King Yih of Zhou

King Yi of Zhou
周懿王
Contemporary bronze pot dated to his third year. Western Zhou dynasty, in Baoji Zhouyuan Museum.
King of the Zhou dynasty
Reign899–892 BC
PredecessorKing Gong of Zhou
SuccessorKing Xiao of Zhou
Died892 BC
SpouseWang Bo Jiang
IssueKing Yí of Zhou
Names
Ancestral name: Jī (姬)
Given name: Jiān (囏)
Posthumous name
King Yi (懿王)
HouseJi
DynastyZhou (Western Zhou)
FatherKing Gong of Zhou
King Yih of Zhou
Posthumous name
Chinese周懿王
Literal meaningThe Honourable King of Zhou
The Righteous King of Zhou
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Yi Wáng
Wade–GilesChou Yi-wang
King Yi of Chou

King Yi of Zhou (Chinese: 周懿王; pinyin: Zhōu Yì Wáng), personal name Ji Jian, was a king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 899–892 BC or 899–873 BC.[1]

Reign

King Yi's reign is poorly documented. The first year of his reign is confirmed by a solar eclipse on April 21, 899. He succeeded his uncle King Xiao, who was in turn succeeded by King Yi's son King Yí, who was "restored by the many lords". The Bamboo Annals state that he moved from the capital Zongzhou (宗周) to a locality called Huaili.[2] This hints that he was removed from power by his uncle, but the matter is uncertain.[3][4] Yi's grandson was King Li of Zhou.[5] Sima Qian records that there was a period of decline that prompted poets to satirize his reign.[6]

Bronze Pot of the Thirteenth Year of King Yi Era (886 BCE), Western Zhou dynasty. Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province. Baoji Zhouyuan Museum

A collection of pots from the thirteenth year of his reign describe him giving an imperial edict in the Situlǜ Palace (司土滤宫) in Chengzhou (成周), which was recorded by Yi Dian (易典), to Ya Bo (牙僰), Chi Xi (赤舄), and others unnamed, who kowtowed in response.[7]

Family

Queens:

  • Wang Bo Jiang, of the Jiang clan (王伯姜 姜姓), the mother of Crown Prince Xie and a daughter

Sons:

  • Crown Prince Xie (太子燮; d. 878 BC), ruled as King Yí of Zhou from 885 to 878 BC

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ Cambridge History of Ancient China. Cambridge University Press. May 1999. ISBN 978-0-521-47030-8.
  2. ↑ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "懿王". 竹書記年. 十五年,王自宗周遷于槐里。
  3. ↑ Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Vol. 4.
  4. ↑ Han Zhaoqi (韩兆琦), ed. (2010). Shiji (史记) (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. pp. 2510–2512. ISBN 978-7-101-07272-3.
  5. ↑ Liu Xueqin 劉學勤 (1992). Zhou Xuanwang 周宣王, in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 3, page 1605. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe
  6. ↑ Sima, Qian. "周本記". In Donald Sturgeon (ed.). 史記. 懿王之時,王室遂衰,詩人作刺。
  7. ↑ 十三年兴壶:佳十又三年九月初吉戊寅,王才(在)成周司土滤宫,各太室,即位。夷父右,王乎乍册,尹册易典画,牙僰、赤舄、拜,稽首对扬王休,其万年永宝。