Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 06-29-03 18:58
The Chronological Tables of Chinese History (7)
Zhou Dynasty
The State of Zheng (鄭國 806BC to 375BC)
In c1134BC, Ji Fa (姬發) became the leader of the Zhou People (周族) who lived in the center of the Wei Valley (渭谷), west of the great bend of the Yellow River. In c1122BC Ji Fa destroyed the Shang Dynasty (商朝 c1783BC to c1122BC) and established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 c1134BC to c256BC). Ji Fa was installed the Zhou King Wu (周武王), the first king of the Zhou Dynasty.
In 827BC, Ji Jing (姬靖), a descendant of Ji Fa was crowned Zhou King Xuan (周宣王), the 11th King of the Zhou Dynasty. Ji You (姬友) was a younger brother of Zhou King Xuan. When Ji You was thirty three years old, in 806BC, Zhou King Xuan gave him the authority to rule a district called Zheng (鄭 located in the northwest of the present day county of Hua 華縣 of Shaanxi province 陜西省). Zhou King Xuan also bestowed upon him the hereditary title of Bo (伯) or Count. Ji You renamed his domain the State of Zheng (鄭國) and he became the first ruler of Zheng.
The chrolonlogy of the State of Zheng (鄭國 806BC to 375BC)
Name----------------------------------Title------------------------Period
(01) Ji You (姬友)------------Huan Gong (桓公)-----806BC to 771BC
(02) Ji Juetu (姬掘突)-------Wu Gong (武公)--------770BC to 744BC
(03) Ji Wusheng (姬寤生)-Zhuang Gong (莊公)---743BC to 702BC
(04) Ji Hu (姬忽)-------------Zhao Gong (昭公)-------701BC to 700BC
(05) Ji Tu (姬突)--------------Li Gong (厲公)-----------700BC to 696BC
------Ji Hu (姬忽)--------------Reinstated----------------695BC to 695BC
(06) Ji Wei (姬斖)------------Zi Wei (子斖)-------------694BC to 694BC
(07) Ji Ying (姬嬰)-----------Zi Yi (子儀)-----------------693BC to 681BC
------Ji Tu (姬突)-------------Reinstated-----------------680BC to 763BC
(08) Ji Jie (姬捷)------------Wen Gong (文公)--------672BC to 628BC
(09) Ji Lan (姬蘭)-----------Mu Gong (穆公)----------627BC to 606BC
(10) Ji Yi (姬夷)--------------Ling Gong (靈公)---------605BC to 605BC
(11) Ji Jian (姬堅)----------Xiang Gong (襄公)--------604BC to 587BC
(12) Ji Fei (姬費)-----------Dao Gong (悼公)----------586BC to 585BC
(13) Ji Yan (姬睔)----------Cheng Gong (成公)-------584BC to 583BC
(14) Ji Xu (姬繻)-----------Zheng Ruler (鄭君)---------582BC to 582BC
------Ji Yan (姬睮)----------Reinstated--------------------581BC to 571BC
(15) Ji Yun (姬惲)----------Li Gong (釐公)---------------570BC to 566BC
(16) Ji Jia (姬嘉)----------Jian Gong (簡公)-------------565BC to 530BC
(17) Ji Ning (姬寧)--------Ding Gong (定公)------------529BC to 514BC
(18) Ji Chai (姬蠆)--------Xian Gong (獻公)------------513BC to 501BC
(19) Ji Sheng (姬勝)-----Sheng Gong (聲公)----------500BC to 462BC
(20) Ji Yi (姬易)-----------Ai Gong (哀公)-----------------461BC to 455BC
(21) Ji Chou (姬丑)------Gong Gong (共公)------------454BC to 398 BC
(22) Ji Yi (姬已)-----------You Gong (幽公)---------------423BC to 423BC
(23) Ji Tai (姬駘)---------Xu Gong (繻公)-----------------422BC to 398BC
(24) Ji Yi (姬乙)-----------Kang Gong (康公)-------------397BC to 375BC
Zhou King Xuan died in 782BC and was succeeded by his son Ji Gongnie (姬宮涅), who ascended the throne as Zhou King You (周幽王). In 777BC Zhou King You married a beautiful concubine, Bao Si (褒姒). A year later she had a son who was named Bo Fu (伯服).
In 774BC Ji You was appointed by Zhou King You as a Si Tu (司徒) or an official of ritual ceremonies in the Zhou Court. Although he was a ruler of Zheng he lived in the capital, Hoa (鎬 present day Xi An 西安 city in Shaanxi province 陜西省) to help Zhou King You to govern the country.
In 773BC Bao Si manipulated the old King into having his official wife, the daughter of the ruler of the State of Shen (申國 present day Nan Yang county 南陽縣 in Henan province 河南省), imprisoned in a house behind the palace. Zhou King You also banished his eldest son, Ji Yijiu (姬宜臼), the crown prince, to the State of Shen. Zhou King You inducted Bao Si his official queen and Bo Fu the new crown prince.
The ruler of Shen was very angry at the way that Zhou King You was treating his daughter and grandson. There was nothing the ruler of Shen could do as he was not military strong enough to take on the Zhou Court.
In 771BC the ruler of Shen formed an alliance with the Quan Rong (犬戎), a nomedic tribe from the northwest, and attacked the Zhou capital which was very quickly overran. The Quan Rong razed the capital to the ground and Ji You, Zhou King Xuan, Bao Si and Bo Fu were killed in the turmoil.
Ji Yijiu, the former crown prince, raised a large army from several vassal States, including troops from the State of Zheng, to rescue the capital. The Quan Rong were driven out of the capital to the northwest.
Ji Yijiu was crowned Zhou King Ping (周平王). Ji Juetu (姬掘突), the eldest son of Ji You, became the new ruler of the State of Zheng. Hao was uninhabitable as it was totally destroyed by the Quan Rong. Zhou King Ping decided to shift his capital to Cheng Zhou (成周 present day Luo Yang 洛陽 city in Henan province). Ji Juetu helped Zhou King Ping to relocate the citizens to the new capital.
Ji Juetu followed Zhou King Ping to live in Cheng Zhou and the State of Zheng, in the west of the county of Hua in Shaanxi province, was left without a ruler. Ying Kai (嬴開), the 6th ruler of the State of Qin (秦國 present day Feng Xiang county 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi province) took the opportunity and absorbed the State of Zheng.
In appreciation, Zhou King Ping rewarded Ji Juetu the authority to rule the State of Guo (虢國 in the northeast of present day Ying Yang county 滎陽縣 of Henan province). Zhou King Ping forced Ji Xu (姬序), the incumbent ruler of the State of Guo, to give up his domain in favour of Ji Juetu. Guo was renamed by Ji Juetu as the new State of Zheng (新鄭國) and estblished his capital in Xin Zheng (新鄭 present day Xin Zheng city in Henan province).
All the rulers of the vassal states were unhappy to see Ji Xu being deprived of his domain by force. Mie Yi (羋儀) the 14th ruler of the State of Chu (楚國 present day Jiang Ling county 江陵縣 in Hubei province 湖北省) was so angry with Zhou King Ping that he threatened to attack the new capital. In order to pacify the anger of the vassal states, Zhou King Ping allocated Ji Xu, the former ruler of Guo, the authority to rule a district called Yang Qu (陽曲 present day north of Tai Yuan 太原 city in Shanxi province 山西省) which was named the State of Bei Guo (北虢國).
Ji Juetu started to complain that his State was too small. He became restless and wanted to expand his territory. Ji Juetu began absorbing settlements, that bordered his new domain without the permission of the central authority, the Zhou Court. Zhou King Ping was angry at Ji Juetu's actions, but he did nothing because the State of Zheng had become a very powerful State.
Ji Juetu died in 744BC and was succeeded by his eldest son Ji Wusheng (姬寤生). Ji Wusheng gave his younger brother Ji Duanshu (姬段叔) the authority to rule a city called Jing Cheng (京城 present day about 30 kilometers southeast of Ying Yang county in Henan province), at the insistence of his mother.
Ji Duanshu was very ambitious and wanted to be the ruler of Zheng. In 722BC Ji Duanshu attacked the capital, Xin Zheng, but he was defeated. Ji Duanshu fled north to the State of Gong (共國 present day Hui Xian 輝縣 in Henan province). When Ji Duanshu heard that his brother Ji Wusheng, wanted to attack Gong, he was so frightened that he committed suicide. The fighting between the two brothers was finally over, but at great cost. The civil war drained the state of men and resources. Additionally, the eventual death of Ji Wu Sheng in 701BC resulted in twenty one years of internal strife between the four sons of Ji Wusheng, Ji Hu (姬忽), Ji Tu (姬突), Ji Ziwei (姬子亹) and Ji Ziying (姬子嬰). The State of Zheng was extremely weak by then, and was uncapable to defend itself.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代722BC to 481BC), and the Warring States Period (戰國時間 453BC to 221BC) the central authority, the Zhou Court, was weak. Previously, all the vassal States had to pay homage to the Zhou Court at least once in every three years. As the Zhou Court grew weaker and weaker the vassal States came to regard the Zhou Court as a spent force, and eventually the Zhou Court lost its power to mediate in the numerous disputes among the vassal States. Large and powerful States began to conquer and annex the small and feeble ones because they knew that the central authority could do nothing to stop them. Eventually, in 376BC, Zheng was conquered by the State of Han (韓國 present day Lin Fen county 臨汾縣 in Shanxi province 山西省).
Since the inception of the State of Zheng in 806BC it had been ruled by twenty three rulers; but now the last ruler was called Ji Yi (姬乙). In remembrance of beloved extinct State, Ji Yi and members of the Zheng royal family changed their surname from JI (姬) to ZHENG (鄭).
From the book
"The Origin of Chinese Surnames"
Written in English by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
First published in September 2000
ISBN 1876763663
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 30062003
Yoon-Ngan
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