Traditional power of Eastern Zhou Dynasty

In the history of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, if any country has maintained its status as a strong country for the longest time, the answer is probably not Qi, the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period, nor Qin, which swept Liuhe, but Chu, which has been a strong country from beginning to end.

Look at the history of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After Qi Huangong's death, Qi maintained its status as a great power, but its national strength went from bad to worse. It was not until Qi Jinggong's time that it regained its vitality. Later, in the Warring States period, although Qi was once emperor with Qin, an attack by Yan made Qi yield.

Jin, once the most powerful country in the Central Plains, inherited its hegemony after Qi, but after several generations, it was defeated by Qin, Chu and Jin. Divided Korea, Zhao, Wei and Korea have always been the weakest among the seven heroes of the Warring States Period. Although Wei was powerful in the early Warring States period, it was reduced to a foil position after being hit by Chyi Chin and China. After King Wuling of Zhao rode and shot, Zhao once became the second largest military power after Qin, but the battle of Changping completely lost all the old foundations accumulated over the years and the capital to compete with Qin. Of all the countries in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, if the status of a powerful country is maintained for the longest time, it is a powerful country among princes from beginning to end, but only Chu.

The development of Chu caught up with the era when Qi Huangong proclaimed himself emperor. Later, he was a force to be reckoned with by the governors of the Central Plains throughout the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Even at the end of the Warring States period, he became the only country among the six countries that could wrestle with Qiang Qin. From the mid-Spring and Autumn Period to the early Warring States Period, the territory of Chu was equivalent to the sum of the major powers in the Central Plains. By the mid-Warring States period around 300 BC, the territory of the State of Chu had included today's Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and other regions, and even Guangxi, Yunnan in the southwest and Guangdong in the south. At the peak of the territory, the land area reached1100,000 square kilometers and the population was more than 5 million. In the same period of the world, the Persian Empire has perished, the Macedonian Empire has fallen apart, and the Roman Empire is still in civil war. According to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Chu's foot almost covered the whole south of China, and it was a well-deserved superpower in the world at that time.

How did Chu, a superpower, come from?

In fact, the powerful Chu State was a nameless country in the early Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

According to various historical records, especially Qu Yuan's records, the ancestors of Chu people originated from the descendants of the Yellow Emperor, which means that Chu people also belong to the Chinese nation. The rise of Chu originated from Chu tribes who lived in Jianghan Plain in Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Ji Lian, the ancestor of Chu, was Zhou Wenwang's teacher. After his great-grandson Xiong Yi arrived, he was awarded the title of viscount and was authorized to control one side of Jianghan area. However, his position is much lower than that of the princes in the Central Plains.

The Chu people in Xiong Yi's era were canonized by Zhou Tianzi, but they were very unpopular. When Xiong Yi was a vassal, he managed maojiu. Compared with the nobles of various governors, although he is a viscount, he is only a handyman. This incident also made Xiong Yi brave after being ashamed. After returning home, Xiong Yi began the arduous pioneering road led by Chu people. They plowed the fields in Jianghan Plain, opened mountains and opened forests, introduced advanced production technology from the Central Plains, and finally began to grow and develop through the efforts of several generations.

What is more difficult than the princes of the Central Plains is that in order to survive, Chu was faced with a serious threat from the barbarians in the south from the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. After the demise of Sanmiao and Pingshan Mountains, the territory of Chu was centered on Han. Later, the southern provinces of China expanded, and finally a huge territory of Chu appeared. The Chu people also accepted the baptism of Chinese civilization in this battle of blood and fire, and completed the transformation from tribes to civilized countries.

The real birthright of Chu was around 740 BC, when Chu Wuwang came to power. Since the Zhou royal family didn't give me a birthright, I called myself a birthright. That's what the powerful did. Although the Zhou royal family held their breath, there was nothing they could do about Chu's independence. During this period, the Central Plains has fallen into the era of the decline of the Zhou royal family and the separation of princes, and it is difficult for the Zhou Emperor to be immune to it. Do you care about Chu's birthright? Of course, some vassal States in the Central Plains were not convinced, but at this time, the Yellow River basin adjacent to Chu, whether Zheng or Song, no longer had the strength to face Chu alone, and the contrast between the Yellow River basin and Chu had already changed.

Since Chu Wuwang, the situation in the northern border of Chu State has changed from resisting the intrusion of the central plains governors to actively occupying the central plains governors' land, which is closely related to the rapid decline of Song, Cai, Zheng and other countries in the Yellow River basin. When King Wen of Chu, the son of Chu Wuwang, was in power, he made Du Ying his capital. With this as the center, Chu soon had a territory of several thousand miles. During the reign of King Chu Cheng, the Emperor of Zhou finally recognized the throne of Chu and asked Chu not to invade China. Fear of Chu is beyond words.

King Cheng of Chu in this period was a very important figure in the history of Chu. He is not famous, mainly because of his bad luck. He lived in the Jiuhe era in Qi Huangong, which was a heyday. Later, Jin Wengong dominated the Central Plains and continued to respect Wang Daye, which set off the prestige of the King of Chu. During his reign, he talked with the two tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period. First, he confronted Qi Huangong, which almost led to an all-out war between the two great powers. Finally, after correctly understanding the strength comparison between the two sides, he took the initiative to make peace, but it also made him realize the strength of Chu at this time.

Phoenix is the totem of Chu State, and Chu people have revered it since ancient times. )

And another overlord, Jin Wengong, has more connections with the King of Chu. When I was an exiled son in my early years, I got help from the king of Chu. Then the two men met each other and fought in Chengpu. As a result, the King of Chu was defeated and Jin Wengong established its dominant position. But in this world war I, the state of Jin won quite a thrilling victory. At that time, the State of Jin and Chyi Chin, two great powers in the Central Plains, joined forces against Chu, but their total strength was less than half that of Chu. If the Chu State hadn't pushed Hu Yan lightly and been surrounded by the allied forces of Jin and Qi, I'm afraid the result of this battle would be hard to say.

King Chu Cheng, who was defeated by two overlords, was actually an outstanding monarch in the Spring and Autumn Period, and his reign was a crucial period for Chu to recuperate. From 67 BC1year to 626 BC, Mi Hui Di, the king of Chu, was in power. During these 44 years, the policy pursued by the State of Chu was to bite the hand that feeds the enemy and make friends with the princes. He took the initiative to repair the tense relationship with the Zhou royal family and the Central Plains dynasty, returned part of the territory occupied by the Central Plains princes, and took the initiative to pay tribute to Zhou. In the face of Qi Huangong's military oppression, he was polite and not only safeguarded his territorial integrity.