Shu Yu of Tang (), ancestral name (姓): Ji (姬) given name (名): Yu (虞), and Ziyu (子於), was the founder of the State of Tang during the early

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 ...

(1046–771 BC) of ancient China. The State of Tang would later be renamed Jin by Shu Yu's son and successor, Xie. He was the son of King Wu of Zhou and

Yi Jiang Yi Jiang (; 11th century BC), was a Chinese queen and government minister. She was married to King Wu of Zhou (r. 1046–1043 BC). She was the first queen of the Zhou dynasty. She, Fu Hao and Lady Nanzi belonged to the few politically influential w ...

and the younger brother of King Cheng of Zhou. Shortly after the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, King Wu of Zhou died. His son, Prince Song, ascended the throne and became King Cheng of Zhou. Since he was very young and too inexperienced to run the newly founded dynasty, his uncle, the

Duke of Zhou Dan, Duke Wen of Zhou (), commonly known as the Duke of Zhou (), was a member of the royal family of the early Zhou dynasty who played a major role in consolidating the kingdom established by his elder brother King Wu. He was renowned for acting ...

, served as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

and handled all political affairs until King Cheng of Zhou became old enough to rule. In the year that King Cheng of Zhou ascended the throne, the people of a land called Tang (唐) rebelled, so the Duke of Zhou conquered them. According to the

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese his ...

, one day, King Cheng of Zhou was playing with his younger brother, Prince Yu. King Cheng of Zhou suddenly picked up a parasol tree leaf and gave it to Prince Yu. Then he said playfully," Let this be a proof that I will make you a feudal lord." Prince Yu happily got the leaf and he then told this to the Duke of Zhou. The Duke of Zhou thought that whatever the young King Cheng of Zhou said should not be taken lightly since he was the king. The Duke of Zhou approached the young king and asked him if it were true. The young king said that he was just joking with his brother. Then the Duke of Zhou replied, "A sovereign must not joke about the things he says and do as what he has said." The young king thought it was reasonable and gave the recent conquered called Tang land, west of modern

Yicheng County Yicheng County () is a county in the prefecture-level city of Linfen, in the south of Shanxi Province, China. The county spans an area of , and is home to 323,517 people as of 2019. Geography Yicheng County is located in southern Shanxi Province ...

in Shanxi, to his brother, Prince Yu. Shu Yu's son and successor, Xie, moved the capital Jiang nearer to the Jin River and renamed the state Jin.

Jinci The Jinci or Jin Temple (晉祠) is the most prominent temple complex in Shanxi, China. It is located 16 miles (25 km) southwest of Taiyuan at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain at the Jin Springs. It was founded about 1,400 years ago and expanded ...

was a shrine in Taiyuan dedicated to Shu Yu. It is a

major historical and cultural site protected at the national level A Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National LevelEnglish translation for "全国重点文物保护单位" varies, it includes Major Site (to Be) Protected for Its Historical and Cultural Value at the National Level, Major Histo ...

in People's republic of China.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shu Yu of Tang Monarchs of Jin (Chinese state) 11th-century BC Chinese monarchs Founding monarchs

See also

References