Shen () 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 The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

and the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

located in modern-day

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

. Its founder is unknown, although a possible founder was one of the sons of

King Wen of Zhou King Wen of Zhou ( zh, c=周文王, p=Zhōu Wén Wáng; 1152–1050 BC, the Cultured King) was the posthumous title given to Ji Chang ( zh, c=姬昌), the patriarch of the Zhou state during the final years of Shang dynasty in ancient China. J ...

History

The Shěn state came into being around 1050 BCE. The Chronicle of Zuo, a commentary of the Spring and Autumn period, mentions this state in its writing. But the Shěn state's history stretches beyond this period. The same chronicle mentions another ancient Shěn state, located in Northern China, which was established before the foundation of the Zhou dynasty. This ancient state may be related to the one founded in the 11th century BCE, but it is unlikely. It is more likely that the state originated as an earldom created during the

in order to secure peace and order around neighbouring areas. The course of this state's history is vastly unknown. There has been no record of Shěn participating in any major events during its history. It was only a small state, and hence may have been viewed as not worthy of regard by writers and historians of the time. However, despite its limited territory, the state managed to survive until the late

. There have been several artefacts found which are potentially related to Shěn, including evidence of the tenth son of the

being the founder of the state. However, various archaeologists have different opinions as to whether the artefacts are genuinely products of the Shěn state and whether they truly reveal the founder of Shěn.

End

The exact date of the cessation of the state is unknown. However, it is known that the State of Cai defeated Shěn at around 500 BCE before the Battle of Boju. (Some Shěn leaders managed to escape to the

State of Chu Chu (, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was an Ancient Chinese states, ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BC. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou heartland and lasted ...

.) The state of Shěn never revived, and the name "Shěn" was not used in any other state's name thereafter.

Legacy

According to the story of Shěn Ruì (沈汭), during the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

some of the descendants of Shěn royals have settled in the

State of Yan Yan (; Old Chinese pronunciation: ''*'') was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Its capital was Ji (later known as Yanjing and now Beijing). During the Warring States period, the court was also moved to another capital at Xia ...

, and later dispersed to Southern China to the territories of the

Baiyue The Baiyue, Hundred Yue, or simply Yue, were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of southern China and northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, body tattoos, fine swo ...

. Note that Shěn descendants in Southern China, namely

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

and

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

, do not carry the surname Shěn (沈), but Xiǎn/Sin (冼). This is because, according to legend, Shěn Ruì was suspected of being involved in an assassination plot against the Qin emperor. He therefore had no option but to escape to the Southern territories of China, which a friend from his youth, Zhào Tuō, had control over. Zhao Tuo later founded the

Nanyue Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...

kingdom. Shěn Ruì then married a local female Baiyue chieftain. To avoid being detected and to make a new start for his new family clan, Shěn Ruì changed his surname to Xiǎn/Sin (冼), a mixture of the characters "沈", Shěn's surname, and "先", meaning first. Seeing that Shěn Ruì has the intention to stay in Nanyue, Zhao Tuo gave he and his descendants Gāo liáng jùn (高凉郡), modern-day Yangjiang, to govern over. As a result, the surname of Xiǎn/Sin is found most commonly in Southern China.

Sources

* * {{Zhou dynasty topics Zhou dynasty Ancient Chinese states States of the Spring and Autumn period

History

End

Legacy

See also

Sources