Genmou () was a
vassal state
A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...
during the
Zhou Dynasty in
Ancient China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...
. Genmou was founded by the
Eastern Yi[Du Yu, 《春秋經傳集解》 ''Chunqiu Zuozhuan - Collected Explanations'', "vol. 2".]
p. 151 of 190
quote: （ 根牟東夷國也今琅邪陽都縣東有牟郷） and was conquered by the
state of Lu
Lu (, c. 1042–249 BC) was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong province. Founded in the 11th century BC, its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji (姬) that ruled the Zhou dyn ...
in the 9th year of Lu's Duke Xuan's reign (600 BCE).
['' Chunqiu Zuo Zhuan'' "Duke Xuan's 9th year]
jing
quote:（ 秋，取根牟。）; rough translation: "In autumn, uconquered Genmou.
zhuan
quote:（秋，取根牟，言易也。）; rough translation: "In autumn, uconquered Genmou. It's said that was easy."
Military general, politician, and classicist
Du Yu
Du Yu (223– January or February 285), courtesy name Yuankai, was a Chinese classicist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty.
Life
Du Yu was from Duling County ( ...
(223 - 285) stated that in his time, there was a Mou township (牟郷) in the eastern part of Yangdu district (陽都縣),
Langya Commandery (琅邪
,
corresponding to present-day
Yishui County,
Shandong province
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizatio ...
.
The unofficial history book ''
Lushi'' (路史, "Grand History") states that Mou was also Genmou, whence arose the surnames Genmou (根牟氏), Mou (牟氏 / 侔氏) and Mousun (牟孫氏) later.
[Luo Bi/Mi ( 羅泌), ''Grand History'', "vol. 17". Siku Quanshu version, "vol. 17 - 19]
p. 28
29
of 123. quote:（ 根牟者侔也魯耴之〈宣九年〉後有根牟氏牟氏侔氏牟孫氏）
Huang Pilie (1763 - 1825) identifies the Genmou (根牟) with the Xianmou (鮮牟), an Eastern Yi people
[''Guoyu'', "Jinyu 8", explained by Wei Zhao, 1st edition Sibu Congkan version, vol. ]
p. 140
of 154. quote:（鮮牟東夷國） who, according to ''
Discourses of the States
The ''Guoyu'' (), usually translated ''Discourses of the States'', is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of speeches attributed to rulers and other men from the Spring and Autumn period (771–476). It comprises a total of ...
'', tended to the ceremonial torches along with the
Chu
Chu or CHU may refer to:
Chinese history
* Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty
* Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu
* Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the Ha ...
for an alliance-covenant ceremony convened by
king Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou (), personal name Ji Song (姬誦), was the second king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042–1021 BCE or 1042/35–1006 BCE. His parents were King Wu of Zhou and Queen Yi Jiang (邑姜).
King Cheng w ...
on the southern slope of
Mount Qi.
[''Guoyu'', explained by Wei Zhao, "Jinyu 8". 1st edition Sibu Congkan version, vol. 3]
p. 139
140
of 154. quote:（昔成王盟諸侯于岐陽，楚為荊蠻，置茅蕝，設望表，與鮮牟守燎，故不與盟。）; rough translation: "Of yore, King Cheng convened an alliance-covenant ceremony with the various vassals at (Mt.) Qi's southern slope; the Chu, being barbarians from Jing, held up bundles of cogon grass (through which to pour sacrificial wine), set up spirit tablets (for making offerings to the spirits of mountains and streams), and tended to the torches along with the Xianmou; therefore (the Chu) were not present at the alliance-covenant ceremony."[Xu Yuangao & Wang Shumin (2002). 國語集解 (''Discourses of the States - Collected Explanations'') Publisher: Zhonghua Book Company. p. 430. quote:（黃丕烈曰：「鮮牟，一本作『鮮卑』，非。『鮮牟』即宣九年之『根牟』也，…… 。」）; rough translation: "Huang Pilie said: 'Xianmou (鮮牟), in one copy it is written as Xianbei (鮮卑), which is inauthentic. The Xianmou (鮮牟) are the Genmou (根牟) mentioned in (Duke) Xuan's 9th year. ..'"]
Notes
References
Zhou dynasty, 1st-millennium BC disestablishments in China
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