Duke Xiang of Qi (; died 686 BC) was from 697 to 686 BC the fourteenth recorded ruler of the

State of Qi Qi, or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization, was a state of the Zhou dynasty-era in ancient China, variously reckoned as a march, duchy, and independent kingdom. Its capital was Linzi, located in present-day Shandong. Qi was founded sh ...

, a major power during the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Zhu'er (呂諸兒),

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, ...

Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Xiang 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 ...

. Although under Duke Xiang the state of Qi conquered the neighbouring state of Ji, its traditional enemy, Duke Xiang is best known for his depravity, having had an incestuous relationship with his sister

Wen Jiang Wen Jiang (; died 673 BC) was a princess of the State of Qi and duchess of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. She was a daughter of Duke Xi of Qi and sister of Duke Xiang and Duke Huan of Qi. She was the mai ...

and murdered his brother-in-law Duke Huan of Lu. At the end Duke Xiang was himself murdered by his cousin Wuzhi, who subsequently usurped the Qi throne.

Murdering Duke Huan of Lu

Duke Xiang succeeded his father

Duke Xi of Qi Duke Xi of Qi (; died 698 BC) was from 730 to 698 BC the thirteenth recorded ruler of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Lufu (呂祿甫), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Xi was h ...

, who died in 698 BC after 33 years of reign. Duke Xiang had had an incestuous relationship with his younger half-sister

, who in 709 BC married Duke Huan, ruler of the neighbouring

State of Lu Lu (, c. 1042–249 BC) was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong province. Founded in the 11th century BC, its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji (姬) that ruled the Zhou dy ...

. In 694 BC, Duke Huan of Lu visited Qi with his wife, and Duke Xiang and Wen Jiang renewed their sexual liaison. Chapter XII. When Duke Huan found out about the relationship between his wife and her own brother, Duke Xiang ordered his half brother Prince Pengsheng to murder Duke Huan in his carriage after he got drunk. The people of Lu were incensed at Duke Xiang's crime, but could not do anything because Qi was a stronger state. To appease Lu, Duke Xiang had Pengsheng executed as a scapegoat.

Duke Zhuang of Lu Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked ...

, the son of Duke Huan and Wen Jiang, subsequently succeeded his father as ruler of Lu.

Marriage

After the death of Duke Huan of Lu,

stayed in Qi and the incestuous relationship between the siblings continued. In 693 BC Duke Xiang married a daughter of the king of Zhou, the nominal ruler of all China, but the Zhou princess died only a year later.

Conquering the State of Ji

In 690 BC the state of Qi conquered its neighbouring state of Ji (紀). Ji had been the enemy of Qi since at least the reign of

Duke Ai of Qi Duke Ai of Qi (; reigned 9th century BC) was the fifth recorded ruler of the ancient Chinese state of Qi during the Western Zhou Dynasty. His personal name was Lü Buchen (呂不辰), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Ai was his posthumous ti ...

about two centuries before Duke Xiang's time. Duke Ai was boiled to death by King Yi of Zhou after being slandered by the Marquis of Ji. In 693 BC, Qi attacked the state of Ji, taking the cities of Ping, Zi, and Wu and expelling their residents. Two years later, a younger brother of the Marquis of Ji defected to Qi with the city of Xi. Unable to resist the aggression of Qi, in 690 BC the Marquis of Ji fled and gave over the state to the younger brother who had already submitted to Qi, effectively surrendering the state to Qi. The Marquis of Ji left in such a haste that he did not even bury his wife, a princess from the state of Lu, who had recently died. Duke Xiang gave the marquise a proper burial. Chapter IV.

Death and succession

In the twelfth month of 686 BC, the twelfth year of his reign, Duke Xiang was killed by his cousin Wuzhi. Wuzhi had been a favoured nephew of Duke Xiang's father Duke Xi and was treated like a crown prince, but when Duke Xiang ascended the throne, he demoted the status of Wuzhi. After Duke Xiang injured his foot on a hunting trip, Wuzhi killed Duke Xiang in his palace with the help of generals Lian Cheng and Guan Zhifu, who had been mistreated by Duke Xiang. Wuzhi usurped the Qi throne after murdering Duke Xiang, but was also killed soon afterward. After a brief struggle between Duke Xiang's two younger brothers Prince Jiu and Prince Xiaobai, Xiaobai would win out and ascend the throne, posthumously known as

Duke Huan of Qi Duke Huan of Qi (; died 643 BC), personal name Xiǎobái (小白), was the ruler of the State of Qi from 685 to 643 BC. Living during the chaotic Spring and Autumn period, as the Zhou dynasty's former vassal states fought each other for supremac ...

. Qi would grow strong under Duke Huan's rule, and Duke Huan subsequently became the first of the

Five Hegemons The Five Hegemons () refers to several especially powerful rulers of Chinese states of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history (770 to 476 BCE), sometimes alternatively referred to as the "Age of Hegemons". There are various lists of five ...

of the

Family

Wives: * Zhou Wang Ji, of the Ji clan of Zhou (), a daughter of

King Huan of Zhou King Huan of Zhou (; died 697 BC), personal name Jī Lín (姬林), was the fourteenth king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty and the second of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–256 BC). King Huan’s father was King Ping's son, Crown Prince Xiefu ...

and a younger sister of King Zhuang of Zhou; married in 695 BC Sons: * Prince Ji (), the progenitor of the Qiji () lineage; fled to Chu in 686 BC Daughters: * Ai Jiang (; d. 660 BC) ** Married

(706–662 BC) in 670 BC * Shu Jiang () ** Married

(706–662 BC) in 670 BC as Ai Jiang's dowry, and had issue ( Duke Min of Lu)

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiang of Qi, Duke Year of birth unknown Monarchs of Qi (state) 7th-century BC Chinese monarchs 686 BC deaths 7th-century BC murdered monarchs Assassinated Chinese politicians Incest