicheng , Hubei. Ba was conquered by Qin in 316 BC. The modern ethnic minority Tujia people trace some of their origins back to the Ba people....
. What happened to the State of Shēn after this suppression is not clear.
The "Zuo Zhuan
Zuo Zhuan
The Zuo Zhuan , sometimes translated as the Chronicle of Zuo or the Commentary of Zuo, is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It is one of the most important sources for understanding the history of the Spring and Autumn Period...
• Fourteenth Year of Duke Ai" traces the establishment of the counties of Shēn and Xī (息), dating the overthrow of the State of Xī
Xi (state)
The State of Xi was a Chinese vassal state during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Spring and Autumn Period ruled by members of the Jī family . Sometime between 680 and 684 BCE the State of Xī was annexed by the State of Chu and ceased to exist as an independent state.-History:In 712 BCE the...
to 680 BCE. As a result, the destruction of the State of Shēn must have taken place around the same time – somewhere between 688 and 680 BCE.
After its absorption into the State of Chǔ, Shēn became an important northern county. At the Battle of Chéngpú, Chǔ Prime minister Chéng Déchén (成得臣) did not lead the main Chǔ army but a smaller force composed of troops from the counties of Shēn and Xī. As a result, Chéng Déchén lost the battle whereupon King Chéng of Chŭ said If you return home, what will the elders of the counties of Shēn and Xī do?
In 594 BCE, King Zhuāng of Chŭ
King Zhuang of Chu
King Zhuāng of Chǔ was a monarch of the Zhou Dynasty vassal State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history...
agreed to confer territory in the counties of Shēn and Lŭ
Lu (state)
The State of Lu, was a Zhou Dynasty ducal vassal state before and during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Founded in the 10th century BC, its dukes used Ji as their family name. The first duke was Boqin |Qi]] and to the south by the powerful state of Chu...
on Zĭchong (子重). The king’s senior official Wū Chén (巫臣) remonstrated with him:
- Xī and Lŭ are important Chŭ strategic northern frontier areas and a recruitment base for troops. If you confer these territories on Zĭchong you will no longer have direct control of the area and forfeit your military capability; the States of Jìn and ZhèngZheng (state)Zheng （) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty located in the centre of ancient China in modern day Henan Province on the North China Plain about east of the royal capital at Luoyang. It was the most powerful of the vassal states at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou...
will undoubtedly break through the Chŭ frontier and attack our hinterland in the Han RiverHan River (Hanshui)The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
Basin.
In the sixth year of Duke Cheng of Lu
Duke Cheng of Lu
Duke Cheng of Lu 鲁成公 was the son of Duke Xuan of Lu 鲁宣公 and the 21st ruler of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. He held office for 18 years, from 590 BCE to 573 BCE. His name was Heigong 黑肱 ....
(585 CE), the State of Jìn attacked the State of Cài
Cai (state)
The State of Cài was a Chinese state during the Zhōu Dynasty , prominent in the Spring and Autumn Period before being extinguished early in the Warring States Period .-History:...
. Chǔ sent troops from Shēn and Xī to assist Cài. The high ranking military leaders of Jìn knew that if they won this battle it would only mean the defeat of Shēn and Xī counties, not the entire State of Chǔ – if they lost it would be a major humiliation so the army decided to retreat. Academic Gu Jiegang
Gu Jiegang
Gu Jiegang was a Chinese historian who is known best for his seven volume work Gushi Bian . He was a leading force in the Doubting Antiquity school.-Biography:...
points out that since the two counties of Shēn and Xī had enough troops and were sufficiently powerful to deal with the State of Jin’s army, it is clear that the counties were both rich and populous.
Later on, in 529 CE, King Ling of Chu
King Ling of Chu
King Ling of Chu was a king of the State of Chu between 540 BC and 529 BC. His birth name was Wei and before ascending the throne he was known as Gongzi Wei .-Taking the throne:...
died and King Ping of Chu ascended the throne. During the reign of King Ling, after he had overthrown the State of Cài he had annexed the states of Xŭ
Xu (state)
The State of Xu was a vassal state of ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty and Spring and Autumn Period ruled by descendants of the Yíng family. Xu was a Dongyi state also known as Xurong , Xuyi or Xufang , all meaning either "Xu barbarians" or "Xu Proper". Xu was one of the largest and most...
, Hú (胡国), Shĕn (沈国), Dào
Dao (state)
The State of Dao was a Chinese vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty located in the southern part of Runan County, Henan. Dao existed in the shadow of the powerful neighbouring State of Chu which was held in check by the equally powerful State of Qi...
, Fáng (房国) and Shēn, bringing them within the borders of his territory. After King Ping took over the throne of Chŭ, he restored the states of Chén
Chen (state)
Chen was a minor Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese History. It was a relatively minor state based on a single urban centre near what is now Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province...
and Cài so that they once more became small countries.
Records of bronze artifact inscriptions
In the 1980s, archaeological excavations around the former Shēn capital of NányángNanyang, 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...
uncovered a number of the state's bronze artifacts. These included a bronze sacrificial vessel inscribed with text that scholar Li Xueqin (李学勤) has deciphered as Count of Southern Shen (南申伯). Li further infers that the nobleman referred to is one of those mentioned in the Daya (大雅) section of the Book of Songs in the poem entitled Song Gao (崧高).
See also
- Spring and Autumn Period
- State of DengDeng (state)The State of Deng was a Chinese vassal state during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Spring and Autumn Period ruled by the Màn family .-Territory:...
- State of XiXi (state)The State of Xi was a Chinese vassal state during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Spring and Autumn Period ruled by members of the Jī family . Sometime between 680 and 684 BCE the State of Xī was annexed by the State of Chu and ceased to exist as an independent state.-History:In 712 BCE the...