西周王朝经略南方的动态观察

A Dynamic Observation of Western Zhou Dynasty’s Management of the South

西周王朝在其早期阶段通过数条通道南下,强势进入江淮、江汉两个地区,通过军事征伐和设立据点,在此建立起较为稳定的控制体系。西周早中期之际发生的“昭王南征”事件应并未对西周王朝的南方势力造成太大打击,但随后崛起的淮夷势力严重威胁西周王朝对南方的控制,双方自此展开长期对峙,直至“鄂侯驭方叛乱”事件后,西周王朝才取得对淮夷的战略优势,但此时其已无力继续经营南方,遂只能沿用淮夷势力前期在南方建立的秩序。

In its early days, the Western Zhou Dynasty opened up three passages to the southern regions of Jianghan and Jianghuai with a strong force, reaching the northern bank of the Yangtze River. Through enfeoffment, a relatively stable control was established there, enabling its further exploitation in the south. King Zhaowang’s Southern Expedition which happed between the early and middle periods of the Western Zhou Dynasty, was a link of Western Zhou’s early outward expansion strategy. Despite King Zhaowang’s accidental death, this historical event did not cause a severe damage to Western Zhou’s control over the southern area. On the contrary, the Western Zhou Dynasty continued to obtain substantial resources constantly from the south during this period. After the middle period of Western Zhou, the southward migration of Yi people and their assimilation of indigenous people and Zhou’s force led to the rapid restoration and expansion of Huaiyi, since when the Western Zhou could no longer march south through the eastern and middle passages, even the western passage was almost cut off. Therefore the Western Zhou power was basically confined in the Nanyang basin, until the rebellion of Marquis Yufang of E State in the late period of Western Zhou Dynasty. Western Zhou’s victory over the alliance of Marquis Yufang and Huaiyi finally relieved the enormous pressure in the south, and enabled it to restart its management of the south. However, the Western Zhou’s decline at that time forced it to rely to a large extent on the surrendered Huaiyi forces to maintain their control in the south. In the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, when almost all the routes to the south had been cut off, the Zhou Dynasty could only obtain southern resources like copper by indirect means.