东周楚国联姻考述

The Investigation on Inter-State Marriage of Chu state

楚国与其它诸侯国的联姻是楚国政治生活的重要方面,不仅反映了楚国与各国之间的关系变化,同时也有助于了解东周时期复杂的国际关系。楚国联姻与其国策密切相关,春秋早期为求发展多与周边小国如郧、邓等进行联姻,春秋中晚期至战国初期,争霸使其与其它大国如秦、晋等联姻频繁,战国中晚期楚国由盛而衰,联姻已失去其政治意义。由于文化差异及地理位置关系,楚国无固定的联姻国,与东周王室也无联姻关系。本文结合文献及青铜器铭文,对春秋战国两个时期联姻情况进行考证,并对楚国联姻特点进行了简要论述。

The inter-state marriage was an important aspect of the political life of the Chu state. It reflects not only the changing relations between Chu and others, but also the complicate international relations during the Eastern Zhou periods. In the early Spring and Autumn period, the inter-state marriage occurred between Chu and the neighboring small states such as Yun and Deng, and from the middle and late Spring and Autumn to the early Warring States period, in order to strive for supremacy, Chu normally built up inter-state marriages with other large states, such as Qin and Jin. The political meaning of the inter-state marriage disappeared in the late Warring States period. Because of cultural and geographic reasons, the Chu state did not develop a partner with stable inter-state marriage relationship, nor pursued such a relation with the Zhou royal family. With the assistance of ancient texts and bronze inscriptions, the paper investigates the situation of the inter-state marriages of the Chu state and summarizes its characteristics.