| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| Polity | The Seshat Polity ID |
| Year(s) | The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE] |
| Tag | [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown] |
| Verified | A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data. |
| Variable | Definition | Units |
|---|---|---|
| polity_territory_from | The lower range of polity territory for a polity. | km squared |
| polity_territory_to | The upper range of polity territory for a polity. | km squared |
| # | Polity | Year(s) | Polity Territory from | Polity Territory to | Description | Edit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 |
(Chu Kingdom - Spring and Autumn Period) |
500 BCE |
200000 |
300000 |
km^2 700 BCE "sphere of influence around the Bend of the Han" + Nanyang Basin (46291 km2) + Fangcheng Wai. 600 BCE "sphere of influence around the Bend of the Han" + Nanyang Basin + Fangcheng Wai + Huai River. 500 BCE "sphere of influence around the Bend of the Han" + Nanyang Basin + Fangcheng Wai + Huai River. - territories lost to Wu. 706-690 BCE Annexed Hanxi states "Quan and, perhaps, Ran". [Major_Cook 1999, p. 15] "The first objective was to create a sphere of influence around the Bend of the Han, a task that was completed by the early seventh century. Chu then immediately set out to gain control of the Nanyang Basin and the approaches to it (Fangcheng Wai)." [Major_Cook 1999, p. 20] 688-656 BCE "pushed into the Nanyang Basin and carved out a zone beyond it in Fangcheng Wai." [Major_Cook 1999, p. 15] 655-585 BCE Expansion into Huai region. Took Xuan, Huang, and Ying (Yingshi). Long war with Jin after the defeat at battle of Chengpu (632 BCE). Took Jiang 623 BCE, Jyang ? and then Fan and Lyao 622 BCE. Xaio taken 597 BCE, Zhoulai taken before 585 BCE. [Major_Cook 1999, p. 16] 584-508 BCE Wu gains at Chu expense in Middle Huai. [Major_Cook 1999, p. 16] Major defeat to Jin and allies at Yanling (575 BCE). [Major_Cook 1999, p. 16] Gained Shu 574 BCE, lost Xyu and Zhoulai in 519 BCE to Wu. [Major_Cook 1999, pp. 16-17] 507-400 BCE Renewed expansion. Re-occupation of Upper and Middle Huai. [Major_Cook 1999, p. 17] 400-223 BCE "After the accommodation with Jin in 546, Chu had for the most part been able to keep the states in and bordering the Fangcheng Wai area under its control. With Han and Wei now centered below the Yellow River (Huanghe), this was no longer the case." [Major_Cook 1999, p. 17] With the loss of Fangcheng Wai, Chu expansion focused on the east before the gradual conquest by the Qin. [Major_Cook 1999, p. 20] size of State of Chu by 5th c. bce Hsu: “An expansion of territory is a characteristic of all major states, and the four most powerful states of the Spring and Autumn period — Qi, Jin, Chu, and Qin - all expanded dramatically. Qi Huan Gong annexed 35 neighboring states to become the first ba. Jin Xian Gong took 17 states and subjugated 38, paving the way for Jin to lead the Zhou world for generations. Qin Mu Gong fUS-^ (659—621 B.C.) combined 12 other states to extend its territory in the west. During the reign of King Zhuang of Chu (613-591 B.C.), Chu annexed no fewer than 26 states, many of which were former important Zhou states, and thus became the main threat to the Zhou world.' Of 148 states that appear in the chronicles of the Spring and Autumn period," the number extinguished by these four major powers adds up to 1*” [Hsu_Loewe_Shaughnessy 1999, p. 567] |
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