The State of Zōu (simplified Chinese: 邹; traditional Chinese: 鄒) was a small Zhou Dynasty vassal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history (720–221 BCE).[1].
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King Wu of Zhou granted Cao Xie (simplified Chinese: 曹挟; traditional Chinese: 曹挾), a direct lineal descendant of the Yellow Emperor through his grandson, the legendary emperor Zhuanxu (颛顼), control of the small state of Zhu (邾) as a vassal ruler under the State of Lu with the feudal title Prince of Zhu (邾王).[2][3][4]The ancestral surname of the ruling family was Cao (曹)[1].
Zhu subsequently changed its name to Zou (鄒).[5] The state of Zou was located in the southwest of modern-day Shandong Province.[5] Its territory is now the county-level city of Zoucheng.
The state of Zou was conquered and annexed by the state of Chu during the reign of King Xuan of Chu (r. 369–340 BC).[5] The ruling family and its descendants adopted the Zhu (朱) surname in memory of their former principality of Zhu (邾).[3][5]
The surname Zhu remains a prominent one over much of modern-day China and even overseas.
The small state of Zou is most famous as the birthplace of the Chinese philosopher Mencius.
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