kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Zhangchu

209 BCE – 208 BCE · capital Chen

The short-lived regime of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, leaders of the first great peasant rising in Chinese history, which set the Qin empire ablaze.

Origins

In 209 BCE a party of conscripts led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang was held up by rain at Dazexiang in Anhui. Facing execution for lateness under Qin law, they rebelled, asking whether kings and nobles were born to their station. Chen Sheng took the city of Chen and proclaimed himself king of Zhangchu, 'Expanding Chu', reviving the name of the State of Chu.

Rule and society

Zhangchu was more a rebel movement than a state. Chen Sheng sent generals in all directions, and in the turmoil the kingdoms of Zhao, Wei, Qi and Yan were revived under their own kings. His general Zhou Wen came within reach of the Qin capital before being driven back by the Qin commander Zhang Han.

Decline and legacy

Wu Guang was murdered by his own officers at Xingyang, and late in 209 or early in 208 BCE Chen Sheng was killed by his charioteer, Zhuang Jia, as Zhang Han's armies advanced. The rising had shown the Qin dynasty could be defeated, and other rebels, including Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, carried it on.

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻