Pi (Chinese: 邳; pinyin: Pī) was a pre-Qin dynasty (pre-256 BCE) vassal state in ancient China. Also known as Xue (Chinese: 薛), Pi was ruled by members of the Ren (任) family.[citation needed]
Pi 邳 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 21st Century BCE–unknown | |||||||
| Capital | Xuecheng (薛城), 30 km south of Tengzhou, Shandong Province Lower Pi (下邳), North east of Pizhou City, Shandong Province Upper Pi (上邳), West of the Xuecheng District, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province | ||||||
| Religion | Chinese folk religion, ancestor worship, Taoism | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| Earl | |||||||
• c. 21st Century BCE | Xi Zhong | ||||||
• c. 17th Century BCE | Zhong Hui | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | c. 21st Century BCE | ||||||
• Disestablished | unknown | ||||||
| Currency | Chinese coin, gold coins | ||||||
| |||||||
During the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE), the State of Pi shared a border with the State of Song to the east and the State of Tan (郯国) to the north.[citation needed]
Etymology
editPi (邳) is a phono-semantic compound of pī (丕) and the semantic component for states (邑).[1][2]
Among the earliest extant mentions of the state refers to a lei produced by an Earl of Pi for their sons, from the Spring and Autumn period, unearthed in 1954.[3] It bears the following inscription:[4]
隹正月初吉，丁亥，邳伯夏子自作尊罍，用祈眉寿无疆，子子孙孙永宝用之
It is on the auspicious first lunar month, on the dinghai day, that the Earl of Pi, Xiazi, makes themselves this zun lei vessel, used to pray for a long life, and for their sons and grandsons to treasure forever.
History
editThe progenitor of Pi is said to be Xi Zhong, a mythical creator of chariots who served as a minister for such to Yu the Great during the semi-legendary Xia dynasty (c. 2070 BC – 1600 BCE). He was given land at the confluence of the Dan (丹水) and Yi Rivers (沂水) in the southern part of modern-day Shandong.[5][6] The Bamboo Annals first mention Zhong Kang's son, Xiang, resided there in the seventh year of his reign.[7] At some point prior to the fall of the Xia dynasty, Zhong Hui, the Minister of the Left for Tang, was enfeoffed here, though this is only mentioned in later accounts of his life.[8][1]
When moving to discuss the Shang dynasty, the Bamboo Annals state that during the reign of Wai Ren of the Shang dynasty, he resided in the capital Ao (隞),[a] and the people of Pi and Xian (姺) rebelled against him. Come the reign of He Dan Jia, Pi was subdued by the State of Peng.[7]
In 418 BCE, the State of Qi moved into Xue's territory forcing its inhabitants to move south into Lower Pi (邳下), which was located on the lower reaches of the Si River. Upper Pi (邳上) lay to the north along the same river. The state was eventually annexed by the State of Chu.[citation needed]
Notable people
edit- Xi Zhong - Mythical creator of chariots.
- Zhong Hui - Minister of the Left for Tang of Shang.
Notes
edit- ↑ This is written as xiao 囂 in the text, but it is a variant.
References
edit- 1 2 邳 in 中華民國教育部. 1994.《重編國語辭典修定本》
- ↑ Xu, Shen (2015). "邑部". In Duan, Yucai; Xu, Weixian (eds.). 說文解字注 (in Literary Chinese) (1st ed.). Nanjing: 鳳凰出版社 [Phoenix Media]. ISBN 978-7-5506-2167-1.
奚仲之後，湯左相仲虺所封國。
- ↑ "文物志(1991—2005)，第二编 可移动文物， 第三章 铜器 铁器 金银器， 第一节 铜 器". 山东地情档案. 山东地方志资料归档. 1991–2005. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
邳伯罍 春秋。共2件，形制相同。高28.5厘米，口径21.3厘米，腹径36厘米。口沿外卷，束颈，斜肩，折腹，双兽首衔环形耳。器身饰蟠虺纹。口沿铸有铭文"隹正月初吉，丁亥，邳伯夏子自作尊罍，用祈眉寿无疆，子子孙孙永宝用之"。1954年峄县文化馆征集。藏于山东省博物馆。
- ↑ "不". 漢字甲骨部件分析 (in Chinese). Chinese University of Hong Kong. 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
四，國名，典籍作「邳」。邳伯罍：「不(邳)白(伯)夏子自乍阝尊罍」。
- ↑ "Vassal state land grants during the Western Zhou Dynasty (西周所分封的诸侯国)" (in Chinese). Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ↑ Zuo, Qiuming. "襄公十四年". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 春秋左傳 [Chunqiu Zuozhuan] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
《春秋左傳·定公元年》薛宰曰：「薛之皇祖奚仲，居薛，以為夏車正。奚仲遷于邳，仲虺居薛，以為湯左相。若復舊職，將承王官，何故以役諸侯？」《春秋左傳·襄公十四年》仲虺有言曰：『亡者侮之，亂者取之。推亡、固存，國之道也。』《春秋左傳·定公元年》仲幾曰：「三代各異物，薛焉得有舊為宋役，亦其職也。」
- 1 2 Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 竹書紀年 [Bamboo Annals] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
《帝仲康》七年，陟。世子相出居商丘，依邳侯。《外壬》元年庚戌，王即位，居囂。邳人、姺人叛。《河亶甲》三年，彭伯克邳。《顯王》二十九年，邳遷于薛。三月，為大溝于北郛，以行圃田之水。
- ↑ Zuo, Qiuming. "襄公十四年". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 春秋左傳 [Chunqiu Zuozhuan] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
《春秋左傳·定公元年》薛宰曰：「薛之皇祖奚仲，居薛，以為夏車正。奚仲遷于邳，仲虺居薛，以為湯左相。若復舊職，將承王官，何故以役諸侯？」《春秋左傳·襄公十四年》仲虺有言曰：『亡者侮之，亂者取之。推亡、固存，國之道也。』《春秋左傳·定公元年》仲幾曰：「三代各異物，薛焉得有舊為宋役，亦其職也。」
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