King Yí of Zhou (), personal name Ji Xie, was the ninth king of the
Chinese 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 th ...
. Estimated dates of his reign are 885–878 BC or 865–858 BC.
He was preceded by his great-uncle,
King Xiao of Zhou
King Xiao of Zhou (), personal name Ji Bifang, was the eighth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 891–886 BC or 872–866 BC.
He was a son of King Mu and brother of King Gong.
His reign is poorly documented. ...
, who may have overthrown his father. In the third year of his reign, King Yi sided with Marquis of Ji in a dispute with
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 ...
and executed Duke Ai by boiling him to death in a large cauldron. King Yi installed Duke Ai's younger half-brother Jing on the throne, later known as
Duke Hu of Qi
Duke Hu of Qi (; reigned 9th century BC) was the sixth recorded ruler of the ancient Chinese state of Qi during the Western Zhou Dynasty. His personal name was Lü Jing (呂靜), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Hu was his posthumous title.
...
.
During his reign there were wars in the south with the
State of Chu
Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou ...
and the
Dongyi
The Dongyi or Eastern Yi () was a collective term for ancient peoples found in Chinese records. The definition of Dongyi varied across the ages, but in most cases referred to inhabitants of eastern China, then later, the Korean peninsula, and Ja ...
. According to the
''Shiji'', during his reign the royal power was not strong and the regional rulers failed to pay obeisance to the court.
["Hereditary house of Chu" 當周夷王之時，王室微，諸侯或不朝，相伐。]
He was succeeded by his son,
King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou (died in 828 BC) (), personal name Ji Hu, was the tenth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC (''Cambridge History of Ancient China'').
King Li was a corrupt and decadent ...
.
Family
Queens:
* Wang Ji, of the Ji clan of
E (), a princess of E by birth; the mother of Crown Prince Hu
Sons:
* Crown Prince Hu (; 890–828 BC), ruled as
King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou (died in 828 BC) (), personal name Ji Hu, was the tenth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC (''Cambridge History of Ancient China'').
King Li was a corrupt and decadent ...
from 877–828 BC
Ancestry
See also
Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors
This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs covering the period of the Five Emperors up through the end of the Spring and Autumn period.
Five Emperors
The legendary Five Emperors were traditionally regarded as the founders of the Chinese state. ...
References
878 BC deaths
Zhou dynasty kings
9th-century BC Chinese monarchs
Year of birth unknown
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