Ba (state) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ba 巴
?–316 BC
Capital	Yíchéng (夷城) Píngdū (平都) Zhǐ (枳) Jīangzhōu (江州) Diànjīang (垫江) Langzhong(閬中)
Government	Monarchy
History
• Established	?
• Disestablished	316 BC
Succeeded by Qin (state)
Today part of	China

The Ba (Chinese: 巴; pinyin: Bā) was an ancient state in eastern Sichuan, China. Its first capital was Yicheng, located in what is now Enshi City, Hubei. The state of Ba was taken over by the powerful Qin state in 316 BC.

Many people today, like the Tujia people, believe their ancestors came from the Ba people. Ba was not a single, unified kingdom. It was more like a group of different clans and tribes that worked together. They all recognized a king. The Ba people mostly hunted and fished for food. They did some farming but did not use advanced irrigation systems.

Where Was the Ba State Located?

The Ba state first controlled land in the Han Valley. Its capital was Yicheng in Hubei. But as the Chu state grew stronger, it pushed Ba further west. Ba had to move its capital several times.

Later capitals or important cities included Jiangzhou (Chongqing), Dianjiang (Hechuan District), and Pingdu (Fengdu). Its final capital was Langzhong. During the Warring States period, Ba shared borders with three very powerful states: Qin, Chu, and Shu.

Key Moments in Ba History

The earliest signs of people living in the Ba region are from about 15,000 years ago. This was found at the Heliang site near Fengdu. Later, a site from the New Stone Age (around 5000 to 3000 BC) was found at Daxi.

How Ba Got Its First Leader

According to an old book called Book of the Later Han, the Ba state was founded by a leader named Lord Lin (Chinese: 廪君). The story says there were five main clans. They decided to have a contest to choose their chief:

The clans needed a leader. They believed in spirits. So, they made a deal: whoever could throw a dagger and stick it into a crack high up on a cliff would be chief. Only Wuxiang, a son of the Ba Clan, could do it. Everyone was amazed. Then they had another contest. Each person got a simple boat. They swore, "Whoever can stay afloat on these rough waters will be chief!" Again, Wuxiang won, while all other boats sank. So, they made him chief and called him Lord Lin.

—Book of the Later Han

Lord Lin led his people to settle in Yicheng. The Ba people also joined with other tribes they met. This made Ba a group of many different peoples.

Ba's Role in Ancient China

The Ba state is mentioned in very old writings from the Shang dynasty (around 13th century BC). These writings show that the Shang king thought about attacking Ba. Ba may have even helped the founders of the Zhou dynasty defeat the Shang in 1046 BC.

Ba first clearly appears in history in 703 BC. An old text, the Zuo Zhuan, says Ba joined with Chu to fight against another state called Deng. Ba and Chu had a complicated relationship. Sometimes they fought, but they also traded and married each other's people. Chu often hired Ba warriors to fight in its army. These Ba soldiers were very skilled.

The Zhou dynasty also had good relations with Ba. They even gave some Ba people the royal family name.

The End of the Ba State

In 316 BC, Ba and Chu teamed up with the Qin state to invade Shu. After they successfully took over Shu, Qin immediately turned on its allies. Qin captured the last Ba king. The Ba state was then taken over by Qin. However, Qin allowed the Ba leaders to keep some power. They did not force many Qin people to move into Ba territory.

Ba–Shu Culture

As the state of Chu moved west, it pushed the Ba people closer to the Shu region. This interaction helped create the unique Ba–Shu culture in Sichuan.

Important Symbols and Practices

The tiger was very important in Ba beliefs. The white tiger was especially respected. A legend says that Lord Lin, the first king of Ba, turned into a white tiger when he died. Many items found at Ba sites have tiger designs.

Archaeologists have also found signs that the Ba people might have offered human sacrifices. The Book of the Later Han suggests these were made to the white tiger spirit of Lord Lin.

Warfare was a big part of Ba society. Their warriors were known for being strong and were often hired by other states. They helped Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu, who later became Emperor Gaozu of Han. They also served the Han dynasty.

Ba Art and Music

Many weapons have been found in Ba graves. Some have special curved blades. Other unique things from Ba–Shu culture include boat-shaped coffins. They also used special bronze drums called chunyu (錞于). These drums had a tiger figure on top and were used to communicate during battles. Like other ancient Chinese states, they made beautiful bronze pots called dings.

The Ba people were also famous for their music and dance. They created a special dance style and music that was popular for many centuries. This dance, called Ba Yu (Chinese: 巴渝), was loved by Emperor Gaozu of Han. Large performances of the dance involved warriors waving weapons while drums played and songs were sung in the Ba language. It stayed popular even into the Tang dynasty.

Ba Writing Systems

The Ba–Shu culture developed its own writing systems. These symbols are different from Chinese characters. Three types of Ba–Shu scripts have been found on bronze objects. None of them have been fully understood yet.

One script looks like pictures. It was used to decorate weapons found in Ba graves. A second script has been found on weapons and other items. Some experts think this script might be phonetic, meaning symbols represent sounds. The third script is only known from an inscription on a bronze pot lid.

Ba in Space

The Ba state is represented by the star Epsilon Serpentis. This star is part of the Right Wall group in the Heavenly Market enclosure in Chinese astronomy.