Key events in the history of the Zheng (郑) surname

9 dated events in the history of the Zheng (郑) surname, as recorded in Chinese sources.

1. 806 BCE

   King Xuan of Zhou (Zhou Xuanwang, 周宣王) enfeoffed You, the youngest son of King Li of Zhou (Zhou Limu, 周厉王), in the Zheng (郑) region, establishing the State of Zheng (Zhengguo, 郑国).

2. 375 BCE

   The State of Zheng was conquered by the State of Han (Hanguo, 韩国); its descendants migrated to the area between the States of Chen (Chenguo, 陈) and Song (Songguo, 宋), adopting Zheng (郑) as their surname.

3. End of the Han dynasty

   Zheng Ti (郑徲), the sixth-generation descendant of Zheng Dangshi (郑当时), moved from Chen (陈) to Kaifeng (开封); later, the Yingyang (荥阳) commandery was established, and the Zheng (郑) clan adopted Yingyang as their commandery of origin.

4. Western Han dynasty

   Zheng Ji (郑吉) defeated the Cheshi (车师) and persuaded the Rizhui King (Rizhui Wang, 日逐王) to surrender; he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Anyuan (Anyuan Hou, 安远侯) and appointed Protector General of the Western Regions (Xiyu Duhu, 西域都护).

5. Eastern Han dynasty

   Zheng Xuan (郑玄) extensively studied the Confucian classics and pioneered the broad, comprehensive approach to classical scholarship; he had several thousand disciples.

6. The 52nd year of Kangxi (康熙) (1713)

   Zheng Zhiqi (郑止齐) and others compiled the two-volume Hongtong Zheng Clan Genealogy (Hongtong Zhengshi Zupu, 洪洞郑氏族谱).

7. The 7th year of Kangxi (康熙) (1668)

   Zheng Boxing (郑伯兴) and Zheng Xingxue (郑性学) compiled the one-volume Wu County Baoshan Zheng Clan Genealogy (Wuxian Baoshan Zhengshi Zupu, 吴县包山郑氏族谱).

8. The 16th year of Qianlong (乾隆) (1751)

   Zheng Kuangju (郑匡钜) continued revising the two-volume Wu County Baoshan Zheng Clan Genealogy (Wuxian Baoshan Zhengshi Zupu, 吴县包山郑氏族谱), the one-volume Generational Genealogy (Shi Pu, 世谱), and the one-volume Record of Chaste and Virtuous Women (Zhenjie Lu, 贞节录).

9. The 26th year of Guangxu (光绪) (1900)

   Lü Kunsheng (吕堃生) and others compiled the sixteen-volume Lishui Guyao Yimen Zheng Clan Genealogy (Lishui Guyao Yimen Zhengshi Zongpu, 溧阳古瑶义门郑氏宗谱).