State of Cao 曹 | |
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| 11th century BC–487 BC | |
| Capital | Táoqiū (陶丘) |
| Common languages | Old Chinese |
| Government | Earldom |
| History | |
• Established | 11th century BC |
• Disestablished | 487 BC |
| Cao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 曹 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The State of Cao (simplified Chinese: 曹国; traditional Chinese: 曹國; pinyin: Cáoguó) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou dynasty (1046–221 BC). The state was founded sometime in the 11th century BC by Shu Zhenduo of Cao (d. 1053 BC), a son of King Wen of Zhou and younger brother of King Wu of Zhou. With its capital at Taoqiu (陶丘), the State of Cao covered roughly the area of modern-day Dingtao County, Shandong Province. It was located on the flat country of the North China Plain about 50 miles east of the point where the current course of the Yellow River changes from east to north-east. To the northwest was Wey, to the northeast Lu and to the southeast Song.