Shen Hou
PoliticsThe king of Shen State whose surname is Jiang. King You deposed Shenhou and Crown Prince Yijiu. He united with Zhen Kingdom and Quanrong to attack Haojing, killed King You, and then supported Yijiu as king in Shenhou.
Dynasties of ChinaSpring and Autumn periodEastern Zhou royal family lineage
King PingJi Yijiu
Reign 770–720 BCE
After the Quanrong Rebellion, he ascended the throne in Shen and moved eastward to Luoyi to start the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The royal family gradually declined, and the princes became powerful.
IBiography
- Reign
- 50 years
- Order of accession
- Ruler #1 · Eastern Zhou royal family lineage
- Life dates
- ?–720 BCE
- Titles
- Posthumous title: King Ping · Moved east to Luoyi
Ji Yijiu is the son of King You and Queen Shen, and was originally the Crown Prince. King You doted on Bao Si, deposed Empress Shen and Yijiu, and Yijiu went to live with his grandfather Shen Hou. In 771 BC, Shen Hou united with Zeng State and Quan Rong to attack Haojing, and King You was killed. Shen Hou, Luhou, Xu Wengong and others supported Yijiu as king in Shen; Guo Gonghan established another prince, Yu Chen, as Xie Wang, and the two kings stood side by side. The following year, King Ping moved the capital to Luoyi under the protection of Jin, Zheng, Qin and other princes, and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty began.
After moving eastward, the king's territory was reduced, and the land west of Qishan was granted to Qin Xianggong, who had served as an escort, and Qin was classified as a prince. In 750 BC, Jin Wenhou killed Wang Xie, ending the coexistence of the two kings. King Ping relied on Jin and Zheng to support the royal family. Father and son Zheng Wugong and Zheng Zhuanggong successively succeeded the dynasty as ministers, and their power became increasingly powerful. King Ping wanted to divide the government among Guo Gong in his later years, but Zheng Zhuanggong was dissatisfied. Zhou and Zheng actually exchanged hostages, and the emperor and the princes were equal.
King Ping reigned for fifty-one years, during which the situation of various countries changed drastically: the Qin State marched eastward to regain the Qishan area, the Quwo branch of the Jin State rose up, Zheng Zhuanggong defeated Duan Yu in Yan and dominated the Central Plains, and the Lu State Chronicle "Spring and Autumn Period" also began to record events from the forty-ninth year of King Ping. In 720 BC, King Ping died, and Crown Prince's father died early. He was succeeded by his grandson Lin, who was King Huan.
King Ping ascended the throne during the turmoil and borrowed the power of the princes to move eastward to Luoyi, allowing the Zhou Dynasty to continue for more than 500 years. However, he obtained the throne through the rebellion between Shen Hou and Quan Rong, and his legitimacy was challenged by the concurrent presence of Xie Wang. After moving eastwards, the royal territory was small, and all financial and military resources relied on Jin, Zheng and other princes. As a result, the royal family declined, and the Spring and Autumn period pattern of "ritual and music conquests came from the princes" began in his hands.
IITimeline
Before accession
PoliticsJaesin ascended the throne
After King You was killed, Shen Hou, Luhou, Xu Wengong and others supported Yijiu as king in Shen; Guo Gonghan made Prince Yuchen as Xie Wang, forming a situation where the two kings stood side by side.
During the reign · 770–720 BCE
PoliticsMoved east to Luoyi
Haojing was ruined and the Rong people were approaching. King Ping moved the capital to Luoyi (king city) under the protection of Jin Wenhou, Zheng Wugong, Qin Xianggong, etc., which was called the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in history. The area under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family was greatly reduced, leaving only a corner centered on Luoyi.
Lasting legacyThe ruins of the Imperial City of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty are located in today's urban area of Luoyang, Henan Province. The chariot and horse pit "The Emperor Drives Six" unearthed in the city now houses a museum.
PoliticsQin was listed as a prince
Qin Xianggong led his troops to rescue the Zhou Dynasty and escorted King Ping to move eastward. King Ping made him a prince and promised that "the Rong has no way and invades our Qi and Feng lands. If Qin can attack the Rong, he will have the land." The State of Qin was officially established from then on.
PeopleDuke Wu of Wei assisted Zhou
Duke Wu of Wei led his troops to help Zhou pacify the army, and King Ping appointed him as Duke. According to "Guoyu", when he was over ninety years old, he still asked his ministers to give advice at any time. The old saying in "The Book of Songs·Daya·Yu" was his self-warning work.
CultureThe Sorrow of "Maoli"
According to the "Preface to Mao's Poems", after moving eastward, the Zhou Dynasty officials passed by Zong Zhou's hometown and saw that the ancestral temple and palaces were all filled with grains and millet. He was hesitant and couldn't bear to leave. He wrote "Wang Feng Millet Li": "Those who know me say that I am worried; those who don't know me say that I want nothing."
Lasting legacy"The Sorrow of Mili" became a common allusion for later generations to lament the decline of their motherland.
PoliticsZheng destroyed Dongguo
Zheng Wugong successively annexed the state of Xi and Dongguo, and established a new capital city between Qinshui and Mishui, namely Xinzheng. Zheng Guo thus became a powerful country close to Wang Ji, and Duke Wu also served as a minister of the dynasty.
MilitaryQin took over Qidi
Duke Wen of Qin defeated the Rong people, took in the remnants of Zhou, expanded his territory to Qishan, and returned the land east of Qishan to the Zhou family. Prior to this, Qin had established historiography in 753 BC.
PoliticsJin Wenhou kills Xie Wang
According to the ancient "Bamboo Book Annals", in the 21st year of King Ping, Jin Wenhou killed Xie Wang Yuchen, ending the situation where the two kings stood side by side. King Ping rewarded Jin Wenhou with a hairpin, a Tong bow, etc. The old saying about the appointment was "Shang Shu·Wen Hou's Ming".
PoliticsQuwo enfeoffment
Jin Zhaohou granted his uncle the title of Huan Shu as his master in Quwo, and the city of Quwo was larger than the capital of Jin. After that, the Quwo branch fought with the Jin government for more than sixty years, and finally the small branch replaced the large branch.
Culture"Spring and Autumn period" begins to record events
The "Spring and Autumn period" chronicle of the state of Lu began to record events from the first year of Lu Yin, that is, the 49th year of King Ping, to 481 BC. It is said that it was revised by Confucius, so this era is called the "Spring and Autumn period."
Lasting legacy"Spring and Autumn period" and the "Zuo Zhuan", "Gongyang Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan" that explain it have been passed down to this day, and "Spring and Autumn period brushwork" has become a commonly used expression.
PoliticsZheng Burke Duan Yuyan
Zheng Zhuanggong's younger brother Gongshu Duan was favored by his mother Wu Jiang and expanded his fiefdom, plotting to attack Zheng. After Duke Zhuang waited for him to raise his army, he sent out troops to attack him, and Duan went out to join the Communist Party. Zhuang Gong swore that he and his mother would "not be as good as the underworld, and we will never see each other again." Then he dug into the ground to see his mother.
Lasting legacyThe idiom "If you do many unjust things, you will surely die" comes from this incident. "Zheng Bo Duan Yu Yan" is the first chapter of "Gu Wen Guan Zhi".
DiplomacyZhou Zheng cross-examines
Zheng Wugong, Zhuang Gong and his son became King Ping's ministers one after another. King Ping wanted to delegate power to Guo Gong, and Zheng Zhuanggong was resentful. Zhou and Zheng actually exchanged hostages: Prince Hu took hostage to Zheng, Prince Zheng suddenly took hostage to Zhou, and the emperor and the princes were equal.
DiplomacyEnmity between Zhou and Zheng
King Ping died, and the Zhou people were ready to hand over power to Duke Guo. Zheng Zhuanggong sent Jizu and his troops to harvest wheat from Wendi, and in autumn they harvested wheat from Chengzhou. The relationship between Zhou and Zheng deteriorated.
IIIPeople of this reign
Jin Wenhou
RulersFamous enemy. He guarded King Ping and moved eastward, and killed Wang Yuchen and ended the two kings' coexistence. King Ping generously rewarded him. The old saying in "Shangshu Wenhou's Ming" is the imperial edict issued by King Ping to appoint him.
Zheng Wugong
RulersSon of Zheng Huangong. Escorted King Ping to move eastward, annexed Hua and Dongguo, established Xinzheng as the capital, and served as a minister of the dynasty, laying the foundation for the rise of the Zheng State.
Zheng Zhuanggong
RulersThe son of Zheng Wugong, he succeeded the dynasty as a minister. He quelled the rebellion of his younger brother Gongshu Duan, exchanged hostages with the Zhou royal family, and later defeated King Huan of Zhou Dynasty in Suige. He was known as the "little tyrant" in the early years of the Spring and Autumn period.
Qin Xianggong
RulersSon of Qin Zhuanggong. He led his troops to rescue the Zhou Dynasty, escorted King Ping to move eastward, was granted the title of vassal, and was granted the land west of Qishan Mountain. The Qin State was officially established.
Xie Wang
RulersHe was named Yuchen. The ancient version of "Bamboo Book Annals" called him Prince Yuchen, and the Tsinghua bamboo slips of "Xinian" called him King You's younger brother. King You was supported by Guo Gonghan after his death, and he stood side by side with King Ping for more than 20 years. In 750 BC, he was killed by Jin Wenhou.