King Wen of Zhou

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"King Wen" redirects here. For the ruler of Nanyue sometimes known by that name, see Zhao Mo.
Ji Chang
King Wen of Zhou.jpg
King of Zhou
Reign 1099–1050 BC (49 years)
Spouse Tai Si
Issue
Boyi Kao
Ji Fa, King Wu of Zhou
Ji Xian, Marquess of Guan
Ji Dan, Duke of Zhou
Ji Du, Marquess of Chai
Ji Wu, Earl of Cheng
Ji Chu, Marquess of Huo
Ji Feng, Marquess of Wei
Ji Zheng, Earl of Mao
Ranjizai, Lord of Dan
Lord of Gao
Viscount of Yong
Ji Zhenduo, Earl of Cao
Ji Xiu, Viscount of Teng
Ji Gao, Earl of Bi
Earl of Yuan
Marquess of Feng
Marquess of Xun
Posthumous name
King Wen (文王)
Emperor Wen (文皇帝)
Temple name
Sizu (始祖, lit. "First Founder")
Father Ji Jili
Mother Tairen
Born 1152 BC
Died 1056 BC (aged 96)
King Wen of Zhou
Chinese 周文王

King Wen of Zhou (1152 – 1056 BC) was king of Zhou during the late Shang dynasty in ancient China. Although it was his son Wu who conquered the Shang following the Battle of Muye, King Wen was honoured as the founder of the Zhou dynasty. Some consider him the first epic hero of Chinese history.[1]

Contents

History [edit]

Born Ji Chang (姬昌), Wen was the son of Tai Ren and Ji Jili, the king of a small state along the Wei River in present-day Shaanxi. His father was betrayed and executed by the Shang emperor Wen Ding in the late 12th century BC.

He married Tai Si and had at least ten sons. One of them was reported to have been made into a soup he was forced to eat.[citation needed]

At one point, King Zhou of Shang, fearing Wen's growing power, imprisoned him in Youli (present-day Tangyin in Henan).[2] However, many officials respected Wen for his honorable governance and they gave King Zhou so many gifts – including gold, horses, and women – that he released Wen.

King Wen subsequently planned to overthrow King Zhou, but he died before he could accomplish this. His second son, King Wu, followed his father's wishes and crushed the Shang at Muye, creating the imperial Zhou dynasty.

Family [edit]

Wives [edit]

  • Tai Si
  • An unnamed bride of the royal Shang Zi clan[3]

Sons [edit]

  1. Boyi Kao
  2. Fa (發), King Wu of Zhou
  3. Xian (鮮), Guan Shu
  4. Dan (旦), Duke of Zhou
  5. Du (度), Cai Shu
  6. Wu (武), Cheng Shu
  7. Chu (處), Huo Shu
  8. Feng (封), Kang Shu, later granted Wèi
  9. Zheng (鄭), Mao Shu
  10. Ran Ji Zai (冉季載), lord of Dan
  11. Gao Shu
  12. The Earl of Yong or Yong Shu Bo.
  13. Zhenduo (振鐸), Cao Shu
  14. Xiu (繡), Teng Shu
  15. Gao (高), Duke of Bi
  16. The Earl of Yuan
  17. The Earl of Xun
  18. The Marquis of Feng
  19. Ying (穎), Lai Shu

Legacy [edit]

Divination [edit]

King Wen is credited with having stacked the eight trigrams in their various permutations to create the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. He is also said to have written the judgments which are appended to each hexagram. The most commonly used sequence of the 64 hexagrams is attributed to him and is usually referred to as the King Wen sequence.

Posthumous Honors [edit]

In 196 BC, Han Gaozu gave King Wen the title "Greatest of All Kings".[4]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ Wang, C.H. From Ritual to Allegory. Seven Essays in Early Chinese Poetry, p. 58. The Chinese Univ. Press (Hong Kong), 1988).
  2. ^ Cihai, p. 201.
  3. ^ Shijing. Ode 236.
  4. ^ Creel. The Origins of Statecraft, p. 42.

References [edit]

  • Ci Hai Bian Ji Wei Yuan Hui (辞海编辑委员会). Shanghai Ci Shu Chu Ban She (Shanghai), 1979. (Chinese)
  • Wu, K. C. The Chinese Heritage. Crown Publishers (New York), 1982. ISBN 0-517-54475-X.
King Wen of Zhou
Born: 1152 BC Died: 1056 BC
Chinese nobility
Preceded by
Duke Ji of Zhou		 Duke of Zhou
1099 BC – c. 1050 BC		 Succeeded by
King Wu of Zhou
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