Deng () was a Chinese

vassal state A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...

during the

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou dyn ...

and

Eastern Zhou The Eastern Zhou (256 BCE) is a period in Chinese history comprising the latter two-thirds of the Zhou dynasty. The period follows the Western Zhou era and is named due to the Zhou royal court relocating the capital eastward from Fenghao ...

dynasties ruled by the Man (曼) family.

Territory

Sources conflict as to whether the State of Deng was situated in

Dengzhou Dengzhou (), formerly Deng County (), is a city in Nanyang, Henan, China. It has an area of and a population of 1,500,000. The urban area is 35 km2, and the urban population is 300,000. The city is located in the southwest of Henan provinc ...

(鄧州/邓州),

Henan Province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...

or Xiangfan (襄樊),

Hubei Province Hubei is a province in Central China. It has the seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland provinces. Its provincial capital at Wuhan serves as a major politi ...

History

Shang dynasty King

Wu Ding Wu Ding (; died ); personal name (), was a king of the Chinese Shang dynasty who ruled the central Yellow River valley. He is the earliest figure in Chinese history mentioned in contemporary records. The annals of the Shang dynasty compiled by l ...

(武丁) (reigned 1250–1192 BCE) conferred the lands of the State of Deng on his younger brother Zĭ Màn (子曼) who passed it down to later generations. During the reign of Wú Lí (吾离) Deng became rich and powerful for a time but its influence declined with the rise of the hegemonies during the Spring and Autumn period. In 688 BCE, King Wén of Chǔ had to pass through the State of Deng in order to attack the State of Shēn. Even though Dèng was the birth place of Dèng Màn (邓曼), one of the wives of King Wén's father King Wǔ of Chǔ (楚武王), the State of Deng lay on the borders of the

State of Chu Chu (, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was an Ancient Chinese states, ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BC. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou heartland and lasted ...

such that its overthrow would prove convenient for the expansion of Chu. Three vigilant chancellors of the State of Deng, Zhuīshēng (騅甥/骓甥), Dānshēng (聃甥) and Yǎngshēng (養甥/养甥) urged their lord to kill King Wén."

Zuo Zhuan The ''Zuo Zhuan'' ( zh, t=左傳, w=Tso Chuan; ), often translated as ''The Zuo Tradition'' or as ''The Commentary of Zuo'', is an ancient Chinese narrative history traditionally regarded as a commentary on the ancient Chinese chronicle the '' ...

• Sixth year of

Duke Zhuang of Lu Duke Zhuang of Lu (; 7 October 706 BC – 11 August 662 BC), personal name Ji Tong (姬同), was a duke of the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Early life Duke Zhuang was a son of Duke Huan of Lu and his main wif ...

". The Marquess of Deng did not listen. King Wén of Chu passed through the State of Deng and attacked the State of Shen. On his return the King attacked Deng. In 678 BCE King Wén of Chu conquered State of Deng. With the annexation of the States of Shen and Deng, the State of Chu extended its territory into the Nanyang Basin. Afterwards its people adopted the surname Deng (鄧/邓) which is still common today.

References

Ancient Chinese states States of the Spring and Autumn period Zhou dynasty States and territories established in the 12th century BC 7th-century BC disestablishments in China 12th-century BC establishments in China States and territories disestablished in the 7th century BC {{China-hist-stub