kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

State of Wu

585 BCE – 473 BCE (approx.) · capital Gusu

The lower Yangtze kingdom that rose suddenly under Helü and Fuchai, sacked the Chu capital in 506 BCE and fell to its rival Yue in 473 BCE.

Origins

Wu, also called Gouwu, claimed descent from Taibo and Zhongyong, uncles of King Wen of Zhou, who were said to have settled among the tattooed peoples of the south. It enters the record in 585 BCE under King Shoumeng, and Jin sent the Chu exile Qu Wuchen to teach chariot warfare so that Wu would harass Chu.

Rule and society

Wu's rulers called themselves kings and ruled from Gusu (Suzhou) amid lakes and rivers, fighting with fleets as well as armies and casting famous bronze swords. With the advisers Wu Zixu and, by tradition, Sun Tzu, King Helü captured the Chu capital Ying in 506 BCE. King Fuchai defeated Yue, dug the Han Canal linking the Yangtze and the Huai, and claimed precedence over Jin at Huangchi in 482 BCE.

Decline and legacy

While Fuchai was in the north, King Goujian of the State of Yue attacked. After a long siege Yue took Gusu in 473 BCE and Fuchai killed himself. Wu's story became a classic of Chinese storytelling about pride and revenge.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). State of Wu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-wu
MLA
“State of Wu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-wu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “State of Wu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-wu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘State of Wu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-wu (Accessed: ).

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