Chouchi (Chinese: 仇池; pinyin: Chóuchí), or Qiuchi (pinyin: Qiúchí), was a polity in China ruled by the Yang clan of Di ethnicity in modern-day Gansu Province. Its existence spanned both the Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern and Southern dynasties periods, but it is not listed among one of these regimes in historiography.[1][2][3][4]

Chouchi
仇池
296–443 (580)
The kingdom of Chouchi in the western China
The kingdom of Chouchi in the western China
StatusKingdom
CapitalWudu
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
Historical era3rd - 6th century
• Established
296
• Conquered by Former Qin
371
• Chouchi restored as Later Chouchi
385
• Conquered by Liu Song
442
• Disestablished
443 (580)
• Restored as Wudu, Wuxing and Yinping kingdoms
448 - 580
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Jin dynasty (266–420)
Former Qin
Liu Song
Northern Zhou
Today part ofChina

History

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At the beginning of the 3rd century CE Yang Teng (楊騰), chieftain of the White Neck Di (白項氐), had occupied the southeast area of modern Gansu province, at the upper course of the Han River. His followers Yang Ju (楊駒) and Yang Qianwan (楊千萬) paid tribute to the emperors of the Cao-Wei Dynasty and were rewarded with the title of prince (wáng ).[5][6][3] Yang Feilong (楊飛龍) shifted the center of the Chouchi realm back to Lüeyang, where his successor Yang Maosou reigned as an independent king at the beginning of the 4th century. The Chouchi troops often plundered territories in the Central Plains to the east and abducted people there, but the troops of Eastern Jin and Han-Zhao deprived the Chouchi empire of some of its people. In 322 Yang Nandi suffered a defeat at the hands of Han-Zhao and was degraded to prince of Wudu (武都王) and duke of Chouchi (仇池公). The following years were characterized by numerous internal struggles among the Yang clan and several usurpations of the throne. The rulers were not seen as mere regional inspectors (cishi 刺史) or governors (taishou 太守) of their region under the government of Jin.[3]

In 371 Fu Jian, ruler of Former Qin, attacked Chouchi, captured the ruler Yang Cuan (楊篡) and ended the period of Former Chouchi.[3]

Yang Ding, a great-great-grandson of Yang Maosou, and a son-in-law of Fu Jian, resurrected the Chouchi kingdom in 385, with the capital at Licheng (歷城). His younger brother Yang Sheng (楊盛) was able to conquer the region of Liangzhou (梁州) at the upper course of the Han River, and declared himself governor for the Jin Dynasty. Efforts to occupy the territory of modern Sichuan failed, but Chouchi controlled a large part of the modern provinces of Gansu (east) and Shaanxi (south).[3]

After 443, the lords of Chouchi were only puppet rulers controlled by the Northern and Southern dynasties. Historians talk of the five realms of Chouchi (Chouchi wuguo 仇池五國): Former and Later Chouchi (Qianchouchi 前仇池, Houchouchi 後仇池), Wudu (武都), Yinping (陰平), and Wuxing (武興).[5][7][3] Former Chouchi lasted between 296 and 371 while Later Chouchi lasted between 385 and 443. In 443, the Northern Wei conquered Chouchi, but was restored by Yang Wende that same year, beginning the Wudu period, although it could also be seen as a continuation of Later Chouchi. After the death of Yang Wendu in 477, the realm split into Yinping and Wuxing, the former lasting until around the mid-6th century and the latter lasting until 553.

Rulers

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Chieftains, dukes and kings of Chouchi, Wudu, Wuxing and Yinping (296–mid 6th century)[3]
Posthumous Names Common names in Chinese characters Durations of reigns or in office Era names
Former Chouchi (296–371)
Yáng Màosōu (楊茂搜) 296–317
Yáng Nándí (楊難敵) 317–334
Yáng Yì (楊毅) 334–337
Yáng Chū (楊初) 337–355
Yáng Guó (楊國) 355–356
Yáng Jùn (楊俊) 356–360
Yáng Shì (楊世) 360–370
Yáng Cuàn (楊篡) 370–371
Later Chouchi (385–477)
() Yáng Dìng (楊定) 385–394
Huìwén (惠文) Yáng Shèng (楊盛) 394–425
Xiàozhāo (孝昭) Yáng Xuán (楊玄) 425–429
Yáng Bǎozōng (楊保宗) 429 and 443
Yáng Nándāng (楊難當) 429–441 Jiànyì (建義) 436–440
Yáng Bǎochì (楊保熾) 442–443
Kings of Wudu (443–477)
Yáng Wéndé (楊文德) 443–454
Yáng Yuánhé (楊元和) 455–466
Yáng Sēngsì (楊僧嗣) 466–473
Yáng Wéndù (楊文度) 473–477
Kings of Wuxing (477–506 and 534–555)
Yáng Wénhóng (楊文弘) 477–482
Yáng Hòuqǐ (楊後起) 482–486
Ān () Yáng Jíshì (楊集始) 482–503
Yáng Shàoxiān (楊紹先) 503–506, 534–535
Yáng Zhìhuì (楊智慧) 535–545
Yáng Bìxié (楊辟邪) 545–553
Note: Yang Zhihui and Yang Bixie could be the same person
Kings of Yinping (477–mid 6th century)
Yáng Guǎngxiāng (楊廣香) 477–483?
Yáng Jiǒng (楊炯) 483–495
Yáng Chóngzǔ (楊崇祖) 495–before 502
Yáng Mèngsūn (楊孟孫) before 502–511
Yáng Dìng (楊定) 511–?
Yáng Tàichì (楊太赤) c. 516
Yáng Fǎshēn (楊法深) 520s–c. 553

References

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  1. ^ 《宋書》列傳第五十八
  2. ^ Scroll of 水經注, Circle of 卷三, part 河水
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "The States of Qiuchi 仇池 (www.chinaknowledge.de)". chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 28 Jul 2019.
  4. ^ 李祖桓. 《仇池国志》, 书目文献出版社 : 新华书店北京发行所发行, 1986
  5. ^ a b 抱朴子, part 內篇, section 仙藥
  6. ^ 漾水, particularly page 7
  7. ^ Era of 魏晉南北朝, Title 三國志, Part 吳書十, section 董襲傳

See also

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