Wey (state)

For one of the seven major states of the Warring States period, see Wei (state).

Wei 衛まもる
c. 1040 BCE–209 BCE
Zhou dynasty in the 5th century BCE
Status	Duchy
Capital	Zhaoge (ca. 1040 BCE – 661 BCE) Chuqiu (659–629 BCE) Diqiu (629–241 BCE) Yewang (241–209 BCE)
Religion	Chinese folk religion ancestor worship
Government	Monarchy
History
• Establishment of Zhou dynasty	c. 1040 BCE
• Annexed by Qin	209 BCE

Wey
"Wey" in seal script (top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	衞まもる
Simplified Chinese	卫
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wèi Gwoyeu Romatzyh Wey Wade–Giles Wei4 IPA [wêɪ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Waih Jyutping Wai6 IPA [wɐj˨] Southern Min Tâi-lô Uē Middle Chinese Middle Chinese Hjüèi Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *[ɢ]ʷ(r)a[t]-s

Wei (/weɪ/; Chinese: 衞まもる; pinyin: Wèi), commonly spelled Wey to distinguish from the contemporary larger Wei (魏たかし) state, was an ancient Chinese state that was founded in the early Western Zhou dynasty and rose to prominence during the Spring and Autumn period. Its rulers were of the surname Ji (姬ひめ), the same as that of the rulers of Zhou. It was located in modern northeastern Henan Province, east of Jin (and later Wei 魏たかし), and west of Cao.

Early history

The history of Wey dates back to the beginning of the Zhou dynasty and the Rebellion of the Three Guards. After the Duke of Zhou successfully defeated the rebellion, Kang Shu, a younger brother of King Wu of Zhou was given a fief centred on Zhaoge, the capital of the Shang dynasty, which had been the centre of the rebellion.

Spring and Autumn period

The State of Wey was at its peak during the early Spring and Autumn period, under Duke Wu of Wey, who reigned for 55 years. In the reign of subsequent rulers, however, the state was plagued by succession troubles, until Duke Yi of Wey took the throne; his dissolute rule and obsession with cranes weakened the state, and in the eighth year of his reign the Rong peoples successfully attacked the capital at Zhaoge, killing the Duke and nearly destroying the state as well (660 BCE). It was only with the aid of Duke Huan of Qi that the state was eventually restored, with its capital moved to Chuqiu.

In 632 BCE Wey was once conquered by Duke Wen of Jin, because when Duke Wen (called Chong'er then) exiled to Wey, Duke Wen of Wey hadn't treated him well, and Duke Cheng of Wey (son of Duke Wen of Wey) was nearly poisoned by Duke Wen of Jin, but eventually the state was restored. (Before the Battle of Chengpu, when Chu was attacking Song, Jin attacked Wey and Cao as a diversion.)

In 492 BCE Duke Chu of Wey (出で公こう) succeeded the throne from his grandfather Duke Ling (灵公), while his father Kuaikui (蒯聩), who was the heir of Duke Ling, had been deposed and exiled. To get the throne, Kuaikui fought against his own son and managed to exile Duke Chu in 481 BCE, and was titled as Duke Zhuang II (后きさき庄しょう公こう), but was killed three years later. Duke Chu was restored in 475 BCE. The conflict between father and son weakened Wey, and Wey soon became attached to House of Zhao of Jin.

Downfall and end

In 346 BCE the duke of Wey degraded himself to a marquis. In 320 BCE the marquis of Wey again degraded himself to only a jun (lord). By then Wey only possessed a single county called Puyang (濮陽). In 254 BCE King Anxi of Wei (魏たかし) killed Lord Huai of Wey (衞まもる怀君), but two years later he declared his son-in-law, who was from the house of Wey, to be lord of Wey, so Wey became a dependency of the Wei Kingdom. In 239 BCE the state of Qin occupied Puyang, and Wey migrated to Yewang (野の王おう) in order to preserve its existence.

The state was so weak that it was presumably ignored by Qin Shi Huang, and was only abolished in 209 BCE when Qin Er Shi deposed Jiao, Lord of Wey (衞まもる君くん角かく), two years before the collapse of the Qin dynasty.

Vassals

Vassals of Wey include Shi clan, Ning clan, Kong clan, Beigong clan, Nan clan and Sun clan. They were mostly cadet branches of Wey. Kong clan, which came from the state of Nan Yan, was an exception.

List of rulers

adoption

unknown descent

(1) Kang Shu 卫康叔

(2) Count Kang 卫康伯はく

(3) Count Kao 卫考伯はく

(4) Count Si 卫嗣伯はく

(5) Count Zhi 衞まもる摯伯

(6) Count Jing 卫靖伯はく

(7) Count Zhen 卫贞伯はく

□

(8) Marquis Qing 卫顷侯こう ?- 867- 855 BC

Shi Que 石いし碏 Shi clan 石いし氏し

(9) Marquis Xi 卫僖侯こう ?- 855- 813 BC

(10) Count Gong 卫共伯はく ?- 813 BC BC

(11) Duke Wu 卫武公こう 852- 813- 758 BC

(12) Duke Zhuang I 卫庄公こう ?- 758- 735 BC

Huisun 惠めぐみ孙 Sun clan 孙氏

Jiwei 季き亹 Ning clan 甯氏

Count Xiao 孝こう伯はく

(13) Duke Huan 卫桓公かんこう ?- 735- 719 BC

(14) Zhouyu 州しゅう吁 ?- 719 BC

(15) Duke Xuan 卫宣公こう ?- 719- 700 BC

Yougongzi Zhi 右みぎ公子こうし职 ?- 688 BC

Zuogongzi Xie 左ひだり公子きみこ泄 ?- 688 BC

Viscount Ji 急きゅう子こ ?- 701 BC

(17) Gongzi Qianmou 公子こうし黔牟 ?- 696- 688 BC

Count Zhao 昭あきら伯はく

Viscount Shou 寿子ひさこ ?- 701 BC

(16) Duke Hui 卫惠公こう 714- 700- 696- 688- 669 BC

Viscount Qi 齐子

(19) Duke Dai 卫戴公こう ?- 660 BC

(20) Duke Wen 卫文公こう ?- 660- 635 BC

(18) Duke Yi 卫懿公こう ?- 669- 660 BC

□ Qi clan 齐氏

(21) Duke Cheng 卫成公こう ?- 635- 632- 630- 600 BC

Shu Wu 叔武 ?- 632 BC

(22) Gongzi He 公子こうし瑕きず ?- 632- 630 BC

Ziyi 子こ仪 ?- 630 BC

(23) Duke Mu 卫穆公こう ?- 600- 589 BC

Viscount Qing 顷子 Beigong clan 北きた宫氏

(24) Duke Ding 卫定公こう ?- 589- 577 BC

Zishu Heibei 子こ叔黑背せ

(25) Duke Xian 卫献公こう ?- 577- 559- 547- 544 BC

Gongzi Zhuan 公子こうし鱄

Viscount Zhan 子こ展てん

(26) Duke Shang 卫殇公こう ?- 559- 547 BC

□

(27) Duke Xiang 卫襄公こう ?- 544- 535 BC

Dang, Viscount of Cheng 成子なるこ当とう Gongshu clan 公おおやけ叔氏

Gongzi Jing 公子こうし荆

Taizi Jiao 太子たいし角かく ?- 547 BC

Xi Zhuchu 析朱鉏 Xi clan 析氏

Gongmeng Zhi 公おおやけ孟はじめ絷 ?- 522 BC Gongmeng clan 公おおやけ孟はじめ氏し

(28) Duke Ling 卫灵公こう 540- 535- 493 BC

□

Gongmeng Kou 公おおやけ孟はじめ彄

(30) Duke Zhuang II 卫庄公こう ?- 479- 478 BC

(32) Gongzi Qi 公子こうし起おこり ?- 478- 477 BC-?

(33) Duke Dao 卫悼公こう ?- 456- 451 BC

Gongzi Ying 公子こうし郢 Nan clan 南みなみ氏し

(31) Gongsun Banshi 公おおやけ孙斑师 ?- 478 BC-?

(29) Duke Chu 卫出公こう ?- 493- 480- 477- 456 BC

Taizi Ji 太子たいし疾やまし ?- 478 BC

Gongzi Qing 公子こうし青あお ?- 478 BC

(34) Duke Jing 卫敬公こう ?- 451- 432 BC

Gongsun Mimou 公おおやけ孙弥牟

Sikou Huizi 司つかさ寇惠子こ Sikou clan 司つかさ寇氏

(35) Duke Zhao 卫昭公こう ?- 432- 426 BC

Gongzi Shi 公子こうし适

Jianzi He 简子瑕きず

Hu 虎とら

(36) Duke Huai 卫怀公こう ?- 426- 415 BC

(37) Duke Shen 卫慎公こう ?- 415- 383 BC

(38) Duke Sheng 卫声公こう ?- 383- 372 BC

(39) Marquis Cheng 卫成侯こう ?- 372- 343 BC

(40) Marquis Ping 卫平侯こう ?- 343- 335 BC

(41) Lord Si 卫嗣君くん ?- 335- 293 BC

(42) Lord Huai 卫怀君くん ?- 293- 252 BC

(43) Lord Yuan 卫元君くん ?- 252- 242 BC

(44) Jiao 卫君角かく ?- 242- 209 BC

See also

• Wei River, a tributary of the Grand Canal named for the former state