Duke Zhuang II of Qi (; died 548 BC) was from 553 to 548 BC 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 short ...

, 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 Guāng (呂光),

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 Zhuang 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 accomplishment ...

. He was the second of the two Qi rulers called Duke Zhuang. Before ascending the throne he was known as Prince Guang.

Accession to the throne

Prince Guang was the son of

Duke Ling of Qi Duke Ling of Qi (; died 554 BC) was from 581 to 554 BC ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Huan (呂環), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Ling was his post ...

and his concubine Sheng Ji. In 572 BC Duke Dao of the state of Jin attacked Qi. Duke Ling made peace with Jin by sending Prince Guang to Jin as a hostage. In 563 BC, Guang was made the crown prince of Qi. However, Duke Ling later deposed him and made his half-brother Ya the new crown prince, at the request of his favorite concubine Rong Zi. In the fifth month of 554 BC, Duke Ling died after 28 years of reign, and the powerful minister

Cui Zhu Cui or CUI may refer to: People * Cui (surname), a Chinese surname * Cui Shian (born 1957), governor of Macau * César Cui (1835–1918), Russian composer Education * Catholic University of Ireland * COMSATS University Islamabad * Concordia Un ...

installed Guang on the throne instead of the new crown prince Ya. Prince Guang is posthumously known as Duke Zhuang II of Qi. Cui Zhu and Duke Zhuang subsequently killed Rong Zi, Prince Ya, and minister Gao Hou, who supported Ya.

Battles with Jin

In 551 BC, Luan Ying, leader of the powerful Luan Clan of the State of Jin, rebelled against Jin, but was defeated and fled to Qi. Minister

Yan Ying Yan may refer to: Chinese states * Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC * Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed inde ...

advised Duke Zhuang against supporting rebels of Jin, to no avail. The next year, with Duke Zhuang's support, Luan secretly returned to

Quwo Quwo County () is a county under the administration of Linfen city, in southern Shanxi Province Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The ca ...

, the old Jin capital, and rebelled again. Meanwhile, Duke Zhuang dispatched the Qi army to invade Jin, reaching the

Taihang Mountains The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is ...

. Luan achieved some initial success, and even briefly captured the Jin capital,

Jiang Jiang may refer to: * ''Jiang'' (rank), rank held by general officers in the military of China *Jiang (surname), several Chinese surnames **Jiang Zemin (1926–2022), as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party *Jiang River, an ancient riv ...

. However, he was soon defeated by the Jin army and killed at Quwo. After hearing of Luan's defeat, the Qi forces retreated, taking the city of

Zhaoge Zhaoge () was the last of a series of cities that served as capital of the Shang dynasty, and later capital of State of Wey (衛國). It is located in current Qi County, Hebi, Henan about 50 km south of Anyang. See also *Yinxu Yinxu (modern ...

on the way back. Two years later, Jin attacked Qi for revenge.

Death

Duke Zhuang had an adulterous relationship with Cui Zhu's second wife Tang Jiang, which Cui learned about. In the fifth month of 548 BC, the viscount of the minor

state of Ju Ju () was a Dongyi state in modern Shandong province during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE) of ancient China. The rulers of Ju had the surname of Ji 己. According to the '' Shuowen Jiezi'', "Ju" means taro or a wooden tool. It was weaken ...

came to pay tribute to Qi. Cui pretended to be ill and did not attend the banquet for the Viscount of Ju. The next day, Duke Zhuang visited Cui at his home and tried to have a tryst with his wife. Cui had his men block the Duke's guards outside and surround Duke Zhuang in the courtyard. Duke Zhuang tried to escape by climbing a wall, but was shot by an arrow and killed. Cui Zhu subsequently installed Duke Zhuang's younger half-brother Chujiu on the throne, to be known as

Duke Jing of Qi Duke Jing of Qi (; died 490 BC) was ruler of the State of Qi from 547 to 490 BC. Qi was a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Chujiu (呂杵臼), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Jing ...

Family

Daughters: * Shao Jiang () ** Married

Duke Ping of Jin Duke Ping of Jin (, died 532 BC) was from 557 to 532 BC the ruler of the State of Jin, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji, given name Biao, and Duke Ping was his posthumous name. He succe ...

(d. 532 BC)

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhuang II of Qi, Duke Year of birth unknown Monarchs of Qi (state) 6th-century BC Chinese monarchs 548 BC deaths 6th-century BC murdered monarchs Assassinated Chinese politicians Assassinated Chinese heads of state