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'Chen' (陳) was a minor state of the Spring and Autumn Period in Ancient China. It was a relatively minor state based on a single urban centre near what is now Huaiyang in the plains of eastern Henan province. In its time Chen lay in the southern part of Chinese civilisation, bordering the state of Chu.
The royal family of Chen claimed descent from Emperor Shun. According to tradition, after the conquest of the Shang Dynasty around 1046 BC, King Wu of Zhou sought out the potter Gui Man (媯滿), a descendant of Shun, and gave him the feoff of Chen.
Chen later became a satellite state of Chu, fighting as an ally of Chu at the Battle of Chengpu. It was finally annexed by Chu in 479 BC. Many commoners of Chen then took the name of their former country as their family name, and account for the majority of Chinese people with this family name today. After the destruction of the old Chu capital at Ying, Chen became the Chu capital for a period.

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★ Yuan Taotu