Ep. 274 | Henan Province (Part 2)

The saga continues. More poking around Henan in Part 2. We'll look at the Zhou Dynasty era states that made up the province in ancient times.  We'll also focus on Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Anyang.  If the multitude of Chinese names starts to overwhelm, I strongly encourage you to view/download the list of terms used in this episode below. This one is a doozy, with over 170 words. I hope you find it useful!

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/Term	Chinese	English/Meaning
Shǎnxī	陕西	Province in Northern China
Shānxī	山西	Province in Northern China
Gānsù	甘肃	Province in Northwest China
Shāndōng	山东	Coastal Province in China
Xià	夏朝	Mythical dynasty founded by Yu the Great. Sometimes compared to Erlitou Culture. Ran from abopiut 2070 to 1600 BCE
Shāng	商朝	Dynasty that followed the Xia. Ran from 1600-1046 BCE
Hénán	河南	Province in central China
Hàn	汉族	The Han Chinese People, largest ethnic group in the world
Eastern Zhou Dynasty	东周	The Eastern Zhou Dynasty that lasted 770 to 256 BCE
Hàojīng	镐京	Capital of the Western Zhou, located near present-day Xian
Xīān	西安	Capital of Shaanxi Province
Yǔ the Great	大禹	Yu the Great, Xia Dynasty founder
Shàng Shū	尚书	The Book of Documents
Jiǔ Zhōu	九州	Nine Provinces of Ancient China
Yùzhōu	豫州	The most ancient form of Henan
Yù	豫	Abbreviation for all things Henan
Jī Family	姬家族	The Ji Family who founded the Zhou Dynasty
King Wén	周文王	Zhou King Wen, founder of the Zhou Dynasty, along with his son (see below)
King Wǔ	周武王	Also known by his personal name Jī Fā 姬发. Son of King Wen, Known mostly as the Zhou King Wǔ
Luòyáng	洛阳	Ancient capital of more than a few dynasties
Zhou King Nǎn	周赧王	Last king of the Eastern Zhou
Hán	韩国	Zhou Era state that lasted 403 to 230 BCE
Zhào	赵国	Zhou Era state that lasted 403 to 222 BCE
Wèi	魏国	Zhou Era state, spelled W-E-I that lasted 403 to 225 BCE
Chǔ	楚国	Zhou Era state that lasted 1030 to 223 BCE
Yān	燕国	Zhou Era state that lasted from the 11th century to 222 BCE
Qí	齐国	Zhou Era duchy from 1046-323 BCE and Kingdom 323-221 BCE
Qín Dynasty	秦朝	First imperial dynasty of China, lasted 221 to 206 BCE
Wèi	卫国	Zhou Era state, spelled W-E-Y that lasted 1040 to 209 BCE
Zhèng	郑国	Zhou Era state that lasted 806 to 375 BCE, later annexed by Han
Cài	蔡国	Zhou Era state that lasted from the 11th century to 447 BCE
Chén	陈国	Zhou Era state that lasted 1045 to 479 BCE
Sòng	宋国	Zhou Era state that lasted from the 11th century to 286 BCE
Cáo	曹国	Zhou Era state that lasted from the 11th century to 487 BCE
Wú	吴国	Zhou Era state that lasted from the 12th century to 473 BCE
Zhèngzhōu	郑州	Present day capital of Henan
Guǎn	管国	Short-lived Zhou Era state that lasted 1046 to 1039 BCE
Kuài	郐国	Zhou Era state that lasted from pre-history to 767 BCE, centered around present-day Zhengzhou
Zhèng Wǔ Gōng	郑武公	Ruler of Zheng from 770 to 744 BCE
Xīnzhèng	新郑	Ancient capital of Zheng State and alleged birthplace of The Yellow Emperor
Huángdì Gùlǐ	黄帝故里	The Hometown of the Yellow Emperor
Zǐchǎn	子产	grandson of one of the Dukes of Zhèng. He served as prime minister of Zhèng to a couple of the dukes. We remember Zǐchǎn for his law code of 543 BCE. This was the first law code in China’s history
fǎzhì	法制	Legal Code or set of laws
Shēn Bùhaì	申不害	400 to 337 BCE
Shēnzǐ	申子	The book attributed to Shen Buhai, one of the main books of Legalism
Hán Fēi	韩非	Also known as Han Feizi 韩非子. Lived 280-233 BCE, statesman, philosopher, giant in Legalism
Rú Philosophy	儒家	Better known as Confucianism
Héběi	河北	Northern province in China, to the north of Henan
Duke of Zhōu	周公	Brother of Zhou King Wu and Regent to King Wu's son, King Cheng
King Chéng	周成王	Son of King Wu. Reigned 1042-1021 BCE
Zhāogē	朝歌	The last Shang Dynasty capital, located south of Anyang
Shāng Yāng	商鞅	Statesman of Qin State, lived 390-338 BCE, another giant of Legalism
Chǔ	楚国	Zhou Dynasty vassal State that lasted 1030 to 223 BCE
Wǎnqiū	宛丘	Capital of Chen State
Huáiyáng District	淮阳区	Prefectural city near Zhoukou in eastern Henan
Chénzhōu	陈州	Located in Huaiyang County, former capital of Chen State
Zhōukǒu	周口	City in Eastern Henan
Yuán Shíkǎi	袁世凯	Warlord, military leader and president of the Republic of China, lived 1859-1916
Emperor Shùn	舜帝	Legendary emperor of China during pre-history
Chén Húgōng	陈胡公	Founding ancestor of all hundred or so million people around the world who have this Chén surname (including Chan's, Trần’s and Tan's)
Lǎozǐ	老子	Reputed author of the Dao De Jing, founder of Daoism. Lived between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE
Sīmǎ Qiān	司马迁	Historian of ancient China, wrote The Records of the Grand Historian during the Han Dynasty. Lived approximately 145 to 86 BCE
Qín Shǐhuáng	秦始皇	First Emperor of China. King of Qin from 247-221 BCE and Qin Emperor 221 to 210 BCE
Dàzéxiāng Uprising	大泽乡起义	Also known as the Chen Sheng Wu Guang Uprising. This was an uprising against the Qin Dynasty that lasted from July to December 209 BCE
Chén Shèng	陈胜	One of the rebel leaders of the Dazexiang Uprising
Wú Guǎng	吴广	One of the rebel leaders of the Dazexiang Uprising
Zhùmǎdiàn	驻马店	City in south-central Henan
Shàngcài	上蔡	City located in Zhumadian prefecture
Sānménxiá	三门峡	Prefecture-level city located in western-most Henan
Kāifēng	开封	Prefecture-level city located in north-central Henan.
Shāngqiū	商丘	City in eastern Henan
Nányáng	南阳	City in southwest Henan (also a prefecture)
Xìnyáng	信阳	City in southernmost Henan
Xǔchāng	许昌	Another prefectural level city located right in the center of Henan
Píngdǐngshān	平顶山	Another prefectural level city located to the west of Xuchang in Central Henan
Sìdà Gǔdū	四大古都	Four Ancient Capitals of China: Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang and Xian
Luò River	洛河	River that runs through Luoyang
Yī River	伊河	The other main river of Luoyang
King Tāng	商汤	Also known as Shang Tang 商汤, the founder of the Shang Dynasty
Chéngzhōu	成周	Early Zhou capital, founded by the Duke of Zhou
Emperor Xiàowén	北魏孝文帝	Emperor of Northern Wei
Lóngmén Grottoes	龙门石窟	Located near Luoyang, home to thousands of Buddhist statues carved into the cliffs of Xiangshan 香山.
Mt. Sōng	嵩山	Sacred mountain in Henan not too far from Luoyang. Shaolin Temple is located there
Shàolin Sì	少林寺	Shàolin Temple
Báimǎ Sì	白马寺	White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist Temple ever built in China, constructed in 68 CE
Cáo Wèi	曹魏	Also known as the State of Wei, one of the Three Kingdoms of 220-266
Western Jìn	西晋	The part of the Jin Dynasty that lasted 266-316, a successor state to Cao Wei
Suí Dynasty	隋朝	Dynasty that preceded the Tang and lasted 581 to 618
Emperor Yángdì	隋炀帝	Son of Sui Wendi, second and last emperor of this short-lived dynasty
Emperor Wén	隋文帝	Founder of the Sui Dynasty
Cháng’ān	长安	Capital of several dynasties, most notably the Han and Tang. Located near present day Xian
Dōngdū	东都	Eastern Capital
Wǔ Zétiān	武则天	Also known as Wu Zhao, she lived 624 to 705, ruled China from 665 to 690 through her husband and sons and from 690-705 as Empress of China during her Zhou Dynasty
Ān Lùshān	安禄山	Tang Dynasty military man and later leader of the An Lushan Rebellion that lasted 755-763
Later Liáng	后梁	Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period that was based in Luoyang from 907-913 and Kaifeng from 913-923.
Later Táng	后唐	Successor to the Later Liang. This dynasty lasted 923 to 937
Northern Sòng	北宋	First half of the Song Dynasty that had its caoital in Kaifeng. Lasted 960-1127
Zhào Kuāngyìn	赵匡胤	Founder of the Song Dynasty in 960
Hángzhōu	杭州	Capital of Zhejiang Province, site of the Southern Song capital
Yuán	元朝	The Great Yuan Dynasty, established by Kublai Khan, lasted from 1271 to 1368
Míng	明朝	Dynasty that ran 1368 to 1644
Qīng	清朝	Final dynasty in Chinese history, ran 1644 to 1911
Dà Liáng	大梁	Oner of the former names of the city if Kaifeng
Yíng Zhèng	嬴政	The personal name of the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang
Later Jìn	后晋	Another one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms that followed the fall of the Tang. The Later Jin ran from 936-947
Later Hàn	后汉	The 4th of the Five Dynasties, had their capital at Kaifeng, called Bian back then. Later Han ran 947-951...not very long.
Later Zhōu	后周	Last of the Five Dynasties of Northern China to follow the fall of the Tang. They lasted 951 to 960
Biànjīng	汴京	The name of Kaifeng when it was the capital of the Northern Song
Jìngkāng Incident	靖康事变	The Humiliation of Jingkang ran from September 1125 – March 1127 during the final years before the Jürchen Jin overthrew the Song and captured Huizong and his son Qinzong
Huīzōng	徽宗帝	Song Dynasty emperor who lost his empire to the Jürchens from the north
Hénán Jiāngběi Xíngshěng	河南江北行省	Name of Henan Province during the Yuan
xíngshěng	行省	During the Yuan, provinces were called this name rather than what they are known by now: sheng
shěng	省	Province
Zhū Yuánzhāng	朱元璋	Also known as the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty. He reigned 1368 to 1398
Nánjīng	南京	Capital of Jiangsu and site of the first capital of the Ming Dynasty
Jiāngsū	江苏	Coastal province in China
Jiāngzhè	江浙行省	Former name of the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Yuan
Lǐ Zìchéng	李自成	Destructive rebel leader who overthrew the Ming Dynasty in 1644 and established his own dynasty that lasted till 1649
Shùn Dynasty	顺潮	See above
Southern Sòng	南宋	The part of the Song Dynasty when the capital was at JIankang or Hangzhou. It lasted 1127-1279
Dàoguāng Emperor	道光帝	Qing emperor who reigned 1820-1850
Ānyáng	安阳	City in Northern Henan, site of the Ruins of Yin, where the last Shang Dynasty capital was situated
Yǎngsháo Culture	仰韶文化	An early Neolithic Culture that flourished…5000 to 3000 BCE
Lóngshān Culture	龙山文化	An early Neolithic Culture than existed roughly 3000 to 2000 BCE
Zhuānxū	颛顼	Grandson of the Yellow Emperor who ruled as one of the mythical emperors of Chinese pre-history
Kù	喾帝	Another descendent of the Yellow Emperor who succeeded Zhuanxu as one of the mythical emperors of Chinese pre-history
Yīn	殷墟	Shang Dynasty capital, located in present day Anyang, site of the Ruins of Yin
Zhāngdé	彰德	Other name for Anyang
Púyáng	濮阳	One of the prefectures in Henan put into Pingyuan Province (see below)
Xīnxiāng	新乡	One of the prefectures in Henan put into Pingyuan Province (see below)
Píngyuán	平原	Short-lived province during rhe eary years of rhe PRC, contained a little of Henan and a little of Shandong

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Resources

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Sinica Podcast - “China’s Heart of Darkness”

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