The Mu Clan#

Clan Name: Mu, Pronounced: mù

Distribution of the Mu Clan#

Henan Commandery: During the Qin Dynasty, it was known as Sanchuan Commandery. In the second year of Emperor Gaozong of the Western Han Dynasty (Bingshen, 205 BCE), it was renamed Henan Commandery, with its administrative center in Luoyang (present-day Luoyang, Henan). At that time, its territory included the areas south of the Yellow River and the lower reaches of the Luo River and Yi River in Henan, the upper reaches of the Shuangji River and Jialu River, as well as the Yuanyang area north of the Yellow River. It governed twenty-two counties, roughly corresponding to the present-day counties and cities of Mengjin, Yanshi, Gongyi, Xingyang, Yuanyang, Zhongmu, Zhengzhou, Xinzheng, Xinmi, Linru, Ruyang, Yichuan, and Luoyang in Henan Province. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, with Luoyang as the capital, the officials in Henan Commandery were referred to as "Yin" rather than "Taishou" (governors). In the early Sui Dynasty, it was abolished and later re-established as Yuzhou Henan Commandery. In the Tang Dynasty, it became Luozhou Henan Prefecture, with a much smaller jurisdiction than in the Han Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was known as Henan Road, and in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was again Henan Prefecture. In the Republic of China, it was established as Henan Province.

Runan Commandery: Established in the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (Wuxu, 203 BCE), with its administrative center in Shangcai (present-day Shangcai, Henan). Its territory included the areas between the Ying River and Huai River in Henan, to the east of the Jingguang Railway, to the west of the Ci River and Xifei River in Anhui Province, and to the north of the Huai River, including the areas around Yancheng, Shangcai, and Pingyu counties. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE), the administrative center was moved to Pingyu (present-day Pingyu, Henan).

Henei Commandery: In ancient times, the area north of the Yellow River was called Henei, while the areas south and west of it were called "Hewai." The commandery was established around the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, during the transition between the Chu and Han dynasties (around the 3rd century BCE), with its administrative center in Huai County (present-day Wushie, Henan). Its territory included the area north of the Yellow River and to the west of the Jinghan Railway, including Jixian County. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Wei Dynasty, Henei Commandery was split to create Chaoge Commandery (present-day Qi County, Hebei), which was then transferred to Jizhou (present-day Ji County, Hebei); three counties (Juan, Yuanwu, and Yangwu) were later reattributed to Henei Commandery. Other counties belonged to Yanzhou (with its administrative center in Linqiu, present-day Juan County, Shandong) and the Chenliu state.

During the Republic of China, it was established as Henan Province.

Origin of the Mu Clan#

The Mu clan has a long history in China and has produced many notable individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the Chinese nation. In the "Baijiaxing" (List of Hundred Surnames) compiled during the Song Dynasty, the Mu clan was ranked 98th, and in modern population statistics, it ranks 230th. The Mu clan is not among the top 100 largest clans in mainland China or Taiwan.

The origins of the Mu surname include:

1. Derived from the Zi surname, originating from Zi He, the brother of King Xuan of the Song state during the Spring and Autumn Period. This originated from using the posthumous title as a surname.
2. Derived from the Tibetan ethnic group, which was sinicized and became a surname.
3. Derived from the Xianbei ethnic group, originating from the Xianbei Tuobula tribe's Qiumliling clan, which was also sinicized and became a surname.
4. Derived from the Mongolian ethnic group, which was sinicized and became a surname.
5. Derived from the Hui ethnic group, which was sinicized and became a surname.
6. Derived from the Manchu ethnic group, which was sinicized and became a surname.
7. Derived from the Oroqen ethnic group, which was sinicized and became a surname. The Oroqen Mu Lu clan has lived in the Soren area (west of the Nenjiang River in present-day Heilongjiang). Later, the Manchu adopted this surname; in Manchu, it means "ridge."

Founding Ancestors of the Mu Clan:

• Song Mugong (Zi He), Mushi, Mugubili, Niyazamu, Guojia Muzhang'a.

Migration and Distribution: The Mu clan is a typical example of a multi-ethnic, multi-origin surname group. It ranks 206th in the current list of surnames, with a population of approximately 553,000, accounting for about 0.034% of the national population. The migration of the Mu clan began during the Spring and Autumn Period. In 609 BCE, internal strife in the Song state forced some Mu clans to flee and spread throughout the country. Later, Mu clans also appeared in the Chu and Lu states. For example, Liu Jiao, the brother of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang), had a classmate named Mushi who served as a senior official in the Chu state, indicating that the Mu clan had migrated from