Ba And Shu

Ancient kingdoms ruling the area of modern Szechwan. Pa came into being in the 11th century BC and established relations with Shu in the 5th century BC. Shortly before 316 BC, the state was conquered by the Ch'in and incorporated into the Ch'in empire. In the middle of the 3rd century BC, the Pa region became part of the kingdom of Shu and was totally independent of north and central China.. Ba and Shu cultural remains are similar, especially the boat-coffin burials on river terraces and tanged willow-leaf bronze swords. The central region of Szechwan is still sometimes known as the Pa. region.

[Pa-Shu]. Ba and Shu, names often coupled in Chinese texts, were kingdoms ruling the area of modern Sichuan during the Eastern Zhou period, Ba dominating the eastern half of the province and Shu the plain of Chengdu (the word Shu survives today as the literary name for Sichuan). Under pressure from the Chu state, Ba conquered Shu in the 5th century bc but was itself overrun by Chu and finally by Qin in the 4th century. Ba and Shu cultural remains are similar; especially characteristic are boat-coffin burials set on river terraces, and tanged willow-leaf-shaped bronze swords. The swords, which perpetuate an archaic (Western Zhou) form long since superseded elsewhere in China {see swords), often bear a sort of pictogram that combines a hand, the head of a snake, and sometimes a tiger. See also bells (China).