Duke Liu () was a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

of ancient China. He was an important early leader of the Ji clan, which later founded 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 ...

. His father was

Ji Ju Ji Ju () was a noble of the Chinese Xia dynasty. He is reported as having abandoned the agriculture of his father Buzhu and grandfather Houji in favor of the animal husbandry practiced by the Xirong and Beidi peoples.Sima Qian. ''Records of the G ...

Ancestry

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

, the Zhou lineage traditionally began with a consort of the

Emperor Ku Kù (, variant graph ), usually referred to as Dì Kù (), also known as Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì () or Qūn (), was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He went by the name Gaoxin until receiving imperial authority, when he took the name Ku and th ...

, who miraculously conceived "the Abandoned One" after stepping into a divine footprint. His son

Buzhu Buzhu or Buku ( Chinese: ) was a legendary noble during the Xia dynasty in China. He was the son of the Xia minister of agriculture, Houji, and inherited his father's position under the Xia king Kong Jia. Feeling the Xia court to be corrupt, he re ...

was said to be displeased with the decadence of the

Xia Xia (Hsia in Wade–Giles) may refer to: Chinese history * Xia dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC), the first orthodox dynasty in Chinese history * Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms) (407–431), a Xiongnu-led dynasty * Xia (617–621), a state founded by Dou Ji ...

court and to have resigned his post as director of agriculture, moving the clan to

Tai Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film ''Clueless'' *Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses and organisations ...

. Either Buzhu or his heir

abandoned agriculture entirely and enjoyed living the nomadic lifestyle of their Rong and Di barbarian neighbors.

History

Gong Liu was credited with restoring agriculture among his people and leading them to their subsequent prosperity. He led his people away from their new home at

to a new place called Bin, where they prospered at the expense of neighboring Rong tribes. His son was

Qingjie Qingjie () or Qing () was a legendary leader of the Ji clan, which eventually established the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. He is sometimes credited as a Duke of Zhou or with founding the city of Bin.Eno, R.Rise of the House of Zhou. Tradition ...

. After Zhou’s defeat of the Shang at

Muye Muye District () is a district of the city of Xinxiang, Henan province, China. History The BC Battle of Muye ended Shang hegemony over the Wei and Yellow Rivers and established the state of Zhou. Administrative divisions As 2012, this district ...

and the establishment of the Kingdom of Zhou, Gong Liu was commemorated with an ode among the Great Hymns in the

Chinese classic Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...

'' Book of Songs''. This ode tells the story of the preparations and move to Bin.'' Book of Songs'', III.2.6.

References

External links

*
Ode to Duke Liu
{{Authority control

Nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

Ancient Chinese states Zhou dynasty nobility

Ancestry

History

See also

References

External links