Yan (state) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yan 燕
11th century BC–222 BC
Status	Kingdom/Principality
Capital	Ji (蓟) Xiadu
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Zhou dynasty
• Established	11th century BC
• Conquered by Qin	222 BC
Currency	knife money spade money other ancient Chinese coinage
Succeeded by Qin dynasty

Yan
"Yān" in ancient seal script (top) and modern (bottom) Chinese characters
Chinese	燕
Hanyu Pinyin	Yān
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yān Bopomofo ㄧㄢ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Ian Wade–Giles Yen1 IPA [i̯ɛ́n] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Yin or Yīn Jyutping Jin3 or Jin1 Southern Min Tâi-lô Ian Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *ʔˤe[n]

Yan State knife money has been found in many places, including Beijing, Tianjin, and South Korea.

Yan (Chinese: 燕; pinyin: Yān) was an ancient Chinese kingdom that existed during the Zhou dynasty. Its main capital was Ji, which is now known as Beijing. Sometimes, the government also used another capital called Xiadu.

The story of Yan began around the 11th century BC. At first, it was a smaller state under the Zhou kings. But as the Zhou kings lost power, Yan grew stronger. It became one of the most powerful states in China during the Warring States period (from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC). Yan was one of the last kingdoms to be conquered by the armies of Qin Shihuang, who united China. Yan fell in 222 BC, just before the Qin dynasty was officially declared.

After the Qin dynasty collapsed in 207 BC, Yan briefly became independent again. However, it was soon taken over by the powerful Han dynasty. At its largest, Yan stretched from the Yellow River all the way to the Yalu River. It also reached from the mountains of Shanxi to the Liaodong Peninsula. Because Yan was the northernmost Chinese state, it often faced attacks from nomadic groups. To protect itself, Yan built large defensive walls, similar to parts of the later Great Wall.

History of Yan

Ancient bronze items found at the old Yan capital of Liulihe. You can see them at the Beijing Capital Museum.

According to ancient records, the first rulers of Yan were given their land by King Wu of Zhou. This happened after he defeated the previous Shang dynasty around 1046 BC.

In the 11th century BC, Yan's first capital was in a place called Liulihe Township, which is now part of Beijing. Archaeologists have found a large walled town and over 200 tombs of important people there. One important discovery is a bronze pot with writings on it. These writings tell the story of the Duke of Yan's eldest son. He traveled to give gifts to the King of Zhou and was given an important job in the king's court.

Later, around the 7th century BC, Yan took over a smaller kingdom called State of Ji. Yan then moved its capital to Ji, which is now in Xicheng District, Beijing.

Yan's Neighbors and Wars

To the south, Yan's main rivals were the states of Zhao and Qi. The mountains between Zhao and Yan often saw battles between their armies. These wars usually ended in a tie, needing other kingdoms to help make peace.

Around 300 BC, a general named Qin Kai led several attacks against northern nomadic groups. He expanded Yan's borders almost a thousand kilometers to the east. Yan then built a Great Wall along its new northern borders. Five military areas, called commanderies, were set up to defend against these nomads.

People from the central parts of China sometimes looked down on Yan's culture. However, discoveries in Yan show interesting things. For example, some ornaments had Chinese writing but looked like they were made by northern nomadic tribes. Yan's money was shaped like a knife, which was also common among nomads. This shows that trading with the nomads was very important for Yan.

The state of Qi was one of the strongest in China and a big challenge for Yan. In 325 BC, Yan faced a problem when its king, Zikuai, gave up his throne to his minister, Zizhi. The minister then took power. While Yan was dealing with this, Qi invaded in 314 BC and almost completely conquered Yan. But the Qi soldiers behaved badly, and the people of Yan revolted. This drove the Qi away, and Yan's borders were restored.

Yan's new king, King Zhao of Yan, then planned with other states to attack Qi. A brilliant general named Yue Yi led this attack. It was very successful, and most of Qi's cities fell within a year. However, King Zhao died, and the new king sent Yue Yi away. Another general, Tian Dan, then managed to win back all the cities for Qi.

The Fall of Yan

Even with all these wars, Yan survived through the Warring States period. In 227 BC, Qin's armies were getting very close. Crown Prince Dan of Yan sent an assassin named Jing Ke to kill the king of Qin (who later became Qin Shi Huang). The mission failed, and Jing Ke was killed.

The king of Qin was very angry. He sent his general Wang Jian to destroy Yan. The Yan army was defeated at the Yi River. Yan's capital, Ji, fell the next year. The last ruler, King Xi, fled to the Liaodong Peninsula.

In 222 BC, Liaodong also fell, and Yan was completely taken over by Qin. Yan was the third-to-last state to fall. In 221 BC, Qin conquered all of China, ending the Warring States period and starting the Qin dynasty.

After the Qin Dynasty

In 207 BC, the Qin dynasty collapsed, and China fell into a civil war. A general named Han Guang conquered Yan and made himself King of Yan. Later, another general, Zang Tu, killed Han Guang and became King of Yan himself.

Zang Tu joined the Han dynasty to keep his title. But after the war, he rebelled. The Han emperor sent armies to stop him, and Zang Tu was captured and executed. His son fled to live with the Xiongnu nomads.

Lu Wan became the new King of Yan. He ruled for many years until the Han emperor found out he was secretly helping rebels. Lu Wan pretended to be sick and then fled to the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu honored him as a king until he died. After this, Yan became a direct part of the Han dynasty.

Rulers of Yan

Yan Rulers Family Tree

Yan in Astronomy

In Chinese astronomy, Yan is represented by the star Zeta Capricorni. This star is part of the "Twelve States" group in the "Girl" lunar mansion. Yan is also shown by the star Nu Ophiuchi in the "Left Wall" group within the ""Heavenly Market"".

Culture and Society in Yan

Before China was united by the Qin state, each region had its own unique customs. However, the upper classes shared a similar culture. An ancient text called Yu Gong (Tribute of Yu) describes China divided into nine regions. Each region had its own special culture and products. The text says that these regions were united by a wise leader, Yu the Great.

Another text, The Book of Master Wu, talks about the different characteristics of people in various states. The author, Wu Qi, believed that the government and people's nature reflected the land they lived in. About Yan, he said:

Yan's defensive armies are strong but not very flexible.

He also described the people of Yan:

The Yan people are honest and straightforward. They act carefully, love bravery, and value what is right. They rarely use tricks. Because of this, they are excellent at defending their positions, but they don't move or change easily. To defeat them, you should attack quickly with small groups and then retreat fast. When they turn to face your attacks, keep your distance. Attack their rear when they least expect it. When they pull back to face another threat, chase them. This will confuse their generals and make their soldiers worried. If we avoid their strong points and use our chariots to set traps, we can capture their generals and win.

See also

• Xiadu
• History of Beijing