King Wu of Zhou

King Wu of Zhou (Chinese: 周武王; pinyin: Zhōu Wǔ Wáng; died c. 1043 BCE) was the founder and first king of the 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.[1]

King Wu of Zhou 周武王
Depiction of King Wu by Ma Lin
King of the Zhou dynasty
Reign	1046–1043 BCE
Predecessor	King Zhou of Shang (Shang dynasty)
Successor	King Cheng of Zhou
Born	Ji Fa (姬發)
Died	1043 BCE Haojing, Zhou dynasty
Spouse	Yi Jiang
Issue	King Cheng of Zhou Yu, Marquis of Tang Da Ji Lan
Dynasty	Zhou
Father	King Wen of Zhou
Mother	Tai Si
Chinese name
Chinese	周武王
Literal meaning	Martial King of Zhou
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōu Wǔ wáng Gwoyeu Romatzyh Jou Wuu wang Wade–Giles Chou1 Wu3 wang2 IPA [ʈʂóʊ ù wǎŋ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jāu Móuh wòhng Jyutping Zau1 Mou5 wong4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chiu Bú ông Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *Tiw M(r)aʔ ɢʷang
Personal name
Traditional Chinese	姬發
Simplified Chinese	姬发
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jī Fā Gwoyeu Romatzyh Ji Fa Wade–Giles Chi1 Fa1 IPA [tɕí fá] Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *[k](r)ə Cə.pat

King Wu's ancestral name was Ji and given name Fa. He was the second son of King Wen of Zhou and Queen Taisi. In most accounts, his older brother Bo Yikao was said to have predeceased his father, typically at the hands of King Zhou, the last king of the Shang dynasty; in the Book of Rites, however, it is assumed that his inheritance represented an older tradition among the Zhou of passing over the eldest son.[2] (Fa's grandfather Jili had likewise inherited Zhou despite two older brothers.)

Upon his succession, Fa worked with his father-in-law Jiang Ziya to accomplish an unfinished task: overthrowing the Shang dynasty. During the ninth year of his reign, Fa marched down the Yellow River to the Mengjin ford and met with more than 800 dukes.[3] He constructed an ancestral tablet naming his father Chang King Wen and placed it on a chariot in the middle of the host; considering the timing unpropitious, though, he did not yet attack Shang. In 1046 BC, King Wu took advantage of Shang disunity to launch an attack along with many neighboring dukes. The Battle of Muye destroyed Shang's forces and King Zhou of Shang set his palace on fire, dying within.

King Wu – the name means "Martial" – followed his victory by establishing many feudal states under his 16 younger brothers and clans allied by marriage, but his death three years later provoked several rebellions against his young heir King Cheng and the regent Duke of Zhou, even from three of his brothers.

A burial mound in Zhouling town, Xianyang, Shaanxi was once thought to be King Wu's tomb. It was fitted with a headstone bearing Wu's name in the Qing dynasty. Modern archeology has since concluded that the tomb is not old enough to be from the Zhou dynasty, and is more likely to be that of a Han dynasty royal. The true location of King Wu's tomb remains unknown, but is likely to be in the Xianyang-Xi'an area.

Wu is considered one of the great heroes of China, together with mythical Yellow Emperor and legendary Yu the Great.