沿革

周武王灭商后，封其五弟叔度于蔡。杨宽认为「蔡」「祭」古音同，通用。蔡叔所封之蔡原在祭，建都于蔡。

周朝初年，两代蔡侯接力筑城，终于建起一道古城墙。这道有千年历史的城墙至今还存在，位于今河南郑州管城区祭城村。

周武王死后，周公摄政，蔡叔度与管叔等不信任，因而发动三监之乱，周公东征打败蔡叔，迁之，与车十乘，徙七十人从。……蔡叔度既迁而死。其子曰胡，胡乃改行，率德驯兽。……于是周公言于成王，复封胡于蔡，以奉蔡叔之祀，是为蔡仲。」（《史记．管蔡世家》）此为蔡国二度受封，迁都今河南省上蔡县。

春秋初年，蔡国尚出兵与鲁、宋等伐郑。前684年楚国利用蔡国、息国二国的矛盾，出兵俘虏蔡哀侯，将蔡国纳入楚国控制范围。从此，在楚的压迫下蔡国深受其害。前531年，楚一度灭蔡，三年后蔡平侯复国，并迁都吕亭（今河南新蔡）。前506年蔡国曾随吴国伐楚，并攻入郢都。前493年在楚国的逼迫下，蔡昭侯迁都州来（安徽凤台），经五世，最终于前447年为楚所并。

从秦汉时期集中于中原地区的蔡姓最飞黄腾达的时刻随著几千年的时间逐渐往海岸线定居迁徙，至今主要集中于广东，浙江，江苏，东南沿海地区高比例的蔡姓家族

蔡国君主列表及在位年份

蔡国自蔡叔度就国到蔡侯齐被楚国灭，共历26任君主。

History

Following his overthrow of the Shang king Zhou, King Wu of Zhou granted titles and territories to his younger brothers. The fifth brother, Cai Shu Du, was enfeoffed at present-day Shangcai (lit. "Upper Cai") in Henan. During the Three Guards Rebellion, he attempted to usurp the Duke of Zhou's position as regent to the young king and his defeat meant his deposition and exile.

Du's son Ji Hu, however, proved a loyal and capable ambassador for Cheng and the Duke of Zhou, and they rewarded him with the reestablishment of his father's territory and title, which he was able to pass on to his son, Ji Huang.

As the Chinese peerage developed, Cai was initially considered a county and then elevated to a march; it was never able, however, to become a duchy or kingdom in its own right. Invasions from Chu during the Spring and Autumn period relocated Cai several times, first to Xincai (lit. "New Cai") in 531 BC and later to Xiacai (lit. "Lower Cai") at present-day Fengtai in Anhui. In 447 BC, King Hui of Chu conquered Cai completely, but allowed the marquesses to settle near Changde in Hunan and establish a rump state called Gaocai (lit. "Great Cai"). This was destroyed 80 years later.

Legacy

With the spread of surnames to all Chinese during the Qin dynasty, many people from the former state took the surname Cai in memory of their former home.

These former subjects have undertaken two major migrations. During the Huang Chao Rebellion against the Tang in AD 875, the Cai clan moved to Guangdong and Fujian. A later migration occurred when the Ming loyalist Koxinga relocated many Cai officers to Taiwan in the 17th century.

Rulers of Cai

The rulers of Cai were all descended from the Zhou imperial Ji family and – after the first three – held the rank of hou ("Marquis").

• Shu Du of Cai

• Zhong Hu of Cai

• Earl Huang of Cai

• Marquis Gōng of Cai (蔡宫侯, Cài Gōnghóu)

• Marquis Li of Cai (蔡厉侯, Cài Lìhóu)

• Marquis Wu of Cai (蔡武侯, Cài Wǔhóu; 863–837 BC)

• Marquis Yi of Cai (蔡夷侯, Cài Yíhóu; 837–809 BC)

• Marquis Xi of Cai (蔡厘侯, Cài Xihóu; 809–761 BC)

• Marquis Gòng of Cai (蔡共侯, Cài Gònghóu; 761–760 BC)

• Marquis Dai of Cai (蔡戴侯, Cài Dàihóu; 759–750 BC)

• Marquis Xuan of Cai (蔡宣侯, Cài Xuānhóu; 749–715 BC)

• Marquis Huan of Cai (蔡桓侯, Cài Huánhóu; né 姬封人, Jī Fēngrén; 714–695 BC)

• Marquis Ai of Cai (蔡哀侯, Cài Āihóu; né 姬献舞, Jī Xiànwǔ; 694–675 BC)

• Marquis Mu of Cai (蔡穆侯, Cài Mùhóu; né 姬肸, Jī Xì; 674–646 BC)

• Marquis Zhuang of Cai (蔡庄侯, Cài Zhuānghóu; né 姬甲午, Jī Jiǎwǔ; 645–612 BC)

• Marquis Wen of Cai (蔡文侯, Cài Wénhóu; né 姬申, Jī Shēn; 611–592 BC)

• Marquis Jing of Cai (蔡景侯, Cài Jǐnghóu; né 姬固, Jī Gù; 591–543 BC)

• Marquis Ling of Cai (蔡灵侯, Cài Línghóu; né 姬般, Jī Bān; 542–531 BC)

• Marquis Ping of Cai (蔡平侯, Cài Pínghóu; né 姬庐, Jī Lú; 530–522 BC)

• Marquis Dao of Cai (蔡悼侯, Cài Dàohóu; né 姬东国, Jī Dōngguó; 521–519 BC)

• Marquis Zhao of Cai (蔡昭侯, Cài Zhāohóu; né 姬申, Jī Shēn; 518–491 BC)

• Marquis Cheng of Cai (蔡成侯, Cài Chénghóu; né 姬朔, Jī Shuò; 490–472 BC)

• Marquis Sheng of Cai (蔡声侯, Cài Shēnghóu; né 姬産, Jī Chuǎn; 471–457 BC)

• Marquis Yuan of Cai (蔡元侯, Cài Yuánhóu; 456–451 BC)

• Marquis Qi of Cai (蔡齐侯, Cài Hóuqí; né 姬齐, Jī Qí; 450–447 BC)

Rulers family tree