The earliest evidence we have seen so far is the inscription on a "He Zun" (an ancient sprinkler made of bronze) unearthed in Jia Cun, Shaanxi Province in 1963.
The inscription reads, "Only the King of Wu ruled the merchants in Dayi, and later moved to Heaven, saying,' Yu Qi lives in China, and he rules the people himself'" (Zhou Wuwang held a solemn ceremony to report to Heaven after conquering the merchants' capital: "I have ruled these people by China." In front of the inscription, it is also mentioned that "only move, stay in the state, and return to Wu"; Visible is Zhou Chengwang's record.
An article about Zi Cai in Shangshu also records Zhou Chengwang's recollection of the past: "The emperor will not only make the people of China cross the border with the former king".
Extended data:
China is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world with a long history. About 5000 years ago, settlement organizations began to appear with the Central Plains as the center, and then formed a country. After many ethnic exchanges and dynasty changes, the unified situation of multi-ethnic countries was finally formed.
After the Revolution of 1911 in the early 20th century, the imperial system withdrew from the historical stage, and the * * * and political power were established. 1949 after the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the people's congress system was established in Chinese mainland.
China has a vast territory and many nationalities. The Chinese nation in the pre-Qin period thrived in the Central Plains. In the Han Dynasty, the Han nationality was formally formed through cultural blending, which laid the foundation for the main ethnic group in China.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia-China