Yi Jiang (; 11th century BC), was a Chinese queen and government minister. She was married to

King Wu of Zhou King Wu of Zhou (; died ), personal name Ji Fa, was the founding king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The chronology of his reign is disputed but is generally thought to have begun around 1046 BCE and ended with his death three years later. Ki ...

(r. 1046–1043 BC). She was the first queen of the

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

. She,

Fu Hao Fu Hao () died 1200 BC, posthumous temple name Mu Xin (), was one of the many wives of King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty and also served as a military general and high priestess. Fu Hao's life and military achievements are known almost entirely ...

and Lady Nanzi belonged to the few politically influential women in China prior to

Queen Dowager Xuan Lady Xiong, (Chinese:熊夫人;personal name unknown) formally Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin (; 338 BC–265 BC), also known as Mi Bazi (羋八子), was the first queen dowager in Chinese history. A concubine of King Huiwen of Qin and the mother of K ...

Life

Very little is known about Yi Jiang's early life. She was the first daughter of the Great Duke of Qi, of the Lü lineage of the Jiang clan of Qi (), a former officer of the Shang dynasty who was given political asylum at the home of Ji Chang, Count Wen of Zhou State, when he was pursued by King Zhou of the Shang dynasty. Yijiang married Ji Chang's second son, Ji Fa, the future King Wu, in the year of their first meeting around 1055 BC she gave birth to two children, the oldest being Ji Song, future

King Cheng of Zhou King Cheng of Zhou (; 1055–1021 BC), personal name Ji Song, was the second king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042–1021 BCE or 1042/35–1006 BCE. Ji Dan, Duke of Zhou served as regent during his minority. His pare ...

(probably born in 1054 BC), the second son was Ji Yu, future Duke of Tang. Yi Jiang belonged to the Jiang family and was born in Yi. Her marriage to Ji Fa was one of many instances of arranged marriages between members of the Ji and Jiang families, who had an old dynastic alliance. It was considered a sign of good fortune for the Zhou rulers when they married consorts of the Jiang family, this former aristocratic family that had been losing its prominence in the last years of the Shang dynasty, and was restored to power after the founding of the Zhou dynasty. Yi Jiang is acknowledged to have had influence over the affairs of state. Her spouse the king appointed her as one of his nine government ministers, an appointment which is confirmed in records.Keith McMahon,
Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao
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Issue

* Prince Song (; 1060–1020 BC), ruled as

from 1042 to 1021 BC * Third son, Prince Yu (), ruled as the Marquis of Tang from 1042 BC

References

{{Reflist 11th-century BC births 11th-century BC deaths 11th-century BC Chinese people 11th-century BC Chinese women Chinese queens