King Gong of Zhou
King Gong of Zhou | |||||||||
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King of the Zhou dynasty | |||||||||
Reign | 922/17/15–900 BC[1] | ||||||||
Predecessor | King Mu of Zhou[2] | ||||||||
Successor | King Yi of Zhou | ||||||||
Born | Ji Yihu ( | ||||||||
Died | 900 BC | ||||||||
Spouse | Wang Gui | ||||||||
Issue | King Yi of Zhou[3] | ||||||||
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House | Ji | ||||||||
Dynasty | Zhou (Western Zhou) | ||||||||
Father | King Mu of Zhou[4] |
King Gong of Zhou | |||||||||
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Posthumous name | |||||||||
Chinese | |||||||||
Literal meaning | The Respectful King of Zhou | ||||||||
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King Gong of Zhou (Chinese:
Biography
[edit]King Gong of Zhou ascended to the throne in the year 922 BC after his father King Mu of Zhou departed. Unlike some of his ancestors, he dedicated to developing economy and increasing his exchequer, instead of expanding territory or conquering others through wars.
According to one account carried by the Records of the Grand Historian, King Gong of Zhou once did initiate a war and destroyed the State of Mi. When he was touring in State of Mi, he saw three extremely beautiful women and commanded Mi's lord to find them out and send them to his own palace. But the lord of the state took the three extremely beautiful women as his own concubines, which irritated King Gong. So he invaded this state and sentenced that lord to death.[7]
After 15 years reign, he passed the throne to his son King Yì of Zhou and departed peacefully in his own palace.
Family
[edit]Queens:
- Wang Gui, of the Gui clan (
王 媯 媯姓)
Sons:
- Crown Prince Jian (
太子 囏; 899–892 BC), ruled as King Yì of Zhou from 899–892 BC
Ancestry
[edit]King Kang of Zhou (1040–996 BC) | |||||||||||||||
King Zhao of Zhou (1027–977 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Wang Jiang | |||||||||||||||
King Mu of Zhou (992–922 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Queen Fang | |||||||||||||||
King Gong of Zhou (d. 900 BC) | |||||||||||||||
See also
[edit]Sources
[edit]- ^ a b Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, ed. (1999), The Cambridge History of Ancient China, Cambridge University Press
- ^ Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Vol. 4.
- ^ Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations by John Minford, Joseph S. M. Lau
- ^ Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
- ^ Sources of Western Zhou History: Inscribed Bronze Vessels by Edward L. Shaughnessy
- ^ Sharing the Light: Representations of Women and Virtue in Early China by Lisa Ann Raphals. Gong is mentioned with one woman.
- ^ "King Gong of Zhou Ji Yihu in history of China".