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Chu (楚), originally known as Jing (荆) and then Jingchu (荆楚), was an independent state that existed during China's Spring and Autumn period and, subsequently, the Warring States period. At the height of its power, the Chu empire occupied vast portions of land, including the present-day provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, Henan, and parts of Jiangsu.

History

The land of Jing was inhabited by the native Chu peoples, later on becoming part of the Zhou dynasty. Prior to Zhou's dissolution of power, the land was transferred by authority of the Zhoucheng King of Eastern Zhou to Xiong Yi . Under his rule, Chu grew from a small, dependant state into a large empire worthy of contention, even claiming the title of one of "The Five Overlord States of the Spring and Autumn Period" (春秋五霸). Chu overran Cai to the north in 447 BC. The power of the kingdom continued after the Spring and Autumn period had ended. In 333 BC Chu, along with Qi, conquered the coastal state of Yue. By the late Warring States period, however, Chu's prominent status had fallen into disarray. As a result of several invasions heeded by Zhao and Qinsmall seal script, 220 BC) Qin or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) ( 778 BC- 206 BC) was a state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of China. It eventually grew to dominate the country and unite it for the first time, after which it is referred to, Chu was eventually overcome by its military oppressors.

State of Chu
( bronzeware scriptBronzeware script ( pinyin jin wen or pinyin zhong1 ding3 wen2) is a family of scripts found on Chinese bronzes such as zhong ( bells) and ding (tripods), since bronze artifacts with Chinese characters span many centuries and they have been found in many, ca. 800 BC)