A Study On The Change Of Territory In Chu State

Chu state is a small viscount country located between Yangtse river and the Hanshui River, and founded in Early Zhou dynasty by King Cheng of Zhou. In the Spring and Autumn Period, through invasions led by its kings, Chu state gradually rised from a tiny country to one with vast territory. But in the late Warring States Period, Chu state was dominated by Qin state, and its territory diminished gradually. At last, Chu state was destroyed by Qin state. The great changes of the Chu state’s territory had a close linkage with the evolvement of its geopolitical relation. Therefore, this article will systematically study the formation of Chu nation and the chronological changes of Chu state’s territory from the angle of geopolitics. This article consists of four chapters.The first chapter touches on the formation of Chu nation and its territory. By employing ancient literatures, the findings of archaeology, the excavated literatures, this chapter will analyze systematically the formation of Chu nation and its territory, and then investigate into some problems about the formation of Chu nation and Jing-Chu relations.The second chapter focuses on the territory of Chu state and its territorial expansion. This chapter will employ some excavated literatures and ancient literatures to clarify the history of how the Chu nation get the feod and the location of Danyang in the Chu state. Then studies are made to uncover the reason why King Zhao of Zhou crusaded against Chu state and to explore the geographic expansion of Xiong Qu. Study is also conducted to explore the capitals of Chu state in the West Zhou Period, and at last to make certain the geographic bound and lebensraum of Chu nation in the West Zhou Period. Therefore, this chapter reaches the conclusion that the changes of Chu state’s territory in the West Zhou Period had close ties with the adaptation of Zhou-Chu geopolitical relation. The third chapter investigates into the territorial expansion of Chu state and the geopolitical situation of different states fighting for hegemony in the Spring and Autumn Period. This chapter will study the historical process and boundary changes of Chu’s territory, the occupation of different regions by Chu nation, and the role different regions played in the Chu state geopolitics. At last, study will be made to explore how the changes of Chu state’s geopolitical situation influenced the territory of Chu state. Therefore, the chapter reaches the conclusion that the main geostrategy aim of Chu state in the Spring and Autumn Period was to seize central plains and get the hegemony over other states, and all the geopolitical behaviors of Chu state were for the accomplishment of this goal, with which the changes of Chu state’s territory was strongly associated.The last chapter explores the changes of Chu state’s territory and the geopolitical situation of seven states fighting for or against annexation in the Warring States Period. Through adopting ancient literatures, the findings of archaeology, and excvated literatures, this chapter studies systematically the changes of the Chu State’s north, west and south territory and the perdition of Chu state. Then some controversial problems existing in the current academe are investigated into, and the connection between the changes of Chu state’s territory and the changes of Chu state’s geopolitical situation in the Warring States Period is explored. At last, the chapter reaches the conclusion that, in a geopolitical situation of all the seven states wanting to annex others and being restricted by one another, the territory of Chu state will increase when the Chu state made the right geopolitical decisions, otherwise its territory will diminish.