Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-27-12 16:48
一個巴掌拍不響,---Yi ge4 ba zhang3 pai bu4 xiang3.
一人難唱獨板腔.---Yi ren2 nan2 chang4 du2 ban3 qiang.
You cannot clap with one hand
It is hard for one actor to perform a drama.
---------------------------------------------
The 74th most common Chinese surname QIN 秦 (074)
Qin means: a Chinese family surname.
The surname Qin is about 2,200 years old
The surname Qin originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Tianshui prefecture (天水郡). The present day
location of Tianshui prefecture is in the southwest of Tongwei county (西
南通渭縣 105.2 degree East and 35.4 degree North on the world map) in Gansu
province (甘肅省).
In around 2275BC, Bo Yi (伯益), a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow
Emperor, was ordered by Yao Di (堯帝), who was a legendary chief of the
federated tribes in ancient China, to help Si Wenming (姒文命 who later
known as Yu Di 禹帝) to dredge the rivers because all the rivers in the
land overflowed their banks after extended period of rain. The whole inhabited
land was flooded. Chinese historians referred to this phenomenon as "The
Deluge 大洪水".
After thirteen years of hard work, the rivers were tamed and the water flowed
smoothly to the sea. Bo Yi was rewarded with the authority to establish
a settlement in the extreme northwest, in the region between the two rivers
of Wei (渭) and Qian (千) (the present day western part of Shaanxi province
陜西省). Yao Di also bestowed upon him a surname called Ying (嬴).
During the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC), in 897BC, Zhou King Xiao
Ji Bifang (周孝王姬辟方 909BC to 895BC), the 8th ruler, appointed Ying Feizi
(嬴非子), a descendant of Bo Yi, to breed stud-horses in a place called
Yaolin ( 姚林 located in present day Hua county 華縣 of Shaanxi province).
Ying Feizi excelled himself as a stud-horses breeder. In appreciation Zhou
King Xiao appointed him the administrator of a place called Qingu (秦谷 in
the southwest of present day city of Tianshui 天水 city in Gansu province).
In 777BC, the 12th King, Zhou King You Ji Gongnie (周幽王姬宮涅 781BC to
771BC), rewarded the Qingu ruler, Ying Kai (嬴開), a descendant of Ying
Feizi, the inheritable title of Bo (伯) or Count and renamed the region
the State of Qin (秦國). Ying Kai was then known as Qin Bo (秦伯) or the
Count of Qin.
In 771BC, Quanrong (犬戎), a nomadic tribe from the northwest, attacked,
occupied and destroyed the Zhou capital of Hao ( 鎬 present day Xian 西安
city in Shaanxi province). Zhou King You was killed in the turmoil and
the crown prince, Ji Yijiu (姬宜臼), requested help from many vassal States,
including the State of Qin, to help him to expel the Quanrong from the capital.
The ruler of Qin, Ying Kai, led an army to assist the crown prince. The
allied forces of many vassal States drove the Quanrong out of the capital
and pushed them back to the northwest desert where they belonged.
Crown prince, Ji Yijiu, was installed Zhou King Ping (周平王 770BC to 720BC).
In appreciation of what Ying Kai did, Zhou King Ping upgraded the title
of the ruler of Qin from Bo (伯) to Hou (侯) or Marquis. Zhou King Ping
also rewarded Ying Kai with full authority to expand his domain in the Northwest.
Since the capital of Hao was razed to the ground by the Quanrong, Zhou King
Ping shifted his capital to Chengzhou (成周 present day Luoyang 洛陽 city
in Henan province 河南省). Chinese historians referred to this move as the
beginning of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (東周朝)
Within three years Ying Kai expanded the territory of his domain by fourfold
and became a powerful State. Ying Kai established his capital in the present
day Fengxiang county (鳳翔縣) in Shaanxi province.
During the periods of Spring and Autumn (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC) and Warring
States (戰國時間 453BC to 221BC) Qin conquered and annexed many States,
becoming the most powerful State in the land.
In 246BC, Ying Zheng (嬴政) was installed the 37th ruler of the State of
Qin. Ying Zheng was a very intelligent, clever and capable man, however
he was also a despotic ruthless ruler. He had a vision that one day he would
conquer all the other States in the land and build a big empire. He accomplished
his vision in 221BC after he had subjugated all the other States. He established
the Qin Dynasty ( 秦朝221BC to 207BC). Ying Zheng did not want to be called
the Wang (王) or King but adopted the title of Huangdi (皇帝) or Emperor.
He titled himself the Qin Shi Huangdi (秦始皇帝) or The First Emperor of
a thousand Emperors of Qin and moved his capital to Xianyang (咸陽 located
in the present day northeast of Xian 西安 city in Shaanxi province). Ying
Zheng thought that his empire could last thousands of years.
Ying Zheng divided his empire into 36 Prefectures (郡 Jun) and later increased
to 41. He was responsible for standardizing weights and measures, the coinage
and even the axle length of the wagons. He also standardized the way to
write Chinese characters. It was during his reign that one of his generals
called Meng Tian (蒙恬) invented writing the Chinese words with a brush
made of goat hair. Ying Zheng also embarked on constructing the Great Wall.
He was both extravagant and repressive to his subjects. The construction
of the Great Wall and building roads, canals and palaces exhausted the resources
of the empire. In the process he had also overstrained the peasants masses.
In 210BC, while on a tour of the Eastern part of his vast empire, Ying Zheng
died from a severe asthma attack in the city of Shaqiu (沙丘 in the northeast
of present day Pingxing county 平鄉縣 in Heibei province 河北省). His second
son Ying Huhai (嬴胡亥), the Prime Minister Li Si (李斯) and the chief eunuch
Zhao Gao (趙高) were with him when he died.
The city of Shaqiu was more than 1,000 kilometres to the east of the Qin
capital, Xianyang. The Crown Prince, Ying Fusu (嬴扶蘇), was then in the
north and far away from the capital. He was sent there by his father to
help supervising the construction of the Great Wall. Ying Fusu was the son-in-
law of the Prime Minister Li Si.
Under the will made by Ying Zheng, the Crown Prince, Ying Fusu was to become
the next Emperor. However, the trio of Ying Huhai, Li Si and Zhao Gao destroyed
the original and forged two new wills in its place. One pronounced Ying
Huhai as the successor and the other ordered Ying Fusu the Crown Prince
to take his own life. On the way back to the Xianyang, the death of the
First Emperor was concealed from the people and the Emperor's corpse was
covered with salted fish to disguised its odour.
On his arrival back in the capital, Ying Huhai was officially crowned the
Second Emperor of Qin (秦二皇帝) However, he proved to be stupid and idiotic.
Li Si, the Prime Minister lost favour with the Second Emperor and the executive
power gradually shifted to Zhao Gao, the chief eunuch.
The vast majority of people suffered greatly under the rigid and severe
rule of the Qin government. Riots erupted throughout the empire, soldiers
mutinied and the people were in open revolt.
The Prime Minister, Li Si, could not prevent the riots from spreading. Zhao
Gao took the opportunity to get rid of the Prime Minister by accused him
of cooperating with the rebels and trying to overthrow the government. Li
Si was arrested, charged with high treason and executed along with his whole
family.
The chief eunuch became the new Prime Minister and immediately harboured
intentions of eliminating the Second Emperor too. However, he was not sure
of the support of the Court Officials. In order to find out who were his
supporters. One day, Zhao Gao took a deer to the Court. In front of all
the officials he led the deer and gave it to the Second Emperor saying:
"This is the best horse in the land. It is for you, your majesty".
The Second Emperor thought he was joking and laughingly replied:
"丞相誤邪﹖謂鹿為馬."
"You must be joking, Prime Minister. It is not a horse. It is a deer".
However, Zhao Gao was serious and said that it was a horse. The Second Emperor
was also obstinate and insisted that it was a deer. They argued and argued
at length but neither party would give in.
Finally, they agreed that they should ask the opinions of Court Officials.
Many of them were afraid of the powerful Zhao Gao as he was considered the
man who was more powerful than the Emperor. Those who were scared of Zhao
Gao said that it was a horse. Only a handful of Court Officials were honest
and said it was a deer. Eventually the pretending horse won the day.
In 207BC Zhao Gao had the Second Emperor murdered and eliminated those officials
who sided with the Emperor in the debate about the deer. The eldest son,
Ying Ziying (嬴子嬰), of the late crown prince Ying Fusu was crowned the
King of Qin (秦王), and not the Emperor of Qin (秦皇帝). Fearing that Zhao
Gao might murder him too, the new King had Zhao Gao executed.
In 206BC Liu Bang (劉邦 who later founded the Han Dynasty 漢朝) was the
leader of the rebellious soldiers and captured the Qin capital of Xianyang
city. He forbade his soldiers to harm the citizens and damage the capital.
Ying Ziying, the newly installed King of Qin, surrendered to Liu Bang. That
was the end of the Qin Dynasty. Before Xiang Yu (項羽), the overall leader
of the uprising, arrived at the capital Liu Bang with his troops moved to
Bashang (霸上) north of the capital because he was afraid of clashing with
Xiang Yu.
Later in the year Xiang Yu arrived at the capital and razed Xianyang to
the ground, burning all the palaces. He ordered his troops to kill all the
members of the royal families with the surname of Ying. Many members of
the Qin royal family changed their surname from Ying (嬴) to QIN (秦), to
escape from being slaughtered by the troops of Xiang Yu. Many survived the
butchering.
The couplet of surname Qin
秦姓望族,---Qin xing4 wang4 zu2,
居天水郡.---Ju tianshui Jun.
The surname Qin originated from Tianshui Prefecture,
And its clan also began to soread from there.
Historical famous persons produced by the Qin clan
........................................................................
(1) Qin Shubao (秦叔寶 ? to 638AD)
Qin Shubao was born in Licheng (歷城 present day Licheng county 歷城縣 in
Shandong province 山東省). When he was a young man he was selling pigs in
the market. He went to Changan (長安 the present day city of Xian 西安市
in Shaanxi province) and joined the army for a short period. He then resigned
from the army. One day, while he and a friend called Fan Jianwei (樊建威
) were passing through Lintong county 臨潼縣 present day Lintong county
in Shaanxi province, they saw a group of armed men trying to rob a family.
He and his friend helped the family fought off the armed men. The head of
the family was Li Yuan (李淵).
Many years later, Qing Shubao assisted Li Yuan to establish the Tang Dynasty
(618AD to 907AD) and became a general. Li Yuan became the Empror and was
crowned Emperor Gao Zu (高祖皇帝 618AD to 628AD). During the reign of Emperor
Tai Zong (太宗皇帝李世民 627AD to 649AD), the second Emperor, Qin Shubao
helped the Emperor to consolidate the Tang Dynasty by crushing many rebellions.
Qin Shubao was regarded by common folks as a Door God. This was how it happened.
During the reign of Emperor Tai Zong Li Shimin (太宗皇帝李世民 AD 627 to
649) of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD), there lived a Dragon King,
who was in charge of the rain, in a river called Jinghe (涇河 in the present
day province of Gansu 甘肅省). The Dargon King had an old friend by the
name of Yuan Shoucheng (袁守誠) and they had been friends for many years.
One day, while they were drinking and having friendly chats the Dragon King
laid a bet with his friend that he could delay the rain from falling by
an hour and reduced the quantity of rain by about one tenth.
The Dragon King performed a magical trick and the rain indeed had come late
and the quantity of rainfall on earth was reduced. Wei Zheng (魏徵), the
officer in charge of recording events in the Tang Court, was disturbed by
the unusual raining pattern. He conducted an investigation and found out
that the Dragon King had manipulated the weather pattern. Wei Zheng had
the Dragon King arrested and put on trial for causing a lot sufferings to
the people due to the shortage of rain. Eventually, the Dragon King was sentenced
to death by execution which would be carried out at three o'clock in the
afternoon three days after the sentencing.
That night, the Dragon King appeared in Emperor Tai Zong's dream and asked
the Emperor for help. He told the Emperor the whole affairs and begged him
to stop his official, Wei Zheng, for carrying out the execution. The Emperor
promised him that he would stop Wei Zheng from leaving the palace on the
execution day.
On the day of execution and after lunch, Emperor Tai Zong summoned Wei Zheng
to the palace. Shortly after, Wei Zong arrived at the palace. In order to
keep Wei Zong in the palace the Emperor asked him to play chess.
The Emperor and We Zheng were happily playing chess. However, just before
three o'clock, Wei Zheng had fallen asleep on the chess table. Emperor Tai
Zong did not wake him up lest he would go to execute the Dragon King. Emperor
Tai Zong waited there watching him snoring. The Emperor was happy because
he knew that Wei Zheng would miss the appointed time for the execution of
the Dragon King. However, the Emperor did not know that while Wei Zheng
was asleep his dream rushed to Jinghe and had the Dragon King beheaded.
That night, the headless ghost of the Dragon King came to the Emperor's
chamber demanding the Emporer to return his life. The ghost accused the
Emperor for breaking his promise. The Emperor told the ghost that he did
not let Wei Zheng leave the palace that afternoon and he was sleeping on
the chess table in front of him and it was not possible that Wei Zheng had
executed him. The ghost told the Emperor that he had been executed at three
o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly the Emperor realized that Wei Zheng had
executed Dragon King in his dream. But it was too late and the Dragon King
was already dead.
Night after night, the ghost of the Dragon King came to his chamber where
the Emperor slept, demanding for the return of his life. It was impossible
for the Emperor to sleep while the ghost was howling outside his chamber.
Strangely, no one could hear the howling except the Emperor who could not
stand the disturbances every night. Emperor Tai Zong became ill and all
the physicians in the country could not cure him.
Qin Shubao (秦叔寶) and Weichi Jingde (尉-遲敬德), the two generals, heard
the news that the Emperor was sick and being disturbed by a ghost. That
evening, the two generals came to the palace with full military uniforms
to see the Emperor. They told the Emperor that they would stay on guard
at the palace doors during the night.
That night, the Emperor did not hear any howling. Emperor Tai Zong presumed
that the ghost was afraid of his two generals. Night after night, the two
generals stayed at the doors of the chamber and the ghost did not appear.
But the Emperor could not allow his generals to stay on guard every night.
So he ordered an artist to draw the portrays of the two generals and stuck
them on the doors of his chamber. Eventually, the ghost disappeared and
the Emperor's illness was cured.
News about the portraits of the two generals and the ghost spread far and
wide in the country and other artists drew the portraits of the two generals
and sold them for money. People bought the pictures and stuck them on their
doors in order to stop any potential ghost entering their houses. People
named the pictures as Door Gods and it had become a tradition of sticking
the pictures of these two generals on their doors on the eve of the New Year.
......................................................................
(2) Qin Guan (秦觀 1049AD to 1100AD)
Qin Guan was born in Gaoyou (高郵 present day Gaoyou county 高郵縣 in Jiangsu
province 江蘇省) during the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). When he
was 15 years old his father died. Even though his family was poor he continued
to study diligently. In 1078AD, when he was 29 he went to Xuzhou (徐州 in
Jiangsu province). He met and befriended Su Dongpo (蘇東坡). From then on
he was greatly influenced by Su Dongpo.
In 1086AD, during the first year reign of Emperor Zhe Zong (哲宗皇帝趙煦
1086AD to 1100AD) Qin Guan passed the Imperial Examination and became a
Jin Shi (進士). He was appointed as an accountant in the the present day
county of Dinghai (定海縣) in Zhejiang province 浙江省. He was transferred
to Caizhou (蔡州 present day Runan county 汝南縣 in Henan province 河南省
) and was appointed a lecture in a college. He was later recalled to the
capital and served as a secretary to the National Historical Department (國
史院).
At his leisure he composed poetry. This is his famous poem.
天寒水鳥自相依,---Tian han2 shui3 niao3 zi4 xiang yi,
十百為群戲落暉,---Shi2 bai3 wei2 qun2 xi4 luo4 hui,
過盡行人都不起,---Guo4 jin3 xing2 ren2 du bu4 qi3,
忽聞水響一齊飛.---Hu wen2 shui3 xiang3 yi qi2 fei.
In the cold weather the aquatic birds stay closely together,
Hundreds of them in groups playing in the water,
They do not pay attention to the pedestrians,
However, as soon as the water is disturbed they all fly off.
................................................................
(3) 秦良玉 (Qin Liangyu 1574AD to 1648AD)
Qin liangyu was born in Zhongzhou (忠州 present day Zhong county 忠縣 in
Sichuan province 四川省) during the Ming Dynasty (明朝 1368AD to 1644AD).
She was not only educated and excelled in composing poetry but also excelled
in horsemanship and marksmanship. She married a military officer named Ma
Qiancheng (馬千乘). It was during the reign of Emperor Shen Zong Zhu Yijun
(神宗皇帝朱翊鈞 1573AD to 1620AD) that Ma Qiancheng led a punitive force
to Bozhou to pacify a rebellion. Qin Liangyu disguised herself as a man
commanding a group of soldiers protecting the supplies. When Ma Qiancheng
was killed in the battle she took over the command of the punitive force
and defeated the enemy. She was rewarded by the Emperor and was appointed
as a commander to a regiment. During the reign of Emperor Yi Zong Zhu Youjian
(毅宗皇帝朱由檢 1628AD to 1644AD) Qin Liangyu fought many battles against
the peasants uprising. Historians called her the heroine of the Ming Dynasty.
巾幗一人驍將略﹐
錦袍帛帶仰官儀。
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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