Ji, King of Zhou
Ji, King of Zhou | |||||||
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Literal meaning | Youngest son Li | ||||||
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Jili was a leader of the Predynastic Zhou during the Shang dynasty of ancient China. His son King Wen and grandson King Wu would defeat the Shang to establish the Zhou dynasty. He was posthumously granted the title of king, and often referred to as Ji, King of Zhou.
Jili's ancestral name was Ji. He was the youngest son of King Tai. Sima Qian recorded that Jili and his son were both renowned for their wisdom and this reputation caused his elder brothers Taibo and Zhongyong to renounce voluntarily their claims to the throne and to leave in exile to Wu.[1]
Surviving historical records portray him travelling to the Shang capital to submit to Wu Yi and being rewarded with land, jade, and horses in 1118 BC.[2] In 1117, he captured 20 "kings" of the Guirong tribes. During the reign of the Shang king Wen Ding, he was defeated by the Yanjing Rong but managed to subdue the Yuwu (
Jili's wife was Tai Ren (
Jili had at least three sons. The eldest son was King Wen, whose son King Wu established the Zhou dynasty of China upon defeating the Shang at the Battle of Muye. The second eldest son was enfeoffed in Eastern Guo, also known as Guo Zhong (i.e. the "Second Son of Guo"), and the third eldest son in Western Guo, also known as Guo Shu (i.e. the "Third Son of Guo,) by King Wu (their nephew.)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian "Annals of Zhou"
- ^ Bamboo Annals.
- ^ Lin, Sen-Shou (1995). Problems in the Studies of Zhou Oracle-Bone Scripts (MA). University of British Columbia. doi:10.14288/1.0098998. pp. 21-22, 80.
- ^ Records of the Grand Historian "Hereditary Houses of the In-Laws" quote: "
周 之 興 也以姜 原 及大任 " - ^ Classic of Poetry, "Major Court Hymns - Decade of King Wen Da Ming" translated by James Legge