Zou (state)

Zou (simplified Chinese: 邹; traditional Chinese: 鄒), originally Zhu (邾) or Zhulou (邾婁), was a minor state that existed during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China.

[1] King Wu of Zhou granted Cao Xia (曹挾) control of the small state of Zhu as a vassal ruler under the State of Lu with the feudal title Viscount (子), but later holding the title Duke of Zhu (邾公).

[5] The state of Zou was located in the southwest of modern-day Shandong Province.

[3][6] Zhu (朱), without the radical, is one of the most common surnames of modern-day China.

The small state of Zou, however, is most famous as the birthplace of the Chinese philosopher Mencius.