Zheng (state)
State of Zheng 鄭國 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 806 BC–375 BC | |||||||||
 Map of states in Zhou dynasty including Zheng | |||||||||
| Status | Duchy | ||||||||
| Capital | Zheng (鄭) Xinzheng (新鄭) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Old Chinese | ||||||||
| Religion | Taoism, Animism, ancestor worship | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Duke | |||||||||
• 806–771 BC | Duke Huan of Zheng | ||||||||
• 703–701 BC | Duke Zhuang of Zheng | ||||||||
• 395–375 BC | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• King Xuan of Zhou granting land to Prince You | 806 BC | ||||||||
• Conquest of the State of Han | 375 BC | ||||||||
| Currency | Chinese coin; Spade coin | ||||||||
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| Zheng | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 "Zheng" in seal script (top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄭 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 郑 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zheng (/dʒɛŋ/; Chinese: 鄭; Old Chinese: *[d]reng-s) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–221 BCE) located in the centre of ancient China in modern-day Henan Province on the North China Plain about 75 miles (121 km) east of the royal capital at Luoyang. It was the most powerful of the vassal states at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou (771–701 BCE), and was the first state to clearly establish a code of law in its late period of 543 BCE. Its ruling house had the ancestral name Ji (姬), making them a branch of the Zhou royal house, who were given the rank of Bo (伯), corresponding roughly to being a Count.
Foundation[]
Zheng was founded in 806 BC when King Xuan of Zhou, the penultimate king of the Western Zhou, made his younger brother Prince You (王子友) Duke of Zheng and granted him lands within the royal domain in the eponymous Zheng in modern-day Hua County, Shaanxi on the Wei River east of Xi'an. Prince You, known posthumously as Duke Huan of Zheng, established what would be the last bastion of Western Zhou. He went on to serve as Situ under King You of Zhou. When the Quanrong tribes sacked the Zhou capital Haojing in 771 BC, Duke Huan was killed along with his nephew King You of Zhou.
Duke Huan was succeeded by his son Duke Wu (鄭武公). Along with Marquis Wen of Jin, Duke Wu supported King Ping of Zhou against a rival, thereby helping to establish the Eastern Zhou. He re-established the state of Zheng in modern-day Xinzheng (meaning New Zheng), Henan, and annexed the states of Eastern Guo and . The Zheng rulers served as high ministers of the Zhou kings for several generations.
Spring and Autumn period[]
Early dominance[]
The state of Zheng was one of the strongest at the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period. Zheng was the first Zhou state to annex another state, Xi, sometime between 684 and 680 BC. Throughout the Spring and Autumn period, Zheng was one of the wealthiest states, relying on its central location for inter-state commerce and having the largest number of merchants of any state. Zheng often used its wealth to bribe itself out of difficult situations.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng (743–701 BC) was arguably a forerunner of the Five Hegemons, though Zheng derived its dominance by dramatically different means compared to those of the later hegemons by defeating an alliance of feudal states led by Zhou itself and wounding King Huan of Zhou. When Duke Zhuang died there was a civil war between his sons and Zheng ceased to be a powerful state.
Later period[]
By the later stages of the period, Zheng had no room to expand. Due to its central location, Zheng was hemmed in on all sides by larger states. During the later stages of the Spring and Autumn period, Zheng frequently switched its diplomatic alliances. Zheng was the center of diplomatic contention between Chu and Qi, then later Chu and Jin. Although Zheng was forced to become a minor player in the later stages of the Spring and Autumn period, it was still quite strong, defeating a combined alliance of Jin, Song, Chen and Wei in 607 BCE.
Under the statesman Zichan, Zheng was the first state to clearly establish a code of law in 543 BCE. Zheng later declined until it was annexed by the state of Han in 375 BCE.[1][2][3][4]
The Zheng family of Xingyang 荥阳郑氏 claim descent from the Zhou dynasty kings through the rulers of the State of Zheng.
The Marquis of Xingyang rank was created for Zheng Xi.[5] The Xingyang Zheng descendants included Zheng Daozhao and Zheng Xi.[6] Zheng Wanjun was a member of the Xingyang Zheng.[7] Other Xingyang Zheng descendants were Zheng Yuzhong (Zheng Qiao)[8] and Zheng Jiong.[9]
List of rulers[]
| Title | Given name | Reign |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Huan of Zheng 鄭桓公 |
Yǒu 友 |
806-771 BC |
鄭武公 |
Juétú 掘突 |
770-744 BC |
| Duke Zhuang of Zheng 鄭莊公 |
Wùshēng 寤生 |
743-701 BC |
鄭昭公 |
Hū 忽 |
701 BC |
鄭厲公 |
Tú 突 |
700-697 BC |
| Duke Zhao of Zheng (second reign) 鄭昭公 |
Hū 忽 |
696-695 BC |
鄭子亹 |
Wěi 亹 |
694 BC |
鄭子嬰 |
Yīng 嬰 |
693–680 BC |
| Duke Li of Zheng (second reign) 鄭厲公 |
Tú 突 |
679–673 BC |
鄭文公 |
Jié 踕 |
672–628 BC |
鄭穆公 |
Lán 蘭 |
627–606 BC |
鄭靈公 |
Yí 夷 |
605 BC |
鄭襄公 |
Jiān 堅 |
604–587 BC |
鄭悼公 |
Fèi 沸 |
586–585 BC |
鄭成公 |
Gùn 睔 |
584–581 BC |
公子繻 |
Xū 繻 |
581 BC |
鄭僖公 |
Yùn 惲 |
581 BC |
| Duke Cheng of Zheng (second reign) 鄭成公 |
Gùn 睔 |
581–571 BC |
| Duke Xi of Zheng (second reign) 鄭僖公 |
Yùn 惲 |
570–566 BC |
鄭簡公 |
Jiā 嘉 |
565–530 BC |
鄭定公 |
Níng 寧 |
529–514 BC |
鄭獻公 |
Dǔn 躉 |
513–501 BC |
鄭聲公 |
Shèng 勝 |
500–463 BC |
鄭哀公 |
Yì 易 |
462–455 BC |
鄭共公 |
Chǒu 丑 |
455–424 BC |
鄭幽公 |
Jǐ 已 |
423 BC |
鄭繻公 |
Tái 駘 |
422–396 BC |
鄭康公 |
Yǐ 乙 |
395–375 BC |
Other people from Zheng[]
- Zichan, celebrated philosopher and statesman
- Zheng Mao (鄭瞀), exemplary woman of the Lienü zhuan
- Shen Buhai 申不害, future Prime Minister of Han and "Legalist" philosopher.
References[]
- ^ Bai, Shouyi (2002). An Outline History of China. Beijing: Foreign Language Press. ISBN 7-119-02347-0.
- ^ Creel, Herrlee G. The Origins of Statecraft in China. ISBN 0-226-12043-0.
- ^ Walker, Richard Lewis. The Multi-state System of Ancient China. Beijing.
- ^ Theobald, Ulrich (2018-11-01). "The Regional State of Zheng 鄭". China Knowledge. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ Knechtges, David R. & Chang, Taiping, eds. (2014-09-22). Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature: A Reference Guide, Part Three & Four. Vol. 3 & 4. LeidenꞏBoston: BRILL. pp. 2233–2234. ISBN 978-90-04-27185-2.
- ^ Robert E. Harrist (2008). The landscape of words: stone inscriptions from early and medieval China. University of Washington Press. pp. 103, 117–118. ISBN 9780295987286.
- ^ Chen, Jinhua (2007-05-11). Philosopher, Practitioner, Politician: the Many Lives of Fazang (643-712). BRILL. p. 146. ISBN 978-90-474-2000-2.
- ^ Han Si (2008). A Chinese word on image: Zheng Qiao (1104-1162) and his thought on images. Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis. pp. 31, 266. ISBN 978-91-7346-607-3.
- ^ The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. International Association of Buddhist Studies. 1999. pp. 42, 39, 90.
- Li Yan (2002-09-19). "Another Royal Tomb of 'King Zheng' Discovered in Henan". People's Daily. Beijing.
- Zheng (state)
- Ancient Chinese states
- States and territories established in the 9th century BC
- 9th-century BC establishments in China
- 9th century BC
- History of Henan
- History of Zhengzhou
- 375 BC
- 4th-century BC disestablishments in China