Duke Jian of Qin (, 428–400 BC) was, from 414 to 400 BC, the 26th ruler of the

Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by ...

Chinese state of

Qin Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...

that eventually united China to become the

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

. His

ancestral name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

was Ying ( 嬴), and Duke Jian was his

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments o ...

. Duke Jian was the younger son of

Duke Huai of Qin Duke Huai of Qin (, died 425 BC) was from 428 to 425 BC the 24th ruler of the Zhou Dynasty Chinese state of Qin that eventually united China to become the Qin Dynasty. His ancestral name was Ying ( 嬴), and Duke Huai was his posthumous title. ...

and the uncle of his predecessor Duke Ling. When Duke Ling died in 415 BC, the throne was passed to Duke Jian instead of Duke Ling's son, the later Duke Xian. During Duke Jian's reign Qin was defeated several times by the

State of Wei Wei (; ; Old Chinese: *') was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han and Zhao. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and ...

, then a major power of the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

. Duke Jian reigned for 15 years and died in 400 BC, aged 28. He was succeeded by his son, Duke Hui II of Qin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jian of Qin, Duke Monarchs of Qin 5th-century BC Chinese monarchs 428 BC births 400 BC deaths