It has been suggested that this article bemerged withSui (state). (Discuss) Proposed since October 2025.

Zeng 曾
Western Zhou (1045–771 BC)[1]–5th century BC[1]
Map showing the state of Zeng during Zhou dynasty
History
• Established	Western Zhou (1045–771 BC)[1]
• Disestablished	5th century BC[1]

Zeng (Chinese:曾;pinyin:Zēng) was a historical state inChina. The state existed during the time of theZhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) and had territory in the area aroundSuizhou in modernHubei province. Archaeological findings indicate that Zeng could have been the same state asSui. The state of Zeng got attention partly because of the finding ofTomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in 1978.

The center of the territory of Zeng was in the western part of Suizhou^[2] and findings indicate that the area reached up to the south west border ofHenan province.^[1] Suizhou was an important military hub because of its strategic location towards the threatening state ofChu.^[3] The area was also an important transport route between Chinese Central Plateau and thecopper findings at the middleYangtze.^[4] All the tombs of the lords of Zeng state were found within 10 km from each other in Suizhou.^[4]

A historical record indicate that the state of Zeng was founded during the time ofWestern Zhou (1045 – 771 BC) and had its peak of political ambitions in the beginning ofEastern Zhou (770–256 BC). Zeng still existed in the beginning of theWarring States period that started in the early 5th-century BC.^[1]

Zeng was mentioned in the historical chronicleSpring and Autumn Annals where also another state named Zeng was mentioned that was located in theShandong province.^[1]

In most of the earliest Chinese historical annals, Sui was the only state mentioned in the actual area around Suizhou in Hubei during the time for Eastern Zhou. Based on a few relics in the 1930s where the state of Zeng was mentioned, historian started to speculate that another state also existed in the area at the same time.^[3]

A large number of findings with inscriptions of "Zeng" were found after 1949 in the territory of former Sui; this confirmed the speculation.^[3]

After the finding ofTomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in 1978 together with a large number of other well-preserved artefacts from the same area led to discussions around the relationship between Zeng and Sui, and many theories figured. On October 4, 1978, the historian Li Xueqin published the article "The Riddle of the State of Zeng" inGuangming Daily where he stated that the state of Zeng and Sui were the same place.^[3]

The professor Ren Wei from the Archaeology Department of Zhengzhou University had the theory that Zeng conquered and occupied the state of Sui, but the most supported theory is the one from Li Xueqin^[2][3] and it was common during the Eastern Zhou that one state use two names.^[3]

• Sui (state)

• Li, Min (2018).The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-1107141452.
• Feng, Li (2009).Landscape and Power in Early China: The Crisis and Fall of the Western Zhou. Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0521108119.
• Fong (1980).The Great bronze age of China: An Exhibition from the Peoples Republic of China. Metropolitan Museum of Art.ISBN 978-0870992261.

• Ancient Chinese states
• States of the Spring and Autumn period
• States of the Warring States period
• Zhou dynasty

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