Zou (), originally Zhu () or Zhulou (), was a minor state that existed during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. p. 144

History

King Wu of Zhou King Wu of Zhou () was the first king of the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. The chronology of his reign is disputed but is generally thought to have begun around 1046 BC and ended three years later in 1043 BC. King Wu's ancestral name was ...

granted Cao Xie (曹挾) control of the small state of Zhu as a vassal ruler under 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 ...

with the feudal title Viscount (子), but later holding the title Duke of Zhu (邾公). p. 138 p. 239 p. 306 The ancestral surname of the ruling family was

Cao Cao or CAO may refer to: Mythology *Cao (bull), a legendary bull in Meitei mythology Companies or organizations * Air China Cargo, ICAO airline designator CAO *CA Oradea, Romanian football club *CA Osasuna, Spanish football club *Canadian Assoc ...

(曹). During the reign of

Duke Mu of Lu Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked ...

(417–377), Zhu's name was changed to Zou. The state of Zou was located in the southwest of modern-day

Shandong 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 civilizati ...

Province. p. 43 Its territory is now the county-level city of Zoucheng.

Demise

Zou was conquered and annexed by the

state of Chu Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou hea ...

during the reign of

King Xuan of Chu King Xuan of Chu (, died 340 BC) was from 369 to 340 BC the king of the state of Chu during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Liangfu () and King Xuan was his posthumous title. King Xuan succeeded his older brother ...

(r. 369–340 BC). The people of Zou and their descendants adopted the Zhu (朱) or Zou as their surnames.

Legacy

Zhu (朱), without the radical, is one of the most common surnames of modern-day China. Another, albeit less common surname Zou (鄒/邹) is also derived from the former name of the state. The noted Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi descends from the ruling house. The small state of Zou, however, is most famous as the birthplace of the Chinese philosopher

Mencius Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucianism, Confucian Chinese philosophy, philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confuc ...

. As the overlord

was the home state of Confucius and many of his disciples, this means that Confucianism's founder, and most of its minor sages and wise men hailed from or had ancestral roots in these two ancient states of China.

References

{{Zhou Dynasty topics Ancient Chinese states 4th-century BC disestablishments in China States and territories disestablished in the 4th century BC 11th-century BC establishments in China States and territories established in the 11th century BC

History

Demise

Legacy

See also

References