King Wen of Zhou: Difference between revisions

{{refimprove|date=September 2017}}

{{Distinguish|Duke Wen of Zhou}}

{{Infobox royalty

|name=Ji Chang

|title=Overlord of the West

|image=King Wen of Zhou.jpg

|reign=1100{{ndash}}1050 BC (50 years)

|birth_date=1152 BC (traditional) or 1112 BC (modern estimate)

|birth_place=Bi (Zhou state)

| spouse = [[Tai Si]]

| issue = [[Bo Yikao]]<br>[[King Wu of Zhou]]<br>[[Guan Shu Xian|Xian]], Marquis of Guan<br>[[Duke of Zhou|Dan]]<br>[[Cai Shu Du|Du]], Marquis of Cai<br>[[Shu Feng of Kang|Feng]], Count of Wey<br>Wu, Count of Cheng<br>Chu, Monarch of Huo<br>Zheng, Count of Mao<br>Zai, Monarch of Dan<br>Zhenduo, Marquis of Cao<br>Xiu, Marquis of Teng<br>Gao, Count of Bi

 

Although frequently confused with his fourth son [[Duke of Zhou]], also known as "Lord Zhou", they are different historical persons.

| title= Names and Titles in Eastern Zhou Texts

| journal= T'oung Pao| year = 2020

}}<br />Pines notes (p. 717): “King Wen of Zhou’s 周文王 (d. ca. 1047 BCE) position under the Shang

dynasty, Xibo 西伯, should be translated "overlord of the West," not "Earl

 

Subsequently, upon returning home Wen secretly began to plot to overthrow King Zhou. In his first year as Overlord of the West, he settled a land dispute between the states of Yu and Rui, earning greater recognition among the nobles. It is by this point that some nobles began calling him "king". The following year, Wen found [[Jiang Ziya]] fishing in the Pan River and hired him as a military counselor. He also repelled an invasion of the [[Quanrong]] barbarians and occupied a portion of their land. The following year, he campaigned against Mixu, a state whose chief had been harassing the smaller states of Ruan and Gong, thus annexing the three of them. The following year, he attacked Li, a puppet of Shang, and the next year he attacked [[E (state)|E]], a rebel state opposed to Shang, conquering both. One year later he attacked Chong, home of Hu, Marquis of Chong, his arch-enemy, and defeated it, gaining access to the Ford of Meng through which he could cross his army to attack Shang. By then he had obtained about two thirds of the whole kingdom either as direct possessions or sworn allies. That same year he moved his administrative capital city<ref>{{cite journal

| publisher= Harrassowitz Verlag

|date=2008 | volume=47

|jstor=24048045

}}</ref> one hundred kilometers east from Mount Qi to [[Fengjing (Zhou)|Feng]], placing the Shang under imminent threat. The following year, however, the Overlord of the West died before he could cross the Ford. Nonetheless, that other sources suggest he died in battle during the Zhou campaign against the Shang.<ref><Gernet, J., (2019). EL MUNDO CHINO. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Planeta Colombiana></ref>

| jstor = 23351765

| pages= 121–176

}}</ref>{{rp|123–124, 129}} One or more of these<ref name=Allan>{{ cite journal

| last= Allan | first = Sarah

| title= On the identity of Shang Di 上帝 and the origin of the concept of a Celestial Mandate (Tian Ming 天命)

| pages = 1–46

| jstor = 23354211

}}</ref>{{rp|38}} was interpreted by King Wen as a visible sign indicating his divine appointment.<ref>{{ cite book

| pages = 289–325

| publisher= Cambridge University Press

}}</ref>{{rp|291}} cannot be securely slotted into King Wen's timeline.

 

==Legacy==

{{Quote

|text = <poem>Ah! Solemn is the clear temple,

** Second son: Fa ({{lang|zh|發}}); ruled as [[King Wu of Zhou]];

** Third son: [[Guan Shu Xian|Xian]] ({{lang|zh|鮮}}), ruled [[Guan (state)|Guan]];

*** Served as [[Grand Tutor]] and regent for [[King Cheng of Zhou]];<ref name= "sangong">''Records of ritual matters by Dai the Elder'' (大戴禮記), "[https://ctext.org/da-dai-li-ji/bao-fu#n44617 Protectors and Tutors (保傅)], quote: "召公為太保，周公為太傅，太公為太師。" translation: "The Duke of Shao acted as Grand Protector, the Duke of Zhou as Grand Tutor, and the [[Jiang Ziya|Grand Duke]] as [[Grand Preceptor]]."</ref>

** Fifth son: [[Cai Shu Du|Du]] ({{lang|zh|度}}), ruled [[Cai (state)|Cai]];

** Sixth son: Zhenduo ({{lang|zh|振鐸}}), ruled [[Cao (state)|Cao]];

** Seventh son: Wu ({{lang|zh|武}}), ruled Cheng ({{lang|zh|郕}});

** Eight son: Chu ({{lang|zh|處}}), ruled [[Huo (state)|Huo]];

** Tenth son: Zai ({{lang|zh|載}}), ruled Ran ({{lang|zh|冉}}) or Dan ({{lang|zh|聃}}).

*By other spouses:<ref name = "zuozhuan">''[[Zuo zhuan]]'', [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%98%A5%E7%A7%8B%E5%B7%A6%E6%B0%8F%E5%82%B3/%E5%83%96%E5%85%AC#%E5%82%B3_24 "Duke Xi -24th year - zhuan"]. quote: "管、蔡、郕、霍、魯、衛、毛、聃、郜、雍、曹、滕、畢、原、酆、郇，文之昭也。" translation by Durrent, Li, Schaberg (2016:380-1): "the domains of Guan, Cai, Cheng, Huo, Lu, Wei, Mao, Dan, Gao, Yong, Cao, Teng, Bi, Yuan, Feng, and Xun for King Wen’s sons of the odd-numbered generations"</ref>

** Fifteenth son: Gao, Duke of Bi (畢公高)

** Sixteenth son: Count of Yuan (原伯)

 

==Ancestry==

{{ahnentafel | align = center

| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;

| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;

| boxstyle_5 = background-color: #9fe;

| 5 = Tai Jiang of Pang

}}

 

 

{{S-start}}

{{S-reg}}

{{S-aft|after=[[King Wu of Zhou]]}}

{{s-end}}

 

{{Fengshen Yanyi}}

 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wen of Zhou}}

[[Category:1152 BC births]]

[[Category:11th-century BC Chinese monarchs]]

[[Category:Guqin players]]

[[Category:Shang dynasty musicians]]

[[Category:Investiture of the Gods characters]]

[[Category:Shang dynasty people]]