Foundation

Zheng was founded in 806 BC when King Xuan of Zhou, the penultimate king of the Western Zhou, made his younger brother Prince You (王子友) Duke of Zheng and granted him lands within the royal domain in the eponymous Zheng in modern-day Hua County, Shaanxi on the Wei River east of Xi'an. Prince You, known posthumously as Duke Huan of Zheng, established what would be the last bastion of Western Zhou. He went on to serve as Situ under King You of Zhou. When the Quanrong tribes sacked the Zhou capital Haojing in 771 BC, Duke Huan was killed along with his nephew King You of Zhou.

Duke Huan was succeeded by his son Duke Wu. Along with Marquis Wen of Jin, Duke Wu supported King Ping of Zhou against a rival, thereby helping to establish the Eastern Zhou. He re-established the state of Zheng in modern-day Xinzheng (meaning New Zheng), Henan, and annexed the states of Eastern Guo and Kuai. The Zheng rulers served as high ministers of the Zhou kings for several generations.

Spring and Autumn period

Early dominance

The state of Zheng was one of the strongest at the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period. Zheng was the first Zhou state to annex another state, Xi, sometime between 684 and 680 BC. Throughout the Spring and Autumn period, Zheng was one of the wealthiest states, relying on its central location for inter-state commerce and having the largest number of merchants of any state. Zheng often used its wealth to bribe itself out of difficult situations.

Duke Zhuang of Zheng (743–701 BC) was arguably a forerunner of the Five Hegemons, though Zheng derived its dominance by dramatically different means compared to those of the later hegemons by defeating an alliance of feudal states led by Zhou itself and wounding King Huan of Zhou. When Duke Zhuang died there was a civil war between his sons and Zheng ceased to be a powerful state.

Later period

By the later stages of the period, Zheng had no room to expand. Due to its central location, Zheng was hemmed in on all sides by larger states. During the later stages of the Spring and Autumn period, Zheng frequently switched its diplomatic alliances. Zheng was the center of diplomatic contention between Chu and Qi, then later Chu and Jin. Although Zheng was forced to become a minor player in the later stages of the Spring and Autumn period, it was still quite strong, defeating a combined alliance of Jin, Song, Chen and Wei in 607 BCE.

Under the statesman Zichan, Zheng was the first state to clearly establish a code of law in 543 BCE. Zheng later declined until it was annexed by the state of Han in 375 BCE.

The Zheng family of Xingyang 荥阳郑氏 claim descent from the Zhou dynasty kings through the rulers of the State of Zheng.

The Marquis of Xingyang rank was created for Zheng Xi. The Xingyang Zheng descendants included Zheng Daozhao and Zheng Xi. Zheng Wanjun was a member of the Xingyang Zheng. Other Xingyang Zheng descendants were Zheng Yuzhong (Zheng Qiao) and Zheng Jiong.

List of rulers

Other people from Zheng

• Zichan, celebrated philosopher and statesman

• Zheng Mao, exemplary woman of the Lienü zhuan

• Shen Buhai 申不害, future Prime Minister of Han and "Legalist" philosopher.

历史

早期

前806年，周厉王少子，周宣王弟王子友于郑（今陕西华县的东方）建国，成为郑国第一代君主，是为郑桓公。

郑国初为周王朝的畿内诸侯，周室衰微，郑桓公积极谋寻全身之策，不与周室共存亡。他问史伯：「王室多故，余惧及焉。与其何所（处）可以逃死？」史伯说：「王室将卑，戎狄必昌，不可逼也！」他接著仔细分析了当时形势，只有「济、洛、河、颖之间」（济水、洛水、黄河、颖水）比较安全，那里没有大国，虢（指东虢，位于今河南郑州。位于今河南陕县的为西虢；另外还有位于今陕西的小虢，春秋初年为秦国所灭）、郐国两个小国国君，「皆有骄侈怠慢之心」，稍加武力或贿赂，就可以对付。

郑桓公听从史伯建议，利用自己王朝大臣的身份，通过向虢、郐之君贿赂，取得十邑之地作为新郑国之在东方的立足点。

当周室东迁，郑国的郑武公和郑庄公亦相继为王朝大臣，他们常借天子之名行兼并之实，兼并了周边的一些小诸侯国，包括虢、郐两国。郑国由畿内诸侯成为畿外诸侯。

鼎盛

郑国的东面是鲁、宋，西北是成周、晋，东北是卫，西南就是陈、蔡、许和楚，周围还有许多姬姓、姜姓、偃姓、嬴姓及其他姓的小国，正如《国语·郑语》所说：「是非王之支子母弟甥舅也，则皆蛮荆戎狄之人也。」

周室东迁时，郑、晋都尽了保卫的责任。由于晋国不久分裂为翼（晋）和曲沃两部分，内战频仍，所以王室不得不依靠虢和郑，其都曾以诸侯而兼王室的卿士。郑武公、郑庄公对周的态度都很骄横无礼，平王很不满意，想把权力分一半给虢。庄公知道后，责问平王，平王竭力否认，以致「周郑交质」（即互相交换质子，郑国以世子郑昭公，周王室以太子王子狐），并进行战争。周天子的权威已扫地殆尽了。

郑国充份利用王室大臣的身份，经常利用王室之名为自己谋私利。郑国兼并了周边的小国，侵夺许国，干涉宋、卫、鲁等国，还助齐国赶走入侵的北狄。郑庄公之时的郑国，俨然是春秋初年第一大国。

衰落

郑庄公多宠子。在其死后，郑国即陷入内乱。郑昭公即位后不久，权臣祭仲入宋时为公子突岳父雍氏所迫，改立公子突为郑国国君，公子突是为郑厉公。郑昭公逃到了卫国。不久，郑厉公不满祭仲专权，谋杀祭仲。事泄，祭仲杀雍纠，迎郑昭公复位。但郑昭公与高渠弥有私怨，在一次狩猎时，高渠弥射杀昭公。然高渠弥与祭仲不敢迎郑厉公复位，于是立公子亹为君，是为郑子亹。齐襄公会诸侯于首止，郑子亹去参加会盟，高渠弥相礼。结果齐襄公杀郑子亹，高渠弥逃回。祭仲与高渠弥迎公子婴于陈，立为国君，是为郑子婴。不久，齐国攻郑，郑子婴、祭仲和高渠弥等皆被杀，郑厉公由边邑入郑，复位。

经过几次君位争夺，郑国国势大不如前，而周边列强则纷纷而起。南方的楚国早已不尊周王室号令，求加爵位不成之后自立为王，并大肆兼并汉水诸姬，直接面对郑国。而北方的晋国，曲沃一族对晋国公室的斗争取得了绝对优势。齐国则实行了改革，齐桓公开始称霸。郑国位置处于四战之地，无险可守，且夹于大国之间。因此列强争霸，常把郑国作为战场。在对外政策中，郑时而亲楚，时而亲晋，但大多数时期亲楚。

郑国自郑襄公开始，七穆轮流执政，掌控国家大权，而郑国国君则势力大衰。七穆执政时期，只有子产（郑穆公之孙，又称国侨或公孙侨，子产是他的字）当国时采取灵活的外交策略，郑国得以取得喘息之机，国力稍稍有所恢复。但子产之后，郑国仍复如旧，国家已势不可为。

前712年，郑、秦、晋三国伐许，许国战败，退居原许国东偏。前697年，东偏的许国趁郑国内乱，夺回故地。但是不久郑国于前665年和627年，郑国两次伐许。之后前588年、前577年和前576年，郑国三次伐许，许都以割地请和。前576年，许国长期为郑国所逼，只好远离旧许，迁至楚方城外的叶，寻求楚的保护。之后许虽然在其他各国帮助下复国，但是最终于前504年为郑国所灭。

灭亡

进入战国，郑国仍然得以苟延残喘。此时郑国最大之敌人已经是新兴的韩国。然郑国仍内乱内斗不止。郑哀公为国人所杀，共公、幽公相继而立。韩国攻郑，杀幽公。于是国人立幽公之弟公子骀为君，是为郑繻公。韩非则称郑国发生了太宰欣取郑事件，此事详情已难以考证。郑繻公在位时，与韩国的战争互有胜负，而且形势曾一度好转。繻公十五年，韩伐郑，取郑之雍丘；繻公十六年，败韩于负黍；繻公二十三年，围韩阳翟。前375年，郑国灭于韩国。

在韩即将灭郑之际，郑国再次内乱。郑繻公杀其相子阳，而子阳之党又杀繻公。郑国这时根本不需要外国来灭也会自己灭亡。子阳之时，郑国已经一分为三。郑君乙二年，郑负黍反，归韩，十一年，取阳城，二十一年（前376年）韩灭郑。

郑国七穆

郑国「七穆」，是指郑穆公兰的子孙，其中包括良氏、游氏、国氏、罕氏、驷氏、印氏、丰氏。由于同出自郑穆公，因此把这七家统称为七穆。七穆自郑襄公开始轮流把持了郑国军政大权，成为郑国实际的统治者。因此他们往往与鲁国的三桓并称。

• 良氏：公子去疾，字子良，其后为良氏。代表人物有公孙辄（子耳）、良宵（伯有）、良止

• 国氏：公子发，字子国，其后为国氏，代表人物有子产（名侨，称国侨或公孙侨）；

• 驷氏：公子騑，字子驷，其后为驷氏，代表人物有子西（即公孙夏）

• 罕氏：公子喜，字子罕，其后为罕氏，代表人物有公孙舍之，以及舍之子罕虎、罕魋。

• 丰氏：子丰，名平，其后为丰氏，代人的有公孙段、丰卷。

• 游氏：公子偃，字子游，其后为游氏，代表人物有公孙虿、公孙楚、游眅（子明）、游吉（子大叔）

• 印氏：子印，其后为印氏，主要代表人物有公孙黑肱（子张）、印段、印癸

郑国君主列表及在位年份

注：郑共公在位年数据杨宽《战国史料编年辑证》作了修正。

外部链接

• 郑史编年辑录

• 李峰：〈西周金文中的郑地和郑国东迁 〉。