Shangdang

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The Shangdang Prefecture or commandery (simplified Chinese :上党郡; traditional Chinese :上黨郡; pinyin :Shăngdăng Jùn), was an administrative subdivision of ancient China from the time of the Spring and Autumn period (771403 BCE). Consisting of a number of districts or Zhōu (州), the prefecture covered roughly the area of modern-day Changzhi City in south east Shanxi Province.

Simplified Chinese characters standardized Chinese characters developed in mainland China

Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Table of General Standard Chinese Characters for use in mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, they are one of the two standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language. The government of the People's Republic of China in mainland China has promoted them for use in printing since the 1950s and 1960s to encourage literacy. They are officially used in the People's Republic of China and Singapore.

Traditional Chinese characters

Traditional Chinese characters are Chinese characters in any character set that does not contain newly created characters or character substitutions performed after 1946. They are most commonly the characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong and Macau, and in the Kangxi Dictionary. The modern shapes of traditional Chinese characters first appeared with the emergence of the clerical script during the Han Dynasty, and have been more or less stable since the 5th century.

Hanyu Pinyin, often abbreviated to pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese in mainland China and to some extent in Taiwan. It is often used to teach Standard Mandarin Chinese, which is normally written using Chinese characters. The system includes four diacritics denoting tones. Pinyin without tone marks is used to spell Chinese names and words in languages written with the Latin alphabet, and also in certain computer input methods to enter Chinese characters.

Contents

Geography

Ancient Chinese sources describe Shangdang as an “upland location in the mountains”. [1] The east and south east areas included the Taihang Mountains on the borders of Hebei and Henan Provinces. In the south west lay Mount Wangwu and the Zhongtiao Mountains. To the west were the Taiyue Mountains (太岳山) with Mount Wuyun (五云山) to the north. [2] King Wuling of Zhao (r. 325299 BCE) is reported to have said to his son: “Zhao’s territory encompasses Changshan Prefecture (常山郡) and Shangdang Prefecture. To the east lies the State of Yan bordering Donghu lands. In the West there is Loufang Prefecture (楼烦郡) and the Han/Qin border.”

Taihang Mountains mountain range

The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 kilometres (250 mi) from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 metres. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan. The Taihang's eastern peak is Cangyan Shan in Hebei; Baishi Mountain forms its northern tip.

Hebei Province

Hebei is a province of China in the North China region. The modern province was established in 1911 as Zhili Province or Chihli Province. Its one-character abbreviation is "冀" (Jì), named after Ji Province, a Han dynasty province (zhou) that included what is now southern Hebei. The name Hebei literally means "north of the river", referring to its location entirely to the north of the Yellow River.

Henan Province

Henan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (中州) which literally means "central plain land" or "midland", although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is the birthplace of Chinese civilization with over 3,000 years of recorded history, and remained China's cultural, economical, and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago.

History

Spring and Autumn period (771476 BCE)

The earliest written record of Shangdang is towards the end of the Spring and Autumn period (771426 BCE) in connection with the State of Jin. At the time of Duke Ping of Jin (r. 557532 BCE), official Xie Hu (解狐) appointed Xing Boliu (邢伯柳) as Provincial Governor of Jin’s Shangdang Region. [3]

Spring and Autumn period period of ancient Chinese history

The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BC which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou Period. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals, a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 479 BC, which tradition associates with Confucius.

Jin (Chinese state) state during the Zhou Dynasty in China

Jin, originally known as Tang (唐), was a major state during the middle part of the Zhou dynasty, based near the centre of what was then China, on the lands attributed to the legendary Xia dynasty: the southern part of modern Shanxi. Although it grew in power during the Spring and Autumn period, its aristocratic structure saw it break apart when the duke lost power to his nobles. In 453 BC, Jin was split into three successor states: Han, Zhao and Wei. The Partition of Jin marks the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States period.

Duke Ping of Jin was from 557 to 532 BC the ruler of the State of Jin, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji, given name Biao, and Duke Ping was his posthumous name. He succeeded his father, Duke Dao of Jin, who died in 558 BC.

Warring States period (475221 BCE)

After the Partition of Jin by the states of Wei, Zhao and Han in 403 BCE, each one occupied a portion of Shangdang Prefecture with their respective capitals located in the territory. The area became the front line in the conflict that followed between these three states given its strategic position. Officials responsible for defending these three frontier prefectures were given the title Shŏu (守 literally guardian) and addressed by the honorific title Tai Shŏu (太守) which in time came to mean provincial governor. [2]

The Partition of Jin, the watershed between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, refers to the division of the State of Jin between rival families into the three states of Han, Zhao and Wei. As a result, the three states were often referred to as the "Three Jins" ).

Wei (state) ancient Chinese state during the Warring States period

Wei was an ancient Chinese state during the Warring States period. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included parts of modern-day Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong. After its capital was moved from Anyi to Daliang during the reign of King Hui, Wei was also called Liang.

Zhao (state) one of the states in ancient Chinas Warring States period

Zhao was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han and Wei, in the 5th century BC. Zhao gained significant strength from the military reforms initiated during King Wuling's reign, but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Qin at the Battle of Changping. Its territory included areas now in modern Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. It bordered the Xiongnu, the states of Qin, Wei and Yan. Its capital was Handan, in modern Hebei Province.

By 265 BCE only seven warring states remained [1] . In Shangdang, Han possessed the northern districts of Yi (仪州) and Qin (沁州) as well as half of Lu (潞) and the southern Ze (泽) districts with the other half held by Zhao and Wei.

Han territory within Shangdang was the first to suffer hardship at the hands of the State of Qin because of its location on the border with Qin. From the time of King Huiwen of Qin (r. 338311BCE), Qin’s power grew and the state expanded eastwards across the Yellow River. By the time of King Zhaoxiang of Qin’s reign (306250 BCE) Qin already effectively controlled the entire western part of Shangdang Prefecture. [2] In 262 Qin attacked Han’s Shangdang Prefecture whereupon records show: “A Han official Feng Ting (冯亭) arrived as an emissary to King Xiaocheng of Zhao and said: ‘Our state cannot defend Shangdang, it has been overrun by Qin. Han wants peace with Zhao and does not desire occupation by Qin. 17 of our cities are willing to pay homage to Zhao, Great King, help our government and people.’ King Xiaocheng was exultant and sent troops to Shangdang.” [4]

Qin (state) Chinese feudal state

Qin was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Traditionally dated to 897 B.C., it took its origin in a reconquest of western lands previously lost to the Rong; its position at the western edge of Chinese civilization permitted expansion and development that was unavailable to its rivals in the North China Plain. Following extensive "Legalist" reform in the 3rd century BC, Qin emerged as one of the dominant powers of the Seven Warring States and unified China in 221 BC under Shi Huangdi. The empire it established was short-lived but greatly influential on later Chinese history.

King Huiwen of Qin, also known as Lord Huiwen of Qin or King Hui of Qin, given name Si (駟), was the ruler of the Qin state from 338 to 311 BC during the Warring States period of Chinese history and likely an ancestor of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. He was the first ruler of Qin to style himself "King" (王) instead of "Duke" (公).

Yellow River second longest river in China

The Yellow River or Huang He is the second longest river in Asia, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth longest river system in the world at the estimated length of 5,464 km (3,395 mi). Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai province of Western China, it flows through nine provinces, and it empties into the Bohai Sea near the city of Dongying in Shandong province. The Yellow River basin has an east–west extent of about 1,900 kilometers (1,180 mi) and a north–south extent of about 1,100 km (680 mi). Its total drainage area is about 752,546 square kilometers (290,560 sq mi).

As a result, Han’s Shangdang Prefecture thereafter extended the entire length of the western border of the Shangdang Region. Zhao’s control over Shangdang at this early stage in the Warring States period covered Niè (涅) (the northwest of modern-day Wuxiang County), Túnliú (屯留) (the south of modern-day Tunliu County), Zhǎngzĭ (长子) (the south west of modern-day Zhangzi County, Chángpíng (长平) and Xuànshì (泫氏) (both in modern-day Gaoping City) along with Duānshì (端氏) (east of modern-day Qinshui County). This borderline lay north of the Lu District (潞州) with the Nie River (涅水) rising in the north west then flowing south into the turbid waters of the upper Zhang River (漳水). Thereafter the river flowed through the Chang Ping Pass (长平关) into the Lu District before arriving first at Gaoping (高平) then joining up with the Qin River (沁水). All of the conflicts between Han, Zhao and Wei occurred in this area, predominantly in the Túnliú, Niè and Zhǎngzĭ areas with territory frequently changing ownership. For example Zhangzi changed hands at least three times. During the Spring and Autumn period, some scholars suggest that Zhao Xiangzi (襄子) “rushed to Zhangzi” thereafter gaining control of the area for Zhao. Later on, in 370 BCE, Zhao attacked the State of Zheng and thereafter Han, retaking Changzi and showing that by this time Han had retaken control of the area. In 359 BCE, Zheng, by then a Han vassal retook Túnliú, Niè and Zhǎngzĭ. A decade later in 349 BCE Zhao seized territory belonging to Jin in the area of modern-day Qinshui County, Shanxi showing that once more it had returned to Han ownership.

Using the nomenclature of Tang dynasty administrative divisions, Han controlled the whole of Yi District (沁州), the western part of Lu District (潞州) and a small part of the east of Jin District (晋州). Zhao possessed Yi District (仪州) and the larger eastern part of Lu District. Shangdang also contained the Zhao capital Handan. The Battle of Changping which broke the power of Zhao and left Qin the major power in China took place in Shangdang between 262 and 260 BCE.

Later history (221 BCE)

After Qin Shi Huang’s 221 BCE unification of China Shangdang became one of the 36 Qin prefectures with control over Changzhi. During the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE8 CE) Shangdang possessed 14 counties with a total population of 337,766 people divided between 73, 798 households (户). In the following Eastern Han dynasty the number of counties decreased to 13 whilst the population dropped to 127, 430 people split amongst 26,222 households.

During the Three Kingdoms Period (220280 CE) the Shangdang seat of government moved to the north of modern-day Changzhi City. By the time of the Western Jin (265316) the area had been reduced to ten counties with a steep drop in the number of households to only 12,000. The government again moved eastwards to Lu County (潞县) to the north of modern-day Lucheng, Changzhi.

At the time of the Sixteen Kingdoms (304439 CE) Shangdang was home in succession to the territories of the Former Zhao, the Former Qin, the Western Yan, the Northern Wei and the Northern Zhou all of whom moved the seat of government until it finally returned to Huguan Town (壶关城) in modern-day Huguan County. In 578 CE, the first year of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou the Shangdang region became part of Lu Prefecture (潞州), an area to the south of modern-day Xiangyuan County.

After the establishment of the Sui dynasty (581618 CE) Huguan County was abolished and replaced by Shangdang County (上党县). The Shangdang regional (上党郡) seat of government moved to the county, taking responsibility for 10 counties and 125,057 households.

In the Tang dynasty (618907 CE) Shangdang Prefecture again became Lu Prefecture ending the use of the name although successive generations still governed Shangdang County. Only in 1529 CE during the reign of the Ming Jiajing Emperor did Shangdang County become Changzhi County and the former name cease to officially exist. Shangdang continued to be used as a name for the location since during the Yuan dynasty records show that Liu Futong (刘福通) led an uprising which crossed the Taihang Mountains and burned Shangdang.

The first battle between the Communists and the Kuomintang after World War II, the Shangdang Campaign, was fought in the region of Shangdang. [5]

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References

  1. Shiming Chinese dictionary
  2. 1 2 3 "Warring States Period Shangdang (战国上党郡考)" (in Chinese). Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  3. Han Feizi
  4. Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian • Zhao Family Annals (赵世家)
  5. Lew, Christopher R. The Third Chinese Revolutionary War, 1945-1949: An Analysis of Communist Strategy and Leadership. The USA and Canada: Routelage. 2009. ISBN   0-415-77730-5. pp.22-23.

Notes

  1. ^ Qin, Chu, Wei, Zhao, Qi, Han and Yan

Coordinates: 36°N113°E / 36°N 113°E / 36; 113