State of Sui | ||||||||||
随国/隨國 | ||||||||||
Marquessate | ||||||||||
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Capital | Suizhou | |||||||||
Religion | Chinese folk religion, ancestor worship, Taoism | |||||||||
Political structure | Marquessate | |||||||||
History | ||||||||||
• | Established | ca. 10th century BC | ||||||||
• | Disestablished | unknown | ||||||||
Currency | Chinese coin, gold coins | |||||||||
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Suí (simplified Chinese: 随; traditional Chinese: 隨; pinyin: Suí) was a Zhou dynasty vassal state in the Han River Basin in modern Suizhou, Hubei, China. Its ruling house had the surname Ji (姬), and held the noble rank of Hou (侯), roughly comparable to a marquess.
During the initial stages of the Spring and Autumn Period from 771 BCE, the power of Sui’s neighbor the State of Chu grew considerably. At the same time Sui also expanded and became leader of the various vassal states whose leaders bore the surname Ji known as the Hanyang Ji Vassals (汉阳诸姬).
The Zuo Zhuan records that in 706 BCE King Wu of Chu invaded the State of Sui on the grounds that the state’s minister Ji Liang (季梁) had halted the king’s army. Not long afterwards, the Sui military commander received Chu Prime Minister Dou Bobi (鬬伯比) who concluded that given the opportunity Sui would conspire against Chu. Two years later in the summer of 704 BCE following Sui’s non-appearance at a meeting of the vassal states called at Shenlu (沈鹿), King Wu of Chu personally led his army in an attack on Sui. Thereafter Sui was defeated at the Battle of Suqi (速杞之战). The state's leader fled whilst Chu minister Dou Dan (鬬丹) captured the Marquess of Sui's chariot along with the chariot division military commander. However, at that time Chu did not have sufficient power to annex Sui and peace followed in the same year.
In 690 BCE King Wu died in the course of an expedition into Sui at a time when the latter state wanted peace. Over the following decades, Chu gradually annexed Hanyang Ji Vassals in every direction. In 640 BCE the vassals attacked Chu with Sui as their leader but were defeated and entered into peace talks.