Zhongli (state)
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Zhongli 童麗 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th century BC–6th century BC | |||||||||||
 Map of China during the Spring and Autumn period; Zhongli is located in the southeast | |||||||||||
| Status | Vassal state of Chu and Wu (possibly in the 6th century BC) | ||||||||||
| Capital | Zhongli | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Old Chinese (lingua franca),[1] local languages[2] | ||||||||||
| Religion | Chinese folk religion | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| Duke | |||||||||||
• fl. 650–600 BC | Bai | ||||||||||
• fl. 600 BC | Kang | ||||||||||
• 6th century BC | Yu | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Spring and Autumn period | ||||||||||
• Established | 8th century BC | ||||||||||
• Conquered by Chu | 6th century BC | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | China | ||||||||||
Zhongli (Chinese: 鍾離, originally written as 童麗) was an ancient Chinese state in the Huai River valley during the Spring and Autumn period. Its core area was located in the modern-day Fengyang County. At its peak, Zhongli was powerful enough to fight off various other states, and served as an important cultural, political, and economic centre. The state was conquered by its expansionist and militant neighbor Chu during the 6th century BC, but its former capital city remained regionally important for several subsequent centuries.
The origins of Zhongli are unclear,[3] but its inhabitants probably belonged to the Huaiyi people[4] that traditionally lived in the Huai River valley.[5] The state was ruled by a branch of the Ying (嬴) clan that also controlled the states of Xu,[4][6] Ju, and Tan.[4] According to legends recorded by the Records of the Grand Historian and other sources, the clan was related to the royal family of Qin, a polity located far in the west.[4] Three Song dynasty books on geography and history stated that Zhongli was a "separated fiefdom" of Xu.[4] Zhongli's rulers traced their origin to a man named "Ao Jue Shi", grandfather of Lord Bai.[7]
The state was probably founded in the 8th century BC during the early Spring and Autumn period, and quickly became a regional power. It regularly clashed with the states of Chu to the west, and Xu, Qi, and Lu to the north.[3] Lord Bai is the earliest confirmed ruler of Zhongli.[7] He probably lived in the second half of the 7th century BC,[8] fought against the state of Xu,[8][9] and possibly died in battle.[10] He was succeeded by his son Kang. By the reign of Yu, Zhongli was engulfed in a war with Chu and its people were possibly forced to migrate.[10] In 576 BC, Zhongli served as the location for an important interstate meeting. Led by Duke Cheng of Lu, ministers and/or representatives from the states of Jin, Qi, Song, Wei, Zheng, and Zhu, negotiated with representatives of the state of Wu for the first time.[8][3] It is possible that it was already a vassal state of Wu at this point.[11] Like many other settlements and polities in the Huai River valley, Zhongli became involved in the wars between Chu and Wu, as these two powerful states battled for supremacy over the Yangtze and Huai River valleys.[3][11]
Zhongli was conquered by Chu at some point during the 6th century BC,[3] and perhaps became its vassal in turn.[11] The city was fortified by Chu's Director of Remonstrance in 538 BC, but conquered by King Liao of Wu twenty years later.[3] This marked the definite end of Zhongli's statehood.[11] When Wu was destroyed by Yue, Zhongli was returned to Chu and remained part of its territory until the Warring States period's end.[3] By the time of Qin dynasty, the characters for Zhongli's name had changed to "鍾離". The city became a county seat during the Han dynasty,[4] and was the site of a battle between Northern Wei and the Liang dynasty in 507.[12] Zhongli remained inhabited until the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (566–635). It was then abandoned, and the county seat of Zhongli was transferred to Haozhou.[13]