Fenmao (, died 741 BC) was from 757 to 741 BC the
monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
of the state of
Chu
Chu or CHU may refer to:
Chinese history
* Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty
* Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu
* Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the Ha ...
during the early
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. He was born Xiong Xuan () and Fenmao was his
posthumous title.
Like other early Chu rulers, Fenmao held the hereditary noble rank of
viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...
that was first granted to his ancestor
Xiong Yi
Xiong Yi (, reigned 11th century BC) was the first viscount and an early ruler of the State of Chu during early Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. Son of Xiong Kuang, he was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and Zhuanxu through his great-grandfat ...
by
King Cheng of Zhou.
However, ''
Han Feizi'' and ''
Chu Ci
The ''Chu ci'', variously translated as ''Verses of Chu,'' ''Songs of Chu'', or ''Elegies of Chu'', is an ancient anthology of Chinese poetry including works traditionally attributed mainly to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States perio ...
'' referred to him as King Li of Chu ().
[杨伯峻:《春秋左传注》,中华书局1990年5月第2版,文公十六年,第619页。]
Fenmao succeeded his father
Xiao'ao, who died in 758 BC. He was succeeded by
King Wu of Chu, the first Chu ruler to declare himself king.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenmao
Monarchs of Chu (state)
8th-century BC Chinese monarchs
741 BC deaths
Year of birth unknown