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), personal name Ji Yihu, was the sixth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty.[6][7] Estimated dates of his reign are 922-900 BC or 917/15-900 (Cambridge History of Ancient China).

King Gong of Zhou
周共王
King of China[2]
Reign922–900 BC
PredecessorKing Mu of Zhou[3]
SuccessorKing Yì of Zhou
Died900 BC
SpouseWang Gui
IssueKing Yì of Zhou[4]
Full name
Ancestral name: Jī (姬)
Given name: Yīhù (繄扈)
FatherKing Mu of Zhou[5]

Although he is commonly known as Gong, this is actually his posthumous name. His given name was Yihu and his ancestral name was Jī.

Biography

King Gong of Zhou ascended to the throne in the year 950 B. C. 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.

However, according to the Grand Historian, King Gong of Zhou once did initiate a war and perished State of Mi because of women. 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 three extremely beautiful women as his own concubines, which irritated King Gong of Zhou. So he invaded this state and sentenced that lord to death.[8]

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

Family
  • Parents:
    • Crown Prince Man (太子滿; 992–922 BC), ruled as King Mu of Zhou from 976–922 BC
  • 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

See also
  1. Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors

Sources
  1. Cambridge History of Ancient China
  2. Cambridge History of Ancient China
  3. Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. 4.
  4. Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations by John Minford, Joseph S. M. Lau
  5. Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
  6. Sources of Western Zhou History: Inscribed Bronze Vessels by Edward L. Shaughnessy
  7. Sharing the Light: Representations of Women and Virtue in Early China by Lisa Ann Raphals. Gong is mentioned with one woman.
  8. "King Gong of Zhou Ji Yihu in history of China".
King Gong of Zhou
Zhou Dynasty
 Died: 900 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by
King Mu of Zhou		 King of China
922–900 BC		 Succeeded by
King Yì of Zhou


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