Jiang Ziya

Portrait of Jiang Ziya from Sancai Tuhui
Names
Ancestral name (姓):	Jiang (Chinese: 姜; Pinyin: Jīang)
Clan name (氏):	Lü (Ch: 呂; Py: Lǚ)
Given name (名):	Shang (Ch: 尚; Py: Shàng) or Wang (Ch: 望; Py: Wàng)
Courtesy name (字):	Ziya (Ch: 子牙; Py: Zǐyá)
Posthumous name (謚):	Elder Duke (Ch: 太公; Py: Tàigōng)

Jiang Ziya (Chinese: 姜子牙, Pinyin: Jiāng Zǐyá, Wade-Giles: Chiang Tzu-ya, also called Tai Gong Wang) (dates of birth and death unknown) was a Chinese historical and legendary figure who resided next to the Weishui River about 3,000 years ago. A sage and military strategist, Jiang Ziya was called upon by King Wen of Zhou to serve as prime minister. His purported teachings to King Wen form the basis of the Six Secret Teachings.

Background

The last ruler of the Shang dynasty, King Zhou of Shang (16th - 11th century BC) was a tyrannical and debauched slave owner who spent his days carousing with his favourite concubine Daji and mercilessly executing or punishing upright officials and all others who objected to his ways. After faithfully serving the Shang court for approximately twenty years, Jiang came to find King Zhou insufferable, and feigned madness in order to escape court life and the ruler's power. Jiang was an expert in military affairs and hoped that some day someone would call on him to help overthrow the king. Jiang disappeared, only to resurface in the Zhou countryside at the apocryphal age of seventy-two, when he was recruited by King Wen of Zhou and became instrumental in Zhou affairs. It is said that, while in exile, he continued to wait placidly, fishing in a tributary of the Wei River (near today’s Xi'an) using a barbless hook or even no hook at all, on the theory that the fish would come to him of their own volition when they were ready.

Hired by King Wen of the Zhou

Dai Jin, Dropping a Fishing Line on the Bank of the Wei River, National Palace Museum

King Wen of Zhou, (central Shaanxi), found Jiang Ziya fishing. King Wen, following the advice of his father and grandfather before him, was in search of talented people. In fact, he had been told by his grandfather, the Grand Duke of Zhou, that one day a sage would appear to help rule the Zhou state.

The first meeting between King Wen and Jiang Ziya is recorded in the book that records Jiang's teachings to King Wen and King Wu, the Six Secret Teachings (太公六韜 / 太公六韬). The meeting was recorded as being characterized by a mythic aura common to meetings between great historical figures in ancient China. Before going hunting, King Wen consulted his chief scribe to perform divination in order to discover if the king would be successful. The divinations revealed that, "'While hunting on the north bank of the Wei river you will get a great catch. It will not be any form of dragon, nor a tiger or great bear. According the signs, you will find a duke or marquis there whom Heaven has sent to be your teacher. If employed as your assistant, you will flourish and the benefits will extend to three generations of Zhou Kings.'" Recognizing that the result of this divination was similar to the result of divinations given to his eldest ancestor, King Wen observed a vegitarian diet for three days in order to spiritually purify himself for the meeting. While on the hunt, King Wen encountered Jiang fishing on a grass mat, and courteously began a conversation with him concerning military tactics and statecraft. The subsequent conversation between Jiang Ziya and King Wen forms the basis of the text in the Six Secret Teachings.

When King Wen met Jiang Ziya, at first sight he felt that this was an unusual old man, and began to converse with him. He discovered that this white-haired fisherman was actually an astute political thinker and military strategist. This, he felt, must be the man his grandfather was waiting for. He took Jiang Ziya in his coach to the court and appointed him prime minister and gave him the title Jiang Taigong Wang ("The Great Duke's Hope", or "The expected of the Great Duke") in reference to a prophetic dream Danfu, grandfather of Wenwang, had had many years before. This was later shortened to Jiang Taigong.

Attack of the Shang

After King Wen died, his son King Wu, who inherited the throne, decided to send troops to overthrow the King of Shang. But Jiang Taigong stopped him, saying: "While I was fishing at Panxi, I realised one truth- if you want to succeed you need to be patient. We must wait for the appropriate opportunity to eliminate the King of Shang". Soon it was reported that the people of Shang were so oppressed that no one dared speak. King Wu and Jiang Taigong decided this was the time to attack, for the people had lost faith in the ruler. The bloody Battle of Muye then ensued some 35 kilometres from the Shang capital Yin (modern day Anyang, Henan Province).

Jiang Taigong charged at the head of the troops, beat the battle drums and then with 100 of his men drew the Shang troops to the southwest. King Wu's troops moved quickly and surrounded the capital. The Shang King had sent relatively untrained slaves to fight. This, plus the fact that many surrendered or revolted, enabled Zhou to take the capital.

King Zhou set fire to his palace and perished in it, and King Wu and his successors as the Zhou dynasty established rule over all of China. As for Daji, one version has it that she was captured and executed by the order of Jiang Taigong himself, another that she took her own life, another that she was killed by King Zhou. Jiang Taigong was made duke of the State of Qi (today’s Shandong province), which thrived with better communications and exploitation of its fish and salt resources under him.

As the most notable Prime Minister employed by King Wen and King Wu, he was declared "the master of strategy"--resulting in the Zhou government growing far stronger than that of the Shang Dynasty as the years elapsed. Thus making him known well as the most famous Prime Minister of all in China.

Personal Views and Historical Influence

An account of Jiang Taigong's life written long after his time says he held that a country could become powerful only when the people prospered. If the officials enriched themselves while the people remained poor, the ruler would not last long. The major principle in ruling a country should be to love the people; and to love the people meant to reduce taxes and corvée labour. By following these ideas, King Wen is said to have made the Zhou state prosper very rapidly.

His treatise on military strategy, Six Secret Strategic Teachings, is considered one of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China.

Jiang Ziya's seventh generation descendant (his great-grandson's great-grandson's son) was Jiang Chi (姜赤). Jiang Chi had a great-grandson named Shi (傒), who was given a piece of land in Shandong province called "Lü" (呂). He took his surname from the land. All Chinese with the last name Lü (呂, Lǚ) can trace their ancestry back to Jiang Ziya.

Today, Jiang Ziya is regarded as one of the greatest strategists in both Chinese history and the world, and is honored as the first famous general and progenitor of strategic studies. In the Tang Dynasty he was even accorded his own state temple as the martial patron and thereby attained officially sanctioned status approaching that of Confucius.

In Popular Culture

He is a prominent character in the popular Chinese classic novel Fengshen Yanyi ((封神演義), sometimes translated as Creation of the Gods. In this novel he has been known well as Daji's arch-rival, and the one who ordered her execution personally.

There are two xiehouyu about him:

• Grand Duke Jiang fishes - those who are willing jump at the bait (姜太公釣魚──願者上鉤), which means "put one's own head in the noose".
• Grand Duke Jiang investiture the gods - omitting himself (姜太公封神──漏咗自己), which means "leave out oneself".

In the scenario "Chinese Unification" of the Civilization IV: Warlords expansion pack, Jiang Ziya is the leader of the State of Qi.

The protagonist of Hoshin Engi, Tai Kou Bou, is based on Jiang Ziya. But however, his personality is quite comical.

He is also playable in video games Aizouban Houshinengi, Hoshin Engi 2 and Mystic Heroes. He is kind, humble and just.

Jiang Ziya is also Daji's arch-rival (Jiang Ziya never thought of Daji as his rival while Daji herself actually thought that Jiang Ziya was her rival) as Jiang Ziya can easily see through Daji's plans.

Jiang Ziya is a playable character in Koei's Warriors Orochi 2. In the game he is alternatively referred to as Taigong Wang. A stark contrast to the historical accounts however, would be that he is portrayed as a handsome young man, who is quite arrogant, although he is still a divinely gifted strategist and a good man at heart. He is often referred to by others, namely Fu Xi, Nu Wa and Da Ji as "boy". The reason for his radically improvised design may be to emphasize his rivalry with Da Ji, whose character design depicts her as being young and beautiful as well. Their clashes can be inspired loosely on the Fengshen Yanyi.

In Warriors Orochi 2, he tries to capture Da Ji at Shi Ting, but is unintentionally intercepted by Liu Bei, whose cause he later joins. After Tokugawa Ieyasu fails to save Date Masamune from Orochi, Taigong Wang and Zhao Yun, sent by Zhuge Liang, come to the realization that the battle was a distraction as orchestrated by Da Ji. He later uncovers her hideout at Odani Castle and teams up with Lu Xun, Zhuge Liang, and Yue Ying to capture Da Ji and Himiko. Upon their success, he sends them away in a lightly guarded cart and they escape with the help of Taira Kiyomori. When Zhuge Liang questions this, Taigong Wang reveals that it had been part of his plan; their escape had inadvertently led to all of Orochi's supporters gathering conveniently. Taigong later helps Liu Bei and Zuo Ci defeat Orochi at Wu Zhang Plains. At the conclusion, he is still curious about how humans can be weak and yet strong, evil but yet some are virtuous. He thanks Liu Bei for inspiration and leaves.

Jiang Ziya is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei. His name is written as "Lü Shang" in the game and he has higher intelligence stats than all these characters, except for Zhang Liang.

See Also

• Zhou Wang (Shang Dynasty)
• King Wu of Zhou (Zhou Dynasty)
• Chinese mythology
• Six Secret Teachings

External Links

• Chiang Tai Kung fishing, barbless hook without baits
• Jiang Taigong: The Supreme Strategist
• Welcome to Taoistsecret.com
• Art Of War Video Archives: Jiang Ziya's Tai Gong Six Teachings