Cao (kingdom)

Due to the relative weakness of the state of Cao, only a few records of events relating to the early history of the kingdom are known. The only major event recorded in the Historical Notes of the historian of Western Zhou (1046–770 BC) happened in 826 BC. e., when Prince You Cao was killed by his younger brother, Prince Dai Cao. At the beginning of the Eastern Zhou era (770 BC), Cao's kingdom suffered internal turmoil. In 760 BC e. Prince Mu Cao killed his older brother Cao Earl Fei Cao and appointed himself the eleventh ruler of the kingdom. He was the first ruler of the state of Cao, who received the title "prince" (公). During the Chunqiu Period, the state of Cao entered into a struggle for hegemony with the kingdoms of Jin and Chu. In 637 BC e. Chunyar, the son of Jin Prince Xiang, fell into a difficult position when traveling through the kingdom of Cao and rude to Prince Gong Cao. As a result of this, in 630 BC e. Cao became vassals or allies of Chu. When the Chu began a campaign against the Song State, the Jin attacked the territory of Cao. After Jin defeated Chu at the Battle of Chengpu in 632 BC e., Jin defeated the state of Cao, saved the state of Song and freed Prince Gong, who was imprisoned in Cao.

After the defeat of the state of Chu, Cao submitted to the neighboring kingdom of Jin . Later, the states of Cao and Song began to quarrel among themselves. The work of Sima Qian said that the ruler Cao Dao-gun in 515 BC. e. went to Song in order to introduce himself to Jing-gong who had just sat on the throne. In principle, the practice of a similar town existed, although it was far from always and not always respected. Therefore, there was nothing unusual in the visit. The unusual thing was (why it became the object of attention of Syma Qian) that the Tsao ruler was imprisoned in Song, where he died a few months later, after which his body was returned to Cao. It is not clear from the message of Sima Qian what the Tsaosky Tao-bo was guilty of and for which he was seized in Song. Nothing has been said about this in the time-appropriate text of Zuo-Zhuang, although the Chunqiu refers to the death and burial of Cao Tao-bo. In a word, the fact remains: the ruler of a strong kingdom unceremoniously insulted, humiliated and brought to death the weaker ruler.

During the riots that erupted in Cao, the successors of Tao Gong, the Tsao princes Sheng and Yin were killed one after another. The last Tsaoist ruler Bo-yang fell under the influence of his beloved Gunsun Qiang and began to pursue an active policy. He changed alliance with Jin and invaded Song. As a result, in 487 BC. e. the suns attacked in return and destroyed the kingdom of Tsai, capturing all its lands. Bo-yang and Gunsun Qiang were captured and executed in Song.

• Chinese Text Project "Rulers of the States"