The Ba Clan#

Clan Name: Ba, Pronounced: bā

Distribution of the Ba Clan#

• Gaoping Commandery: During the Western Jin Dynasty, the original Shanyang Commandery from the Han Dynasty was renamed Gaoping Commandery. Its administrative center was located in Changyi, in the area of present-day Juye County, Shandong Province.
• Bohai Commandery: Established in the Western Han Dynasty, its administrative center was in Fuyang (around present-day Cang County, Hebei Province). Its jurisdiction included the coastal areas of the Bohai Sea in present-day Hebei and Liaoning Provinces.

Origins of the Ba Clan#

The Ba surname has four possible origins:

1. From the Feng Clan: The surname originated from the Feng clan, with water as its symbolic element. According to "Shixing Kaolüe" and "Lushi," in ancient times, a descendant of Fuxi named Houzhao settled by the Ba River in the eastern part of present-day Sichuan Province. His descendants adopted the name "Ba" after the river.
2. From the Ji Clan: The surname also originated from the Ji clan, with the state (or kingdom) as its symbol. According to "Yuanhe Xingzuan" and "Tongzhi·Shizu Lüe," during the Zhou Dynasty, there was a state called Ba, initially ruled by a viscount. After the state of Ba was annexed by the Qin Dynasty, its rulers adopted the name "Ba" as their surname.
3. From the adoption of surnames by northern ethnic minorities: During the Ming and Qing dynasties (about 300 years ago), many Manchu and Mongolian people who migrated to the Central Plains were influenced by Han culture and adopted the single surname "Ba." Some Manchu surnames that were converted to "Ba" included Albu, Alebazi, Bayar, Barda, and Bayala.
4. From the Bakir family: Another origin relates to the Bakir family.

Founder of the Clan: Houzhao. During the slave-owning era, the Zhou royal family used the surname "Ji." Through the enfeoffment of lords and the granting of territories, the "Ji" surname gave rise to 198 other surnames. The Ba surname was one of these, derived from the state of Ba. According to historical records, Houzhao, a descendant of the Zhou royal family, settled by the Ba River and established the Ba clan.

Hall Names of the Ba Clan: A notable hall name is "Shuangqing Hall," which originates from Ba Manzi, a general from the state of Ba during the Warring States period. When internal strife arose in Ba, he sent an envoy to the state of Chu to request military assistance to quell the rebellion. After the rebellion was suppressed, Ba Manzi offered three cities to Chu in exchange for their support. When Chu refused the cities, Ba Manzi committed suicide by beheading himself. Chu honored his loyalty and buried him with the rites reserved for royal ministers. Other common hall names include "Gaoping Hall."

Migration and Distribution: The Ba clan has not ranked among the top 100 surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. With a history of over 2000 years, the Ba clan first settled in the Wuluo Zhongli Mountains, which are generally believed to be located in present-day Changyang County, Hubei Province. To this day, the Wuluo Zhongli Mountains are still in Changyang County, with two caves named "Chi" and "Hei." The so-called "five surnames" (including Ba) likely refer to five different tribal clans. The story of the five clans competing for leadership reflects the tribal nature of the Ba people in their early history. After Ba Manzi became the leader of the Ba clan, he led them on a westward migration. They first traveled upstream along the Qingjiang River to Yanyang (near present-day Enshi, Hubei). There, a divine woman suggested sharing the land with him, but he refused. She then nightly slept with him and transformed into a flying insect, blocking out the sunlight. After ten days, he gave her a strand of hair as a token of their bond, promising to always be with her. One day, he took advantage of her moment of inattention, shot her with an arrow, and the sky was once again illuminated. He settled in Yicheng (near present-day Enshi). This mythological story indicates the interactions and conflicts between the Ba people and local tribes during their westward expansion.

The Ba clan's influence expanded rapidly, reaching as far north as southern Shaanxi (Hanzhong and Ankang) and as far south as the upper reaches of the Han River. During the late Shang Dynasty, the Ba people established connections with merchants in the Central Plains and became vassal states of the Shang dynasty. However, due to the oppressive rule of the Shang rulers, they migrated westward in the 12th century BCE.