Zhou–Chu War
| Zhou–Chu war | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Chu confederation
Hufang Xian |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
King Zhao of Zhou † Minister Xin Yumi Bo Maofu Duke of Cai † Baron of Guo Baron of Nan Scribe Yü Hongshu |
"Elder of Chu" | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Six Armies of the West
Xin and Cai armies
|
Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Extremely heavy; probably over 12.000 | Unknown | ||||||||
Chu confederation
Hufang
Six Armies of the West
Xin and Cai armies
The Zhou–Chu War was a military conflict between the Zhou dynasty under King Zhao and the state of Chu from 961 to 957 BC. King Zhao personally led at least two major campaigns against Chu and other states and tribes of the middle Yangtze region, initially conquering the lands north of the Yangtze and the Han River valley. Eventually, however, the Zhou forces suffered a crushing defeat, with half of their armed forces as well as King Zhao killed, subsequently losing control of much conquered territory. The war ended the era of Western Zhou’s early expansion and forced it into the defense against foreign aggressors. On the other side, Chu consolidated its de facto independence and would continue to grow into one of the most powerful states of China.
The war took place in the middle Yangtze region, which was dominated by marshes, swamps, and mountains, but still very fertile and extremely rich in ores like gold, copper and tin. As result of its natural wealth, the area not only spawned several highly developed Neolithic cultures, but also garnered the attention of the peoples living in the Central Plain. Subsequently, many northern cultures attempted to expand into the middle Yangtze region, aiming to exploit its mines. The most prominent and successful northern intruders belonged to the Erligang culture, commonly associated with the Shang dynasty. The Shang appear to have taken control of large swaths of the region around 1500 BC, even though they never controlled all eastern Hubei. With Panlongcheng as their local center, the northerners politically and culturally dominated the local populace, while they mined the middle Yangtze deposits in order to supply the bronze production of the Shang cities on the Central Plain. Among the most important mines were Tonglüshan and Tongling in Huangshi, both directly south of the Yangtze. According to later historiographies, the Shang also established several minor states in the region, among them E and Zeng.
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