Xi () was a Chinese vassal state during the Shang and Zhou dynasties and the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

(1600 – 475 BCE) ruled by members of the Jī family (姬). Sometime between 680 and 684 BCE Xi was annexed by the

State of Chu Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou hea ...

and ceased to exist as an independent state.

History

In 712 BCE the State of Xi sent a punitive expedition against the State of Zhèng. At that time, Duke Zhuang of Zheng had for many years repeatedly attacked large States such as Song and

Wey Wey may refer to: Places *Wey (state) (衞), or Wei, ancient Chinese state during the Zhou Dynasty *River Wey, river in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, England *River Wey (Dorset), river of Dorset, south west England *Wey and Arun Canal, canal ...

amongst others and Zhèng was at the height of its military power. The expedition resulted in decisive defeat for Xi, and the '' Zuo Zhuan'' commentary on the expedition criticises Xi's overestimation of its own strength. Nonetheless, some scholars believe that Xi's expedition indicated its military was quite powerful and a match for Zheng. In 684 BCE,

Duke Ai of Cai Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked ...

was rude to Xī Guī, wife of the Duke of Xī. As a result, the Duke of Xī asked the State of Chŭ to feign an attack on his own country so that when the State of Cài came to the rescue, Chŭ could strike the State of Cài and humiliate Duke Ai of Cài. King Wen of Chu agreed, attacked Cài and his army captured the Duke. Although he harboured a deep grudge, in front of King Wen, Duke Ai praised Xī Guī's beauty. Consequently, King Wén overthrew the State of Xī and married Xī Guī. The two sons she bore subsequently became the Chŭ kings

Du Ao Du'ao (, died 672 BC), also called Zhuang'ao (), was from 676 to 672 BC king of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Jian () and Du'ao was his posthumous title. Du'ao succeeded his father King ...

and King Cheng of Chu. King Wén of Chŭ doted on Xī Guī and in 680 BCE, at her behest, overthrew the State of Cài. King Wen subsequently set up the counties of Shen and Xi in the areas of the former eponymous states. During the State of Chǔ's struggle for hegemony in the Spring and Autumn period, Xi County played an important role. At the Battle of Chengpu, Chǔ Prime minister Cheng Dechen did not lead the main Chǔ army but a smaller force composed primarily 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 would the bereaved elders of Xi and Shen do?’’ In 585 BCE, 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, but that if they lost it would be a major humiliation, so the army decided to retreat. 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.Zhang Fanbian, ''Ancient Chinese History Reader'', Beijing University Press 2006 p112

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xi (State) History of ancient China Zhou dynasty

History

See also

References