Zheng (state)

State of Zhèng 鄭國/郑国
806 BC–375 BC
Capital	Huaxian (鄭/郑) Xinzheng (新鄭/新郑)
Language(s)	Chinese language
Government	Dukedom
History
- Established	806 BC
- Disestablished	375 BC

Zheng （simplified Chinese: 郑国; traditional Chinese: 鄭國; pinyin: Zhèng) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–221 BCE) located in the centre of ancient China in modern day Henan Province on the North China Plain about 75 miles (121 km) east of the royal capital at Luoyang. It was the most powerful of the vassal states at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou (771-701 BCE). Its ruling house had the surname Ji (姬), making them a branch of the Zhou royal house, who were given the rank of BO (伯), corresponding roughly to a Countdom.

Foundation

Chinese states, 5th centry BCE

Zheng was founded in 806 BC when King Xuan of Zhou, the penultimate (the second to last) king of the Western Zhou, made his younger brother Prince You (王子友) Duke of Zheng and granted him lands within the royal domain at the eponymous Zhèng (鄭/郑) in modern day Huaxian, Shaanxi Province on the Wei River east of Xi'an. Ji You, known posthumously as Zheng Huan Gong (Duke Huan of Zheng, 鄭桓公/郑桓公), established what would be the last bastion of Western Zhou going on to serve as Minister over the Masses under King You of Zhou. (The Zheng family served as high ministers of the Zhou kings for several generations.) Sensing that the Western Zhou dynasty was in decline, he moved his property, family and merchants eastward to a new capital at Xinzheng (新鄭/新郑), now in Henan Province. The land was swampy and needed to be cleared and populated. This pioneering work along with the newness of the state (which meant that it had not yet become feudally subdivided) probably contributed to its later brief power. When the Quanrong sacked the Zhou capital in 771 BB, Ji You was killed along with his nephew, King You of Zhou.

His son, Duke Wu (鄭武公/郑武公), succeeded him. Along with Marquis Wen of Jin, he supported King Ping of Zhou against a rival, thereby helping to establish the Eastern Zhou. He reestablished the Zheng Dukedom. He annexed the states of Eastern Guo and Kuai and made modern day Xinzheng, Henan Province his capital.

Spring and Autumn Period

Early dominance

The state of Zheng was one of the strongest at the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period. Zheng was the first Zhou state to annex another state, Xi, sometime between 684 and 680 BCE. Throughout the Spring and Autumn Period, Zheng was one of the wealthiest states, relying on its central location for inter-state commerce and having the largest number of merchants of any state. Zheng often used its wealth to bribe itself out of difficult situations.

Duke Zhuang of Zheng (743–701 BCE) was arguably a forerunner of the Five Hegemons, though Zheng derived its dominance by dramatically different means compared to those of the later hegemons by defeating an alliance of feudal states led by Zhou itself and wounding King Huan of Zhou. When Duke Zhuang died there was a civil war between his sons and Zheng ceased to be a powerful state.

Later Period

By the later stages of the period, Zheng had no room to expand; due to its centralized location, Zheng was hemmed in on all sides by larger states.During the later stages of the Spring and Autumn Period, Zheng frequently switched its diplomatic alliances. Zheng was the center of diplomatic contention between Chu and Qi, then later Chu and Jin. Although Zheng was forced to become a bit player in the later stages of the Spring and Autumn Period, it was still quite strong, defeating a combined alliance of Jin, Song, Chen and Wei by itself in 607 BCE.

Under the statesman Zi Chan, Zheng was the first state to clearly establish a code of law in 543 BC. Zheng later declined until it was annexed by the state of Han in 375 BCE.

List of rulers

• 1 Duke Huan of Zheng (鄭桓公/郑桓公) (806–771 BCE), founder, killed at the end of the Western Zhou period
• 2 Duke Wu of Zheng (鄭武公/郑武公)(771–744 BCE), son of Duke Huan, helped establish the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
• 3 Duke Zhuang of Zheng (鄭莊公/郑庄公)(743–701 BCE), hegemon in the early Eastern Zhou period
• 4 Duke Zhao of Zheng (鄭昭公/郑昭公) （697–695 BCE)
• Duke Zhuang of Zheng, (700 BCE) second reign of 3, above
• 5 Duke Li of Zheng, (鄭厲公/郑历公) (700–697 BCE)
• 6 Gong Zimen (公子亹)(695–694 BCE)
• 7 Zheng Ziying (鄭子嬰/郑子婴) (694–680 BCE)
• Duke Li of Zheng (680–673 BCE) second reign of 6, above
• 8 Duke Wen of Zheng (鄭文公/郑文公）(673–628 BCE)
• 9 Duke Mu of Zheng (鄭穆公/郑穆公）(627–606 BCE)
• 10 Duke Ling of Zheng (鄭靈公/郑灵公) (605 BCE)
• 11 Duke Xiang of Zheng (鄭襄公/郑襄公) (604–587 BCE)
• 12 Duke Dao of Zheng (鄭悼公/郑悼公) (586–585 BCE)
• 13 Duke Cheng of Zheng (鄭成公/郑成公）(584–581 BCE)
• 14 Duke Jun of Zheng (鄭君公/郑君繻) (581 BCE)
• 15 Duke Xi of Zheng (鄭僖公/郑僖公)（581 BCE)
• Duke Cheng of Zheng (581–571 BCE) second reign of 13, above
• Duke Xi of Zheng (570–566 BCE) second reign of 15, above
• 16 Duke Jian of Zheng (鄭簡公/郑简公) (565–530 BCE)
• 17 Duke Ding of Zheng (鄭定公）(529–514 BCE)
• 18 Duke Xian of Zheng (鄭獻公/郑献公) (513–501 BCE)
• 19 Duke Sheng of Zheng (鄭聲公/郑声公) (500–463 BCE)
• 20 Duke Ai of Zheng (鄭哀公/郑哀公) (463–455 BCE)
• 21 Duke Gong of Zheng (鄭共公/郑共公) (455–424 BCE)
• 22 Duke You of Zheng (鄭幽公/郑幽公) (423 BCE)
• 23 Duke Xu of Zheng (鄭繻公/郑繻公） (422–396 BCE)
• 24 Duke Kang of Zheng (鄭康公/郑康公) (395–375 BCE), last ruler

Other people from the State of Zheng

1. Zheng Mao (鄭瞀), exemplary woman of the Lienü zhuan

Zheng in astronomy

Zheng is represented with the star Gamma Serpentis in asterism Left Wall, Heavenly Market enclosure ., and also represented with 20 Capricorni in in asterism Twelve States, Girl mansion. (see Chinese constellation).

Sources, references, external links, quotes

• Another Royal Tomb of 'King Zheng' Discovered in Henan [1]