Beidi

This article is about the ancient people groups. For the commandery during the Qin and Han dynasties, seeBeidi Commandery.For the deity, seeHeidi (god).

Beidi
Zhougeography:Huaxiasurrounded by theFour Barbarians—Northern (Beidi),Southern(Nanman),Eastern(Dongyi), andWestern(Xirong).
Chinese	Bắc Địch
Literal meaning	Northern barbarians
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Běidí Wade–Giles Pei3-ti2

TheDiorBeidi(Northern Di) were various ethnic groups who lived north of the Chinese (Huaxia) realms during theZhou dynasty.Although initially described as nomadic, they seem to have practiced a mixed pastoral, agricultural, and hunting economy and were distinguished from thenomadsof theEurasian steppewho lived to their north. Chinese historical accounts describe the Di inhabiting the upperOrdos Loopand gradually migrating eastward to northernShanxiand northernHebei,where they eventually created their ownstateslikeZhongshanandDai.Other groups of Di seem to have lived interspersed between the Chinese states before their eventual conquest orsinicization.

Name

The ancient Chinese, whoseXia,Shang,andZhoustates flourished along theFen,Yellow,andWei valleys,discussed their neighbors according to the cardinal directions. TheFour Barbarianswere the Di to the north, theManto the south, theYito the east, and theRongto the west. These came to be used as generic chauvinistic pejoratives for different peoples long after the conquests of the original tribes and so are all usually translated as 'barbarian' in English.

Beidi tribes, ethnic groups, or states were sometimes distinguished as belonging to the "Red Di" ( xích địch,Chidi), the "White Di" ( bạch địch,Baidi), or "Tall Di" ( trường địch,Changdi). TheXianyu(Old Chinese(B-S): *s[a]r[ŋ]ʷ(r)a), Fei,Zhongshan,andDaikingdoms were founded by White Di. According toEastern WuscholarWei Zhao,Xianyu's founders dwelt among the Di yet shared the sameancestral surname JiCơ with theZhoukings.

William H. BaxterandLaurent Sagart(2014) reconstruct theOld Chinesepronunciation ofĐịchas *lˤek;sometimesĐịchwas written asĐịch,whose pronunciation was reconstructed as *lˤewk.Paul R. Goldin, professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at University of Pennsylvania, proposes that địch / địch was a pejorative "pseudo-ethnonym" made by Chinese for the northern "barbarians" and it meant "feathered".

History

Di lived along the northern edge of what later became theQin Empire

Surviving accounts of the culture and history of China's early neighbors mostly date from the lateZhou.TheBook of Ritesnotes:

The people of those five regions—the Middle states,and the [Rong], [Yi], (and other wild tribes round them)—had all their several natures, which they could not be made to alter. The tribes on the east were called [Yi]. They had their hair unbound, and tattooed their bodies. Some of them ate their food without its being cooked. Those on the south were called Man. They tattooed their foreheads, and had their feet turned in towards each other. Some of them (also) ate their food without its being cooked. Those on the west were called [Rong]. They had their hair unbound, and wore skins. Some of them did not eat grain-food. Those on the north were called [Di]. They wore skins of animals and birds, and dwelt in caves. Some of them also did not eat grain-food. The people of the Middle states, and of those [Yi], Man, [Rong], and [Di], all had their dwellings, where they lived at ease; their flavours which they preferred; the clothes suitable for them; their proper implements for use; and their vessels which they prepared in abundance. In those five regions, the languages of the people were not mutually intelligible, and their likings and desires were different. To make what was in their minds apprehended, and to communicate their likings and desires, (there were officers)—in the east, called transmitters; in the south, representationists; in the west, [Di-dis]; and in the north, interpreters.

The Di were often associated with the Rong; both were considered more warlike and less civilized than the Yi or Man. According to theRecords of the Grand Historian,the ancestors of theZhoulived in lands near the Rong and Di for fourteen generations, untilGugong Danfuled then away to the mid-Wei Rivervalley where they built their capital nearMount Qi.

During theEastern Zhou,the Chinese states—particularlyJin—expanded into Di territories, after which the Di were often their enemies.The "White Di" lived north ofQinand west of theYellow Riverin what is now northernShaanxithrough the first half of theSpring and Autumn period;tribes began crossing the river into northernShanxiin the second half.

• 676-651 BC:Duke Xian of Jinconquered a number of Rong and Di groups.
• 662 BC: The Di drove the Rong out ofTaiyuan.
• 662-659 BC: The state of Xing was nearly destroyed by the Red Di until it was rescued by theState of Qi.
• 660 BC: The Red Di took the capital of theState of Weyand killed its ruler, but were driven out by Qi.
• 660 to 507 BC: Jin fought many wars with the Di.

The Di eventually also established treaties of marriage and trade with the various Chinese states. The Jin princeChong'erfled to his mother's family among them for many years until assassins sent by his brother forced him to begin wandering through the Chinese states.

• 640 BC: The Di were allied with Qi and Xing against Wey.
• 636 BC: The Di helped the Zhou king against the state of Cheng.

TheXianyuand "White Di" moved east from the areas around theYellow Riverin northShaanxiand northwestShanxiinto theTaihang Mountainsof Shanxi andHebeiduring the 6th centuryBC.The "White Di" were especially numerous on the upper reaches of the Xinding orHutuo Valley.

• 594 BC: Jin 'destroyed' the Red Di state of Lushi ( lộ thị ).

In 569BC, theDao DukeofJinannounced a new peaceful policy towards the barbarians ( cùng nhung,he Rong). He ended Jin's expansionist invasions of foreign lands and instead bartered with their leaders, purchasing territory for valuable Chinese objectslikeritual bronzesandbells.During this period, the "White Di" began to move east ofTaiyuanand theTaihang Mountains.

In 541BC, Jin ceased thehe Rongpolicy and became violent again, attacking theWuzhong( vô chung ) and the "Numerous Di" ( đàn địch,Qundi) in what is nowTaiyuan Prefecture.

• 541 BC: Jin 'subjugated' the Red Di state of Lushi.

From the Taiyuan Basin, Jin pushed east through theJing xing Pass( giếng hình ) and attacked the "White Di" in theTaihang Mountains(530–520BC).By this time, the Di had walled towns like Fei, Gu, andQiu You( thù từ )and fought on foot.

• 531 BC: Jin attacked the Xianyu and Fei.
• 507 BC: Jin was severely defeated by the Xianyu Di.
• 406 BC: Zhongshan was conquered by theState of Wei.

By 400BC, most of the Di and Rong had been eliminated as independent polities.

• 377 BC: Zhongshan regained its independence.
• 295 BC: Zhongshan was conquered by theState of Zhao.
• c. 283-265 BC:Tian Danfought with Di who lived in the state of Qi.

See also

• Xirong
• Khitan people
• Wuhuan
• Xianbei
• Xionites
• Kingdoms of ZhongshanandDai
• Five Barbarians(Hu),Eastern Barbarians(Donghu), andXiongnu
• Di,one people among theFive Barbarians
• Tiele.
• Dingling

References

Bibliography

• Cambridge History of Ancient China,1999.
• Di Cosmo, Nicola(2002),Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History,Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,ISBN9780521543828.
• Legge, James,ed. (1879),The Li Ki,vol. I, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Wu Xiaolong (2017),Material Culture, Power, and Identity in Ancient China,Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,ISBN9781107134027.