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* 26 states of the Han River valley |commander1 = King Zhao of Zhou Minister Xinbo Duke She Bo Maifu |commander2 = Xiong Ai |strength1=Six Armies of the West * c. 75.000 infantry * c. 3000 chariots |strength2=Unknown |casualties1=Extremely heavy; almost all Zhou forces are killed |casualties2=Unknown |casualties3= |notes = * b: According to the Rites of Zhou and other sources, a traditional Chinese army included 12,500 infantry and 500 chariots. While it is unknown if this information also applies for the Western Zhou, this organizational structure for military was so common in the later Eastern Zhou period that it can at least be used for a rough estimate. }} 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. == Prelude == After suppressing the Rebellion of the Three Guards, the Zhou dynasty entered an era of stability and territorial expansion. Under the rule of King Cheng the kingdom used its growing military strength to conquer and colonize western Shandong and the land north of the Huai River. His successor, King Kang, led victorious campaigns against the Guifang of Shanxi and northern Shaanxi, while continuing the war against the Dongyi of eastern Shandong. During the reign of King Zhao, however, the Zhou court's focus shifted from the east and north to the middle Yangtze region. This region had a longer history of bronze culture and state building than the Dongyi, and was thus economically, technologically and politically more advanced. It was also extremely rich in ores like copper and tin that were badly needed for the large-scale bronze production of the Zhou dynasty, as well as gold. As result, northern states had long attempted to gain control of the southern mines. The Shang dynasty had heavily relied on the middle Yangtze deposits since the late Erligang period, and subsequently established several bases (such as Panlongcheng) in the region. After the fall of the Shang, the expansionist state of Chu, whose rulers claimed descent from the legendary northern Xia dynasty, had emerged as the most powerful polity of the middle Yangtze region. Formed as indigenous tribal confederation influenced by northern culture, Chu had already existed during the late Shang dynasty and ruled over several minor vassal states and tribes. Before King Zhao's reign Chu and Zhou had a long history of cooperation. The Chu confederation under Yuxiong allegedly assisted the Zhou during their conquest of the Shang dynasty. The next known Chu ruler, Xiong Yi, submitted to King Cheng, who in turn enfeoffed him as viscount. Under King Kang, Xiong Yi even became one of the five most important ministers at the Zhou court. Meanwhile, Chu rapidly expanded and possibly united the Han River and the middle Yangtze valleys under its control. Chu’s expansion, coupled with the Zhou dynasty’s demand for the south’s mineral wealth, and a desire to retake the territory that the Shang dynasty had once controlled,〔 eventually led to the deterioration of the relationship between the two polities. As result, the Chu rulers might have begun to title themselves kings in open defiance of the Zhou monarchs. Due to their technological and military power Chu could also raise a much more formidable resistance than any other polity that the Zhou kingdom had faced before. Furthermore, the middle Yangtze region was not well suited for the Zhou military, as it was dominated by marches, swamps, and mountains that greatly hindered traditional troop movements.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zhou–Chu War」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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