Tsai (kingdom)

Founder Zhou Wu-Wan granted titles and lands to his younger brothers. One of them, Ji Du, received a patrimony called Tsai, centered in the present county of Shantsai (literally, “Upper Tsai”; in the Zhumadian District of Henan Province), and received the name Tsai Shudu (“Uncle Tsai”). Although other brothers subsequently took his estate, his son, Ji Hu (Cai Zhong) was able to get it back.

During the Chunqiu period, possessing only nominal central authority, the Tsai kingdom was forced to move several times after the invasion of the Chu kingdom, first in 531 BC. e. to neighboring Xincai ( en: Xincai County , “New Tsai”), and subsequently to Zhoulai (present-day Huainan ) in an area called Xiaqai (“Lower Tsai”). In 447 BC e. Chu Tsar Hui ( 惠 ) conquered Tsai and the territory of the kingdom became part of the northern military border of the Chu kingdom.

Tsai rulers were allowed to resettle south of the Yangtze River , on the territory of the present Changde district, and found the settlement of Gaoqai there, but this dwarf state was abolished after 80 years.

With the extension of surnames to all social strata in the Qin empire, founded in 221 BC. e., many former citizens of Tsai kingdom took the name Tsai in memory of their former homeland.

After the completion of the history of Tsai's kingdom, two major migrations of his descendants took place. During the riot of Huang Chao (875 CE) at the end of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), the Tsai clan migrated to Guangdong and Fujian . The second major migration occurred when in the XVII century. Zheng Chenggong transported military officials with the surname Tsai with their families to Taiwan . As a result, the surname Tsai is much more common in these areas inhabited by descendants of immigrants than in other parts of China.

• Tsai Shudu (Ji Du), Wuwang's younger brother.
• Tsai Zhong (Ji Hu).
• Tsai Bo Juan.
• Gong Hou.
• Li-hou.
• Wow. (863) -838 B.C. e.
• E-hou. 837-810 BC e.
• Si-hou so-shi. 809-762 BC e.
• Gong Hou Xing. 761-760 BC e.
• Hi-hou. 759-750 BC e.
• Xuan Hou Tso Fu. 749-715 BC e.
• Huan Hou Feng Ren. 714-695 BC e.
• Ai-hou Xian-woo. 694-675 BC e.
• Mu-hou Xi. 674-646 BC e.
• Zhuang-hou Jia-woo. 645-612 BC e.
• Wen Hou Shen. 611-592 BC e.
• Jing Hou Gu. 591-543 BC e.
• Lin-hou Ban. 542-531 BC e.
• Ping Hou Lu. 530-522 BC e.
• Tao Hou Dong-go. 521-519 BC e.
• Zhao Hou Shen. 518-491 BC e.
• Cheng Hou Shaw. 490-472 BC e.
• Sheng Hou Chan. 471-457 BC e.
• Yuan hou. 456-451 BC e.
• Hou Qi. 450-447 BC e.

The state of Tsai is repeatedly mentioned in early Confucian literature. ^[1] However, in ancient times, the word 蔡 (Tsai) was not only the name of the country, but also the name of a certain large turtle . It is believed that the principality Tsai was famous for its turtles ^[2] , or, at least, was located on the trade route through which, among other goods, the tortoise shells from the Yangtze Valley, which were valued for traditional fortune telling on turtles , were also delivered to northern China. ^[3] In this regard, the meaning of some citations is not unambiguous for modern researchers. So, Confucius said (according to the translation and interpretation of V.P. Vasiliev ):

According to another interpretation, the meaning of the quote is that Zang Wenzhong did not realize that this type of decor was appropriate only for the ruler of the country - so he could know the architecture, but not the norms of behavior in a feudal society. ^[3] The words 居 蔡 ( ju cai ) in a laconic ancient Chinese text can be understood, however, not only as “kept the turtle 'cai'” but also as “lived in (the principality) Tsai”. In this case, Confucius could talk about the wealthy sales representative of his native principality of Lu in the neighboring principality of Tsai. ^[3]