A Study On The Geo-political Questions Of Xi State In Yin Shang Dynasty

In 1979, as the series of Yin dynasty graves had been discovered in Tian Hu villiage of Luo Shan county in He Nan province, the related research on it had also started. According to the former scholars’researches, we can known that the hoster lived at Huai river and they were the very important military forces located in the south frontier of the Kindom of Shang in Yin dynasty. The archaeological materials unearthed from graves can provide many useful clues for people to better analyze the Xi state’s own history, the civilization of Huai river, and the south frontier area of the kindom of Shang in Yin dynasty and so on. The researches on Xi state and its surrounding frontier areas can not only helps us to know the earlier civilization development of Huai river, but also to know some related questions about the south frontier in Shang dynasty, and to have a good understanding on the geo-political questions in Shang dynasty. Recently, the scholars’ researches on Xi state’s observation and analysis still stays the superficial stage, and they have no specialized and systematic ways to do some deeply studies. According to some historical literature, Xi state’s literature forms keeps close pace with the Kingdom of Shang, however, it also retain its own culture with regional characteristics. Combined with the historical and geographical aspects of prehistoric information of Xi state, this area has been affected by the literature represented by Yangtze river. When Xi State settled here, it had to follow the reality that it should absorb the local culture into its own culture. Its political center located in the area of LuoShan County, XinYang City. As related material shows, it lies east to HuangChuan County, West than XinYang City, South over Dabie Mountains to reach the small part of northern Hubei Province, northern Huai River. However, its geographical position hold "the YiYang SanGuan", which is the strategic channel connecting North and South. The Kingdom of Shang relies on this channel to manage the south area and get the payments from the South. The mineral resources of XinYang, the north area of HuBei Province and the jade of Nan Yang area also trade to the central plains by this channel. However, the same channel which can trade to NanXiang basin connecting south and north area is controlled by JingChu and local hostile powers. Xi State and other stronger powers of adjoining areas deference to The Kingdom of Shang, being an important military force in this region. Since the beginning of Shang period, the Kingdom of Shang gradually lost the real control rights of the south part of Dabie Mountain. In fact, Dabie Mountain and Tongbai Mountain are the southern border area line of the Kingdom of Shang, and also the frontier area of facing south, being the intermediate zone between north and south. In the late of the Kingdom of Shang, it had been completely conquered the northwest area, but the east and the south were of endless flames of war. Especially during the period of emperor Yi and Xin, Shang Kingdom crusaded JiangHuai area’s local power several times. The Xi State located in the most important strategic area played an important role during this period. Although there was no historical material which can prove this opinion, the Shang Dynasty’s relevant system in accordance with unearthed artifacts by LuoShan Tian Lake cemetery had provide some related proofs. At the same time, we discovered a lot of inscriptions from the unearthed artifacts, most of which belonged to armorial inscription, which represented some local powers except the Xi State. Thus it can be seen although Xi State belonged to the south in Shang’s politics pattern, but it fighted for foreign diplomatic actively. It maintained the independence and development of its own by marriage and wars. Xi State participated in all kinds of national political affairs of the Kingdom of Shang, from which we can discover that it played an important role in Shang Dynasty’s politics, and we can also had a more detailed and in-depth observation and study on the geo-political questions in Shang Dynasty. Meanwhile, Xi State located in the place which was the key channel of connecting south and north, being called "the YiYang SanGuan", which made it played an important role in political and military confrontation, resource control, security of tribute and the transports. Other places can also connect the south and north, but they were taken over by their hostiles. Thus, Xi State’s responsibilitis were much heavier than the other counties. The tributes and mineral resources in the south area were smoothly arrived to DaYi Shang by this channel. Finally, by comparing with its contemporaries of the Kingdom of Shang about other boundaries, we can conclued that the geographical environments had an great influence on the political geograpy patterns. However, the south situations of the Kingdom of Shang had also determined its border policies which should tend to the southern boundaries, and give more powers and ranks to the local forces. Thus when reflected in the burials, we can found that the third period, especially the fourth period in the Yin Ruins Cultures, the grades and specifications of the unearthed artifacts had also improved remarkably. According to this, we can briefly know the frontier policies and the political patterns in the late of the Kingdom of Shang. The later frontier situations and policies of the Kingdom of Shang provided some development opportunities for the local forces, but with the restrictions of its geographical environment, Xi State had not obtained considerable developments. Thus the civilization developments of the upper reaches of Huai River has its own unique performance.