Origin of the Western Qiang, Part 2 (HHS087)
[The history of peoples collectively known as Rong from the end of Western Zhou until the destruction of the Yiqu kingdom by Qin in 272 BC.]
During King Yi [of Zhou, r. 885 β 878 BC] there was decline and weakness, and the Wild Domain did not come to court. Therefore he instructed the Duke of Zong to lead the Six Regiments and attack the Rong of Taiyuan. He arrived at Yuquan, and captured a thousand horses.
King Yi was King Mu's grandson, his personal name was Xie
King Li [877 β 841 BC] had not the Way, and the Rong and Di robbed and plundered. They then entered Quanqiu and killed the kin of Qinzhong. The King instructed to attack the Rong, but they did not overcome.
Reaching the fourth year of King Xuan's reign [824 BC], he sent Qinzhong to attack the Rong. He was killed by the Rong. The King therefore summoned Qinzhong's son, Duke Zhuang [of Qin, r. 822 β 778 BC], and gave him 7 000 troops. He attacked the Rong and routed them, and because of that held them back a little. Twenty-seven years later [797 BC], the King dispatched troops to attack the Rong of Taiyuan, they did not overcome. Five years later [792 BC], the King attacked the Tiao Rong and the Ben Rong. The king's regiments were defeated. Two years later [790 BC], the people of Jin defeated the Northern Rong at Fenxi. The Rong people wiped out the district of the Marquis of Jiang. Next year [789 BC], the King campaigned against Shen Rong, and routed them.
Ten years later [779 BC], King You instructed Boshi to attack the Rong of Liuji. The army was defeated and Boshi died there. That year, the Rong besieged Quanqiu, and captured Duke Xiang of Qin's older brother Bofu. At the time King You was muddled and oppressive, and the Four Barbarians invaded one after the other. Thereupon he deposed the Queen Shen and installed Baosi. The Marquis of Shen was angry and together with the Rong robbed Zhou. They killed King You at Li Mountain [in 771 BC], and Zhou then moved east to Luoyi. Duke Xiang of Qin [r. 777 β 766 BC], attacked the Rong and saved Zhou. Two years later [769 BC?], the Marquis of Xing greatly routed the Northern Rong.
Reaching the end of King Ping [r. 770 β 720 BC], Zhou thereupon waned for a long time. The Rong pressured the various Xia. From Long Mountain and eastward, reaching the Yi and Luo, the Rong were present here and there. From that point, the headwaters of the Wei had the Rong of Di, Kai, Gui, and Ji. North of the Jing there were the Rong of Yiqu. In the Luo river-lands there were the Rong of Dali. South of the Wei there were the Li Rong. Between the Yi and Luo there were the Rong of Yangju and Quangao. Westward from the headwaters of the Ying there where the Rong of Manshi.
During the Spring and Autumn period, they were interspersed among the Central States, and made pacts and held assemblies with the various Xia. Duke Zhuang of Lu attacked Qin and defeated the Rong of Gui and Ji.
In the Zuo Transmittals' 18th Year of Duke Zhuang [684 BC], the Duke pursued the Rong to Jixi. In Du Yu's annotations, the Rong invaded Lu. The people of Lu did not know about, after they had left, they then pursued them. 24th Year [678 BC], the Rong invaded Cao.
About ten years later, Jin wiped out the Li Rong. At that time the Rong of Yi and Luo were strong, and to the east they invaded Cao and Lu. Nineteen years later [in 649 BC], the thereupon entered the King's city. At that point Qin and Jin attacked the Rong to save Zhou. Two years later [647 BC], they again robbed the imperial capital. Duke Huan of Qi [685 β 643 BC] summoned the various feudal lords to defend Zhou. Nine years later [638 BC], the Rong of Luhun moved from Guazhou to the Yi river-lands. The Rong of Yunxing moved to within the Wei, to the east reaching unto Huanyuan. Those located north of the Henan Mountain were called the Yin Rong. The offspring of the Yin Rong thereupon multiplied widely.
Duke Wen of Jin [r. 636 β 628 BC] wished to put in place a legacy of hegemony, and therefore rewarded the Rong and Di for opening the roads, and so succoured the royal house. Duke Mu of Qin [r. 659 β 621 BC] obtained Youyu, a man of the Rong, thereupon had hegemony over the Western Rong, enlaring his territory a thousand li.
Youyu had previously been man of Jin who absconded to enter among the Rong. The King of the Rong heard that Duke Mu was worthy, and sent Youyu to observe Qin. Duke Mu of Qin treated him with the courtesy due to a guest. Qin dispatched to the King of the Rong female musicians. Youyu admonished [the Rong King], but was not heeded. Youyu therefore surrendered to Qin and made plans for attacking the Rong.
Reaching Duke Dao Jin [572 β 558 BC], he sent Wei Jiang to make peace with the various Rong, and managed to put in place a legacy of hegemony. At that time, Chu and Jin were strong and flourishing, and awed into submission the various Rong. The Luhun, Yi, Luo, and Yin Rong served Jin, and the Manshi followed followed Chu.
Wei Jiang was a grandee of Jin. See the Zuo Transmittals' 11th Year of Duke Xiang. [562 BC]
Later the Luhun rebelled against Jin. Jin ordered Xun Wu to wipe them out. Forty-four years later, Chu seized the Manshi, and fully took their people prisoner. At that time Yiqu and Dali were extremely strong. They build several tens of cities, and both declared themselves Kings.
Xun Wu was the son of Jin's grandee Zhonghang Muzi. See the Zuo Transmittals' 1st Year of Duke Zhao. [541 BC]
Arriving at the 8th Year of King Zhen of Zhou [461 BC], Duke Li of Qin [r. 476 β 443 BC] wiped out Dali, and seized their territory. Zhao likewise wiped out the Dai Rong, which were precisely the Northern Rong. Han# and Wei then together gradually annexed the Yi, Luo, and Yin Rong, and wiped them out. Those of their remnants who escaped all fled west across the Qian and Long [Mountians]. From that point, the Central States had no Rong robbers, and there only remained the Yiqu of them.
25th Year of King Zhen [444 BC], Qin attacked Yiqu and captured their king. About a hundred years later [331 BC], Yiqu defeated the Qin regiments at Luo. Four years later [327 BC], the state of Yiqu was in chaos. King Hui of Qin dispatched the Chief of Multitudes Cao to bring troops and settle them. Yiqu thereupon became subject to Qin. Eight years later [319 BC], Qin attacked Yiqu, and took Yuzhi. Two years later [317 BC], Yiqu defeated the Qin regiments at Libo. Next year [316 BC], Qin attacked Yiqu, and took the twenty-five cities of Tujing.
Reaching King Zhao's instalment [in 306 BC], the King of Yiqu came to court in Qin. Thereupon he had intercourse with King Zhao's mother, Queen Dowager Xuan, and they begot two sons. Arriving at the 43rd Year of King Nan [of Zhou, 272 BC], Empress Dowager Xuan lured and killed the King of Yiqu at the Ganquan Palace. Following that, they raised troops and wiped them out, and first set up Longxi, Beidi, and Shang commanderies there.
The Rong originally had no lords or chiefs. At the end of the Xiahou clan and at the juncture of Shang and Zhou, some of them followed the feudal lords on campaigns and attacks and had merit. The Son of Heaven gave them feudal ranks and used them as the Vassal Domain. In the time of Spring of Autumn, the Luhun and Mangshi Rong claimed to be Counts [zi], and in the Warring States period, Dali and Yiqu claimed to be Kings. Reaching their decline and destruction, the remnants of their kind all turned back to their old customs and became chieftains.
