King Gong of Zhou

King Gong of Zhou (Chinese: 周共王; pinyin: Zhōu Gòng Wáng or Chinese: 周恭王; pinyin: Zhōu Gōng Wáng; died 900 BC) was the sixth king of the Zhou dynasty.[5][6] Estimated dates of his reign are 922–900 BC or 917/15–900.[1]

King Gong of Zhou
周共王
King of the Zhou dynasty
Reign922/17/15–900 BC[1]
PredecessorKing Mu of Zhou[2]
SuccessorKing Yi of Zhou
BornJi Yihu (姬繄扈)
Died900 BC
SpouseWang Gui
IssueKing Yi of Zhou[3]
Names
Ancestral name: Jī (姬)
Given name: Yīhù (繄扈)
FatherKing Mu of Zhou[4]

Biography

King Gong of Zhou ascended to the throne in the year 922 BC after his father King Mu of Zhou departed. Unlike some of his ancestors, he dedicated to developing economy and increasing his exchequer, instead of expanding territory or conquering others through wars.

According to one account carried by the Records of the Grand Historian, King Gong of Zhou once did initiate a war and destroyed the State of Mi. When he was touring in State of Mi, he saw three extremely beautiful women and commanded Mi's lord to find them out and send them to his own palace. But the lord of the state took the three extremely beautiful women as his own concubines, which irritated King Gong. So he invaded this state and sentenced that lord to death.[7]

After 15 years reign, he passed the throne to his son King Yì of Zhou and departed peacefully in his own palace.

Family

Queens:

  • Wang Gui, of the Gui clan (王媯 媯姓)

Sons:

  • Crown Prince Jian (太子囏; 899–892 BC), ruled as King Yì of Zhou from 899–892 BC

Ancestry
King Cheng of Zhou (1060–1020 BC)
King Kang of Zhou (1040–996 BC)
Wang Si
King Zhao of Zhou (1027–977 BC)
Wang Jiang
King Mu of Zhou (992–922 BC)
Queen Fang
King Gong of Zhou (d. 900 BC)

See also

Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors

Sources
  1. Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, ed. (1999), The Cambridge History of Ancient China, Cambridge University Press
  2. Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Vol. 4.
  3. Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations by John Minford, Joseph S. M. Lau
  4. Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
  5. Sources of Western Zhou History: Inscribed Bronze Vessels by Edward L. Shaughnessy
  6. Sharing the Light: Representations of Women and Virtue in Early China by Lisa Ann Raphals. Gong is mentioned with one woman.
  7. "King Gong of Zhou Ji Yihu in history of China".


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