The Chu Clan#

Surname: Chu, pronounced as “chǔ”

Distribution of the Chu Clan#

• Jiangling Commandery: Originally the Ying Commandery of the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn period, it was established as Jiangling County during the Han dynasty and became the administrative center of the Nan Commandery. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Qi state reorganized it as Jiangling Commandery, with its capital in Jiangling (present-day Jiangling, Hubei). At that time, its jurisdiction included the area of present-day Jiangling County, Hubei, as well as parts of eastern Sichuan.
• Xinping Commandery: Established in the late Sui dynasty from the Xinping County of the Beidi Commandery.

Origins of the Chu Clan#

The Chu surname has several origins:

1. It may have originated from the Mi surname, stemming from the fief granted by King Cheng of Zhou to Xiong Yi, the great-grandson of Yu Xiong, a descendant of the Gao Yang clan. This is an example of a surname derived from the name of a state.
2. It could also originate from the Ji surname, stemming from Ji Lin Chu, a high-ranking official of the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn period. This is another example of a surname derived from the name of an ancestor.
3. Some members of the clan changed their surnames during the Tang dynasty as a result of避难 (avoiding persecution).
4. Another origin is related to Chu Long, a servant of Zhao Xiangzi, a high-ranking official of the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period. This again reflects the practice of adopting a surname based on the name of an ancestor.
5. The surname may have been adopted from the Mongolian or Manchu ethnic groups after they were Sinicized.
6. There are also cases where the surname originated from the Lisu ethnic group after they were Sinicized.
7. According to legend, the Chu surname originates from the ancient sage Chu Lao, who is considered the progenitor of the clan.

Progenitor of the Chu Clan:
Xiong Yi was the founder of the Chu state during the Western Zhou period. He was a great-grandson of Yu Xiong and a descendant of the Xiong Ying clan. In the early Zhou dynasty, the Xiong Ying clan assisted King Wu of Zhou’s son, Wu Geng, in his rebellion against Zhou. After the failure of the rebellion, they were forced to move south and establish their base in the Jing Mountains (west of present-day Nanzhang, Hubei). When Xiong Yi came to power, King Cheng of Zhou remembered Yu Xiong’s contributions and granted him the city of Danyang as his fief, naming the state Jing. Xiong Yi later moved the capital to Ying, and the state was renamed Chu. During the Eastern Zhou period, Chu became the largest vassal state in the south and was very powerful for a time. The state was eventually conquered by Qin during the Warring States period. Later descendants of the Chu people adopted the state name as their surname to honor their former homeland, with Xiong Yi being revered as the progenitor of the Chu clan.

Population Distribution:
During the Song dynasty, there were approximately 48,000 people with the Chu surname, mainly distributed in Henan, Sichuan, Hebei, Guangxi, and Jiangxi. Henan was the province with the largest population of Chu people, accounting for about 40% of the national total. By the Ming dynasty, the population had significantly decreased to less than 10,000, with most living in Shandong, Hebei, Hunan, and Henan. Today, the Chu surname has a population of about 280,000, ranking 252nd among the most common surnames in China, accounting for approximately 0.023% of the national population. The population growth of the Chu surname has shown a V-shaped trend over the past 1,000 years since the Song dynasty. The main concentrations of the Chu surname are in Henan, Hebei, and Sichuan, which together account for about 73% of the total Chu population. Other significant populations are found in Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Shandong, and Anhui.

Hall Names of the Chu Clan:
Common hall names for the Chu clan include “Bingde Hall,” “Jiangling Hall,” “Gangjie Hall,” “Zizhi Hall,” and “Tingxue Hall.”

Clan Characteristics:

1. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Chu clan was prominent, but after the fall of the state to Qin, they became relatively obscure. Before the Song dynasty, the Chu clan was relatively quiet.
2. The Chu surname is related to other surnames such as Xiong, Jing, and Mi, as they all share common ancestral roots.
3. Unique couplets reflecting the history of the clan include: “Ranked among the Five Hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period, rising to become one of the Seven Warring States powers during the Warring States period,” “The morning star and water clock have been celebrated for millennia; the ancient ruins of Gusu Tower still stand,” and “A distinguished official during the Song dynasty, a renowned general during the Yuan dynasty.”

Notable People with the Chu Surname:

• Chu Yan: An astronomer from Kaifeng (present-day Yanjin, Henan), who was well-versed in various mathematical texts and was appointed to the Imperial Observatory during the Song dynasty.
• Chu Bian: A general from Anfeng (present-day Anhui) during the Yuan dynasty, who served under the Jin and later the Song dynasty. He died in battle while defending the city of Suzhou during the Mongol invasion.

Conclusion:
The Chu clan has a rich history and a wide geographical distribution. Its prominence during certain periods is evident from historical records, and its adoption of the state name as a surname reflects the importance of the state in Chinese culture.