2. 3000 to 2200 BC

2.1. Keywords

  • zhiyou

  • ci

  • banshan

  • culture machang

  • henan

  • culture

  • hmong culture

  • august ones

  • central china

2.2. Events

  • Hmongs established Jiuli kingdom in Zhuolu, an area in northern China (today’s Xie County in Shanxi Province) [Xio00,Zha96,Yan06]. ZhiYou (also spelled ChiYou or Ci You) was the Hmong King during this time, and entered into many conflicts with his Chinese neighbors, Yandi and Huangdi, to the west and north, respectively. Most conflicts and war arose from farming and territorial disputes. Superior military arsenal kept ZhiYou’s forces unstoppable and undefeated. Finally, the Chinese leaders united forces, and ten battles afterwards, Yang Long, a subordinate military commander of Yandi, cleverly released a flood into ZhiYou’s valley. It was in this flood that ZhiYou was killed and the Hmongs were decisively defeated. ZhiYou had three possible burial places, all with enormous mounds, to the northwest, south east and east of Zhuolu [Xio00]. Huangdi means Yellow Emperor; huang = yellow; di = emperor. Huangdi is also known as Xuan Yuanshi [FHC03]. Yandi means Red Emperor [Luo04] or Fiery Emperor; yan = fire; di = emperor. Yandi is also known as Shennong. He is credited with developing agriculture and medicine [FHC03]. ZhiYou means Horned Emperor [Luo04]. ZhiYou and his men used wrestling for military training [RJ99]. This type of wrest ling would later be copied by the Zhou Dynasty. Defeating ZhiYou marked the reign of Huangdi [Bon93]. ZhiYou had 81 brothers. Said of his brothers [Bon93], “The 81 brothers had the body of animals and human voices, brass heads, and iron foreheads. They ate sand. They invented arms.” ZhiYou is said to be the inventor of five kinds of weapons (wubing). However, appalled by ZhiYou, learned authorities may have later credited Huangdi [Gla04b]. ZhiYou is a deity in Han religion who protects against wild spirits [Gla04b]. After ZhiYou died, chaos resumed under Huangdi’s rule. Huangdi ordered for ZhiYou’s image to be placed throughout the land to restore order [Gla04b]. The taotie image on bronzes is ZhiYou [Che01]. Although the taotie motif is recognized with negative connotations today, it was originally worshiped as an auspicious deity [Che01]. Huangdi and Yandi’s alliance would fall apart after the defeat of ZhiYou. They would fight for supremacy in three battles at Banquan, where Huangdi would prevail. The Yan and Huang people would merge and form what is known today as the Huaxia race–ethnic Han or Chinese people [FHC03].

  • After the defeat of ZhiYou, the Hmongs again migrated downward to the central China and later southern China. While in central China, Tao Te and Huang Tua, established the San Miao Kingdom or Peb Hmoob [Xio00]. Hereafter, the Hmong people would continue to migrate from north to south and east to west [Zha96].

  • Zhi You is said to have three sons. From oldest to youngest, the sons were, Pang Ci, Fu Ci, and Li Ci [Zha96]. Li Ci led some Hmong to the north. Fu Ci’s followers stayed behind and merged into the Han. These Hmong are said to have kept and preserve relics of Zhi You which is found in Zhi You village, in Zu Lu county in Hubei province [Zha96]. Some of these relics include a castle, fountain, pond, and pine tree [Xio00,Zha96]. Pang Ci led some Hmong to the south. Pang Ci’s group of Hmong established “The Three Miao Groups” or San Miao. Today’s generations of Hmong are said to be descended from Pang Ci’s Hmong group.

  • It is believed that most of Hmong culture was developed during the Jiuli time since it was a period of peace and prosperity. Later times, when Hmong would no longer have sovereignty and be engaged in frequent wars, the development of Hmong culture is said to even stop [Zha96].

  • (3000–1900) Longshan Culture was known as the Black Pottery Culture and existed in the middle and lower Yellow River valley areas of northern China.

  • Henan means ‘south of the (Yellow) River’. Huanghe means ‘Yellow River’: Hmong people recall Huanghe with a saying, “tsis pom Dej Dag ces siab tsis nqig”, which translates loosely into “if one does not see the Yellow River, then his heart is not content.” Henan is regarded as the cradle of Far Eastern Civilization. Much archaeological finds of ancient civilizations occur in the Henan region [Lee05].

  • (2852–2070) Three August Ones and Five Emperors were a group of mythological rulers or deities.

  • (2700–2300) Yangshao Culture, Banshan phase

  • (2400–2000) Yangshao Culture, Machang phase