The Eastern Yue State: The Ancient Southeastern Kingdom and Historical Changes in the Records of the Grand Historian

Brief Introduction

Eastern Yue, also known as Minyue, was an important regional state active along the southeastern coast of China during the Qin and Han dynasties. Its core area of activity was located in present-day Fujian Province and southern Zhejiang Province, making it a key branch of the "Baiyue" (Hundred Yue) ethnic groups. In the early Han Dynasty, the Eastern Yue State possessed an independent royal system and maintained an ambiguous vassal relationship with the Han Dynasty. However, with the strengthening of Han centralization, Eastern Yue went through a historical process of submission, rebellion, and eventual forced migration. It has become an important case study for understanding border governance and ethnic integration in ancient China.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Geography and Ethnic Characteristics: Eastern Yue was located in the southeastern hills, characterized by rugged terrain and dangerous passes. The people were fierce and skilled in shipbuilding and naval warfare. Their language and customs differed significantly from those of the Central Plains. Belonging to the ancient Yue cultural circle, they retained customs such as cutting their hair and tattooing their bodies.
2. Political Changes: During the reign of Han Gaozu, Wu Zhu, a descendant of King Goujian of Yue, was enfeoffed as the King of Minyue. During the reign of Han Wendi, his brother Yao was enfeoffed as the King of Donghai, historically referred to as "Eastern Yue." The two terms were often used interchangeably in early Han documents, but "Eastern Yue" more specifically refers to the Minyue regime after the division in the early Han period.
3. Historical Outcome: In the first year of the Yu Feng era (110 BC), because the Eastern Yue King Yushan participated in the rebellion of Liu An, the Prince of Huainan, the Han Dynasty sent troops to suppress it. After the war, Emperor Wu of Han ordered the entire Eastern Yue population to be migrated to the region between the Yangtze and Huai rivers (present-day Jiangxi and Anhui provinces). The original homeland was left empty, marking the extinction of the Eastern Yue State, and its ethnic group gradually integrated into the Han Chinese.

Connection with the Content of the Records of the Grand Historian

The rise and fall of the Eastern Yue State are recorded in detail in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), primarily reflected in the following chapters, which provide core historical materials for later generations:

* Records of the Grand Historian - Hereditary House of King Goujian of Yue: This chapter traces the origins of Eastern Yue, records the activities of King Goujian's descendants along the southeastern coast, establishes their historical legitimacy, and explains the blood ties between Eastern Yue and the Yue state in the Central Plains.
* Records of the Grand Historian - Biographies of Huainan and Heshan: This is the core historical material regarding the destruction of Eastern Yue. Sima Qian detailed the rebellion of Eastern Yue King Yushan during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, as well as the process of the Han army suppressing Minyue. The text explicitly mentions "migrating their people to between the Yangtze and Huai," explaining the direct reason for the disappearance of the Eastern Yue ethnic group and reflecting the cruelty and efficiency of the Han Dynasty's "internal migration" policy.
* Records of the Grand Historian - Biographies of Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu Yan: This chapter mentions Zhufu Yan's strategy to migrate the Eastern Yue people, reflecting the Han Dynasty's political considerations regarding border powers, namely cutting off their geographical roots through physical migration.

Through the records in the Records of the Grand Historian, we can not only restore the political trajectory of the Eastern Yue State but also understand the profound impact of Emperor Wu's border integration policies on the distribution of ancient ethnic groups. The disappearance of Eastern Yue marks the complete establishment of the Central Plains dynasty's rule over the southeastern coast, providing a vivid historical footnote for understanding the process of "Great Unity" in later generations.