The Territory Evolution And The National Integration In The Western Of Chu State

As the power center of the Chu State for a long time, the core of the regime in the western territory of Chu was the foundation of of the state, while the peripheral regions were gradually consolidated alongside the development of the regime's core. It was a fundamental issue for Chu to effectively control and manage those peripheral regions. Chu conquered and assimilated indigenous nations, incorporated diversified cultures and propelled national integration which is of great importance to the union of the Qin and Han and the formation of a multicultural empire.This thesis is composed of four chapters. By restoring a generic view of the natural and human geography, the first part explains the evolution of the western territory of Chu and the background of national integration. The second part explains ancient history, geography and culture in order to explore the interrelations of different states and the process of merging and conquering and analyzes the dynamic process of the formation and evolution of the western region. Last but not least, the author also explores the methods of demonstrating national integration in the western regions.Chapter one explains the natural and human geography of the region. By analyzing the historical and geographical pattern of the Neolithic, Xia, Shang and Western Zhou periods, we find that the cultures of the north-western and northern part of the western region developed continuously and many cultures interacted or assimilated; indigenous nations dominated the lower reaches of Xia River and Juzhang River, while no archaeological cultures have been detected in the core region. This is the historical basis of the establishment of the western region of the Chu State, and also the background of national integration.Chapter two analyzes the establishment and evolution of the core area of the western region of the Chu State. The Chu state and culture evolved in the Jianghan region beginning in the late Western Zhou and in the period of Xiongqu, Ruo'ao and Fenmao between the Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties, which laid a solid foundation for the establishment of Jiang, Han, Ju and Zhang fiefs. During the reigns of kings Wu and Cheng, Chu safeguarded the stability and development of its core area by incorporating indigenous states such as Quan, Lu, Luo and conquering Ji clan states like Jiao, Gu, Deng and Hanyang in the middle reach of Han river. During the times of kings Zhuang and Zhao, Chu suffered severe political chaos which tremendously affected its safety and stability. However, eventually the internal political crisis was tackled with the efforts of an internal union and the assistance of allied nations. Following this the leaders of Chu made their utmost efforts to build their country and finally consolidated its political position and enhanced its overall national capabilities. During the Warring states period, as severe internal problems developed alongside increasing external threats from Qin, The three Jin states and Qi, the regime core area of Chu State was gradually dissolved. Chapter three discusses the involvement of the peripheral regions of the western region of Chu State. Based on primary sources and the results of other scholars, I reinterpret the historical, cultural and geographical aspects of the indigenous states in the peripheral regions and explore how these nations were absorbed into the western region of the Chu State. At the same time, I examine Chu's management strategies towards those peripheral regions and how the institution of prefectures and counties was implemented. I conclude that it was mainly adopted in the process of conquering peripheral regions. In this chapter we study the territorial evolution from the relationships between Chu and neighboring states.Chapter four explores national integration in the western territory of Chu. First, we analyzes the Yi and Xia conception of Chu and argue that this idea was gradually formed due to the environmental and historical context, which influenced the ways that Chu handled national relationships. Secondly, the expansion of territory and intermarriage between nations facilitated integration in the western region; the former disturbed the original geographical layouts and intensified communication with the indigenous nations and the latter improved the cultural integration through intermarriage. Chu tried every means to consolidate merged or conquered states and fit them into its own political and cultural systems. At last, I conclude that the national integration of Chu state was thorough and far-reaching, laying the foundation for the great union of Qin and Han and multiculturalism.