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{{Short description|Zhou Dynasty king of China from 314 to 256 BC}}
{{redirect|Ji Yan|the Eastern Wu official of the Three Kingdoms period|Ji Yan (Three Kingdoms)}}
{{infobox royalty
{{infobox royalty
| name = King Nan of Zhou<br/>周赧王
| name = King Nan of Zhou<br/>周赧王
| succession = King of China
| succession = King of the Zhou dynasty
| reign = 314–256 BC{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=54}}{{sfnp|Shaughnessy|1999|p=29}}
| reign = 314–256 BC{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=54}}{{sfnp|Shaughnessy|1999|p=29}}
| predecessor = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]]{{sfnp|Shaughnessy|1999|p=29}}
| predecessor = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]]{{sfnp|Shaughnessy|1999|p=29}}
| successor = Title officially extinct,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} though claimed by [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou|King Hui of Zhou]]{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=37, 56}}
| successor = Title officially extinct,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} though claimed by [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou|King Hui of Zhou]]{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=37, 56}}
| full name = Ji Yan (姬延) ''or'' Ji Dan (姬誕)
| house = [[Zhou dynasty]]
| house = Ji
| death_date = 256 BC{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}
| dynasty = [[Zhou dynasty|Zhou]] ([[Eastern Zhou]])
⚫
| father = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]]<ref>''Cambridge History of ancient China''</ref>
| issue = Jī Wen{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}<br/>Jī Zhao{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=56}}
| death_date = 256 BC{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}
| posthumous name = King Nan (赧王) ''or'' King Yin (隱王)
⚫
| father = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]]<ref>''Cambridge History of ancient China''</ref>
| issue = Jī Wen{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}<br/>Jī Zhao{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=56}}
}}
}}
{{chinese
{{chinese
Line 16: Line 19:
|altname4=Personal name |c4= {{linktext|姬|延}} |p4=Ji Yan |w4=Chi Yen
|altname4=Personal name |c4= {{linktext|姬|延}} |p4=Ji Yan |w4=Chi Yen
}}
}}
'''King Nan of Zhou''' (?–256 BC), born '''[[Ji (surname)|Ji]] Yan'''{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=54}} and less commonly known as '''King Yin of Zhou''',<ref name="Chinese History">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/zhou-event.html|title=Chinese History - Political History of the Zhou Dynasty 周 (11th cent.-221 BCE)|work=Theobald, Ulrich|accessdate=23 July 2015}}</ref> was the 37th and last king of the [[History of China|Chinese]] [[Zhou dynasty]], the son of [[King Shenjing of Zhou]] and grandson of [[King Xian of Zhou]].<ref name="Chinese History" /> He was king for fifty-nine years,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} the longest in the Zhou Dynasty and all of pre-imperial [[China]] (in terms of the reign length followed by [[King Mu of Zhou]]).{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=238, 239}} By the time of King Nan's reign, the kings of Zhou had lost almost all political and military power,<ref name="Chengzhou">{{cite web|url=http://www.kaogu.cn/uploads/soft/Chinese%20Archaeology/8/Considering%20Chengzhou%20%28%27Completion%20of%20Zhou%27%29%20and%20Wangcheng%20%28%27City%20of%20the%20King%27%29.pdf|title=Considering Chengzhou ("Completion of Zhou") and Wangcheng ("City of the King")|work=Xu Zhaofeng|accessdate=22 July 2015}}</ref> as even their remaining crown land was split into two states or factions, led by rival feudal lords: [[Western Zhou (state)|West Zhou]], where the capital [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]] was located, and [[Eastern Zhou (state)|East Zhou]], centred at [[Luoyang|Chengzhou]] and Kung.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=78}}{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}{{efn|The exact location of [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]] and its relation to [[Luoyang|Chengzhou]] is disputed and confusing. According to Xu Zhaofeng, "Chengzhou" and "Wangcheng" were originally synonymous and used to name several Zhou capitals of the [[Spring and Autumn period]]. "The creation of a distinction between Wangcheng and Chengzhou probably occurred during the reign of [[King Jing of Zhou (Gai)|King Jing]]", under whom a new capital "Chengzhou" was built to the east of the old city "Wangcheng". Nevertheless, the new Chengzhou was still sometimes called Wangcheng and vice versa, adding to the confusion.<ref name="Chengzhou" />}} Therefore, Nan lacked any personal territory and was effectively under the control of the local feudal lords, essentially relying on their charity.<ref name="Chengzhou" />
'''King Nan of Zhou''' (?–256 BC), personal name '''Ji Yan''',{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=54}} also less commonly known as '''King Yin of Zhou''',<ref name="Chinese History">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/zhou-event.html|title=Chinese History - Political History of the Zhou Dynasty 周 (11th cent.-221 BCE)|work=Theobald, Ulrich|access-date=23 July 2015}}</ref> was the last [[Chinese sovereign|king]] of the [[Zhou dynasty]] of China. He was the son of [[King Shenjing of Zhou|King Shenjing]] and grandson of [[King Xian of Zhou|King Xian]].<ref name="Chinese History" /> He was king from 314 BC until his death in 256 BC, a reign of fifty-nine years,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} the longest in the Zhou dynasty and all of pre-imperial China.{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=238, 239}}


By the time of King Nan's reign, the king of Zhou had lost almost all political and military power,<ref name="Chengzhou">{{cite web|url=http://www.kaogu.cn/uploads/soft/Chinese%20Archaeology/8/Considering%20Chengzhou%20%28%27Completion%20of%20Zhou%27%29%20and%20Wangcheng%20%28%27City%20of%20the%20King%27%29.pdf|title=Considering Chengzhou ("Completion of Zhou") and Wangcheng ("City of the King")|work=Xu Zhaofeng|access-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> as even their remaining crown land was split into two states, led by rival feudal lords: [[Western Zhou (state)|Western Zhou state]], where the capital [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]] was located, and [[Eastern Zhou (state)|Eastern Zhou state]], centred at [[Luoyang|Chengzhou]].{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=78}}{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}}{{efn|The exact location of [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]] and its relation to [[Luoyang|Chengzhou]] is disputed and confusing. According to Xu Zhaofeng, "Chengzhou" and "Wangcheng" were originally synonymous and used to name several Zhou capitals of the [[Spring and Autumn period]]. "The creation of a distinction between Wangcheng and Chengzhou probably occurred during the reign of [[King Jing of Zhou (Gai)|King Jing]]", under whom a new capital "Chengzhou" was built to the east of the old city "Wangcheng". Nevertheless, the new Chengzhou was still sometimes called Wangcheng and vice versa, adding to the confusion.<ref name="Chengzhou" />}} Therefore, King Nan lacked any personal territory and was effectively under the control of the local feudal lords, essentially relying on their charity.<ref name="Chengzhou" />
⚫
However, Nan's symbolic and ritual power remains disputed. On one side, the Chinese states largely ignored the king's activities and adopted royal titles and rituals for themselves, while the dynasty's fall generally received meagre contemporary coverage and attention. This led to the assumption that Nan no longer had any symbolic power or semblance of royal authority left.<ref name="Chengzhou" />{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} On the other side, recent epigraphic discoveries and some accounts in the [[Records of the Grand Historian]] and [[Zhan Guo Ce]] suggest that until his death, Nan was still respected as the [[Son of Heaven]].{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} Either way, the last king of Zhou managed to preserve his weakened dynasty through diplomacy and conspiracies for fifty-nine years until his deposition by [[Qin (state)|Qin]] and death in 256 BC.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=79-83}}

⚫
However, Nan's symbolic and ritual power remains disputed. On one side, the feudal states largely ignored the king's activities and adopted royal titles and rituals for themselves, while the Zhou dynasty's fall generally received meagre contemporary coverage and attention. This led to the assumption that King Nan no longer had any symbolic power or semblance of royal authority left.<ref name="Chengzhou" />{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} On the other side, recent epigraphic discoveries and some accounts in the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' and ''[[Zhan Guo Ce|Strategies of the Warring States]]'' suggest that until his death, King Nan was still respected as the [[Son of Heaven]].{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} Either way, the last king of Zhou managed to preserve his weakened dynasty through diplomacy and conspiracies for fifty-nine years until his deposition by the [[Qin (state)|Qin state]] and death in 256 BC.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=79-83}}


==Life==
==Life==
=== Reign ===
=== Reign ===
At the beginning of his reign in 314 BC, King Nan moved the capital from Chengzhou to Wangcheng.<ref name="Chengzhou" />{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} From then on, the Zhou crown lands were invaded several times by foreign powers, beginning with Qin's attack on Yiyang in West Zhou in 307 BC.<ref name="Chinese History" /> Only constant political manoeuvring and ever-changing alliances of the king and the feudal lords ensured the survival of West and East Zhou, even though the two Zhou states often weakened themselves by conspiring against each other.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=79-83}} Once, Qin planned to march its troops through East and West Zhou to attack [[Han (state)|Han]], so that the lords of Zhou feared to be caught in war between the two states. The Scribe Yan advised King Nan that it would be of advantage if Han would cede some territory to Zhou and Zhou send some hostages to Chu. Qin would then suspect the state of Chu to plan an attack on Qin during its campaign against Han. At the same time the king of Zhou should, as Yan suggested, explain to the king of Qin that Han suspected Zhou of conspiring with Qin because of the present of land made to Zhou. With this method the king of Zhou would increase his territory and avoid Qin troops marching through his land. On another occasion, King Nan was summoned to Qin's royal court to debate the question of attacking the Han city of Nanyang. Instead of following the request, Nan conspired with Han to block the way between Zhou and Qin in order to prevent the debate and avoid a war.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=80}}
At the beginning of his reign in 314 BC, King Nan moved the capital from [[Chengzhou]] to [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]].<ref name="Chengzhou" />{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} From then on, the Zhou crown lands were invaded several times by foreign powers, beginning with Qin's attack on Yiyang in West Zhou in 307 BC.<ref name="Chinese History" /> Only constant political manoeuvring and ever-changing alliances of the king and the feudal lords ensured the survival of [[Western Zhou (state)|West]] and [[Eastern Zhou (state)|East Zhou]], even though the two [[Zhou dynasty|Zhou]] states often weakened themselves by conspiring against each other.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=79-83}} Once, [[Qin (state)|Qin]] planned to march its troops through East and [[Western Zhou (state)|West]] Zhou to attack [[Han (Warring States)|Han]], so that the lords of Zhou feared to be caught in war between the two states. The Scribe Yan advised King Nan that it would be of advantage if Han would cede some territory to Zhou and Zhou send some hostages to Chu. Qin would then suspect the state of [[Chu (state)|Chu]] was planning an attack on [[Qin (state)|Qin]] during its campaign against [[Han (Warring States)|Han]]. At the same time the king of Zhou should, as Yan suggested, explain to the king of Qin that Han suspected Zhou of conspiring with Qin because of the present of land made to Zhou. With this method the king of Zhou would increase his territory and avoid Qin troops marching through his land. On another occasion, King Nan was summoned to Qin's royal court to debate the question of attacking the Han city of Nanyang. Instead of following the request, Nan conspired with Han to block the way between Zhou and Qin in order to prevent the debate and avoid a war.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=80}}


King Nan's rule was not only threatened by outside powers, but also by the constant conflict between the lords of West and East Zhou. When they went to war, the state of Han initially supported West Zhou's nobles, but went on to betray its allies. Instead of fighting East Zhou, the Han forces looted Wangcheng and Nan's royal palace, while avoiding war with the Son of Heaven, King Nan, as they were still officially "allies".{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=80}} As Zhou grew increasingly weak, the king's rule was more frequently challenged by expansionist Qin. In 273 BC Ma Fan developed a plan to protect the [[Nine Tripod Cauldrons]] of [[Yu the Great]] representing royal authority by enlisting the help of King Anxi of [[Wei (state)|Wei]], who constructed a fortification wall for Zhou. Nevertheless, the Zhou dynasty remained unable to stop Qin's expansion, and Nan's kingdom was only spared because the rulers of Qin believed that the annihilation of the land of the Son of Heaven would damage their names.<ref name="Chinese History" /> In order to survive, Nan and his officials even used to function as a spy for Qin in explaining the military changes in the state of Han, Wei and [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]].{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}
King Nan's rule was not only threatened by outside powers, but also by the constant conflict between the lords of West and East Zhou. When they went to war, the state of Han initially supported West Zhou's nobles, but went on to betray its allies. Instead of fighting East Zhou, the Han forces looted Wangcheng and Nan's royal palace, while avoiding war with the Son of Heaven, King Nan, as they were still officially "allies".{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=80}} As Zhou grew increasingly weak, the king's rule was more frequently challenged by expansionist Qin. In 273 BC Ma Fan developed a plan to protect the [[Nine Tripod Cauldrons]] of [[Yu the Great]] representing royal authority by enlisting the help of King Anxi of [[Wei (state)|Wei]], who constructed a fortification wall for Zhou. Nevertheless, the Zhou dynasty remained unable to stop Qin's expansion, and Nan's kingdom was only spared because the rulers of Qin believed that the annihilation of the land of the Son of Heaven would damage their names.<ref name="Chinese History" /> In order to survive, Nan and his officials even used to function as a spy for Qin in explaining the military changes in the state of Han, Wei and [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]].{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}


=== Fall===
=== Fall===
Only when Qin occupied the town of Fushu, belonging to Han, but in the vicinity of the ancient royal capital, Nan and the lords of West Zhou became so frightened of an impending invasion that they joined an alliance against Qin. West Zhou attacked Qin, but was quickly driven back. Wangcheng was finally conquered in 256 BC, and King Nan travelled to [[Xianyang]] to submit to [[King Zhaoxiang of Qin]]. West Zhou was then annexed by Qin, whereupon Nan was demoted to Duke of West Zhou.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} Imprisoned in Wangcheng, he died shortly afterwards, "and the rituals of the Zhou dynasty ceased forever".{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} Qin seized the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and exiled Nan's heir, Ji Wen, to Danhu.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} Both the royal Ji family and many citizens of West Zhou then fled to East Zhou,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} where they and the local lords proclaimed [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou]] new king. Duke Wen was never recognized king outside of East Zhou, however, so that Nan is generally considered the last rightful King of Zhou. Together with Nan's son Ji Zhao, Wen led the resistance against Qin, but they were defeated in 251 and 249 BC, respectively. East Zhou was annexed by Qin,{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=56}} and none of Nan's sons subsequently laid claim to the Zhou dynastic imperial title. The remaining royal Ji family fled to the [[Wey (state)|State of Wey]]. Thus ended the Zhou dynasty,{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=37}} whose fall was hardly noted by the people and states of China.{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} However, soon after Nan's death a king of Qin lamented the dynasty's fall as disruptive for the order of Heaven and Earth.{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=18}} Likewise, the scholars of Qin wrote in the [[Lüshi Chunqiu]]:
Only when Qin occupied the town of Fushu, belonging to Han, but in the vicinity of the ancient royal capital, Nan and the lords of West Zhou became so frightened of an impending invasion that they joined an alliance against Qin. West Zhou attacked Qin, but was quickly driven back. Wangcheng was finally conquered in 256 BC, and King Nan travelled to [[Xianyang]] to submit to [[King Zhaoxiang of Qin]]. West Zhou was then annexed by Qin, whereupon Nan was demoted to Duke of West Zhou.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} Imprisoned in Wangcheng, he died shortly afterwards, "and the rituals of the Zhou dynasty ceased forever".{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} Qin seized the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and exiled Nan's heir, Ji Wen, to Danhu.{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}} Both the royal Ji family and many citizens of West Zhou then fled to East Zhou,{{sfnp|Sima|1995|p=83}}{{sfnp|Schinz|1996|p=80}} where they and the local lords proclaimed [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou]] the new king. Duke Wen was never recognized king outside of East Zhou, however, so that Nan is generally considered the last rightful King of Zhou. Together with Nan's son Ji Zhao, Wen led the resistance against Qin, but they were defeated in 251 and 249 BC, respectively. East Zhou was annexed by Qin,{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=56}} and none of Nan's sons subsequently laid claim to the Zhou dynastic imperial title. The remaining royal Ji family fled to the [[Wey (state)|State of Wey]]. Thus ended the Zhou dynasty,{{sfnp|Tan|2014|p=37}} whose fall was hardly noted by the people and states of China.{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=17,18}} However, soon after Nan's death a king of Qin lamented the dynasty's fall as disruptive for the order of Heaven and Earth.{{sfnp|Pines|2009|p=18}} Likewise, the scholars of Qin wrote in the [[Lüshi Chunqiu]]:


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
Line 35: Line 40:
The title of "Son of Heaven" was eventually adopted by [[Qin Shi Huang]], when he proclaimed himself the First Emperor.<ref name="Chinese History" />
The title of "Son of Heaven" was eventually adopted by [[Qin Shi Huang]], when he proclaimed himself the First Emperor.<ref name="Chinese History" />


==Family==
==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel | align = center
* Parents:
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
** Prince Ding ({{lang|zh|王子定}}; d. 315 BC), ruled as [[King Shenjing of Zhou]] from 320–315 BC
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;

| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
==In fiction and popular culture==
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
* King Nan was portrayed by Ta La in ''[[The Legend of Mi Yue]]'' (2015).
| 1 = King Nan of Zhou (d.&nbsp;256 BC)
| 2 = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]] (d. 315 BC)
| 4 = [[King Xian of Zhou]] (d. 321 BC)
| 8 = [[King An of Zhou]] (d. 376 BC)
}}


==See also==
==See also==
#[[Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors]]
# [[Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors]]
#[[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou]] — the last Zhou ruler and claimant to the throne
# [[Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou]] — the last Zhou ruler and claimant to the throne


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 57: Line 67:
|last=Tan
|last=Tan
|first=Koon San
|first=Koon San
|authorlink=
|ref=harv
|title=Dynastic China: An Elementary History
|title=Dynastic China: An Elementary History
|language=
|url=
|accessdate=
|date=2014
|date=2014
|publisher=The Other Press Sdn. Bhd.
|publisher=The Other Press Sdn. Bhd.
|location=[[Petaling Jaya]]
|location=[[Petaling Jaya]]
}}
|isbn=
|page=
|pages=}}
*{{cite book
*{{cite book
|last=Shaughnessy
|last=Shaughnessy
Line 75: Line 78:
|editor1=Michael Loewe
|editor1=Michael Loewe
|editor2=Edward L. Shaughnessy
|editor2=Edward L. Shaughnessy
|authorlink=
|ref=harv
|title=The Cambridge History of ancient China - From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C
|title=The Cambridge History of ancient China - From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C
|url= https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory00loew
|language=
|url=
|url-access=limited
|accessdate=
|date=1999
|date=1999
|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]
|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]
|location=[[Cambridge]], [[New York City|New York]], [[Melbourne]], et al.
|location=[[Cambridge]], [[New York City|New York]], [[Melbourne]], et al.
|isbn=9780521470308
|isbn=9780521470308
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory00loew/page/n49 19]–29
|page=
}}
|pages=19–29}}
*{{cite book
*{{cite book
|last=Sima
|last=Sima
|first=Qian
|first=Qian
|authorlink=Sima Qian
|author-link=Sima Qian
|editor1=William H. Nienhauser Jr
|editor1=William H. Nienhauser Jr
|ref=harv
|title=The Grand Scribe's Records, Vol. 1: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China (Volume I)
|title=The Grand Scribe's Records, Vol. 1: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China (Volume I)
|language=
|url=
|accessdate=
|date=1995
|date=1995
|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]]
|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]]
|location=[[Bloomington, Indiana]]
|location=[[Bloomington, Indiana]]
}}
|isbn=
|page=
|pages=}}
*{{cite book
*{{cite book
|last= Pines
|last= Pines
|first= Yuri
|first= Yuri
|authorlink=
|editor1=
|ref=harv
|title=Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era
|title=Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era
|language=
|url=
|accessdate=
|date=2009
|date=2009
|publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]]
|publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]]
|location=[[Honolulu]]
|location=[[Honolulu]]
}}
|isbn=
|page=
|pages=}}
*{{cite book
*{{cite book
|last= Schinz
|last= Schinz
|first= Alfred
|first= Alfred
|authorlink=
|editor1=Axel Menges
|editor1=Axel Menges
|ref=harv
|title=The Magic Square: Cities in Ancient China
|title=The Magic Square: Cities in Ancient China
|language=
|url=
|accessdate=
|date=1996
|date=1996
|publisher=Daehan Printing & Publishing Co.
|publisher=Daehan Printing & Publishing Co.
|location=[[Stuttgart]], [[London]]
|location=[[Stuttgart]], [[London]]
}}
|isbn=
|page=
|pages=}}


{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Zhou Dynasty]]||||256 BC}}
{{S-hou|[[Zhou dynasty]]||||256 BC}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-reg}}
{{S-bef|rows=2|before=[[King Shenjing of Zhou]]}}
{{S-bef
| rows = 2
| before = [[King Shenjing of Zhou]]
}}
{{S-ttl
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of Chinese monarchs|King of China]]|years=314–256 BC}}
| title = [[List of Chinese monarchs|King of China]]
| years = 314–256 BC
}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Qin Shi Huang]]|as=Emperor of China|reason=[[Qin's wars of unification]]}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Qin Shi Huang]]|as=Emperor of China|reason=[[Qin's wars of unification]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-end}}
{{Kings of Zhou}}
{{Kings of Zhou}}
{{portal bar|Biography|China|History}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nan, Zhou}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nan, Zhou}}
[[Category:4th-century BC births]]
[[Category:4th-century BC births]]
[[Category:256 BC deaths]]
[[Category:256 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Zhou dynasty kings]]
[[Category:Kings of the Zhou dynasty]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Chinese monarchs]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Chinese monarchs]]
[[Category:4th-century BC Chinese monarchs]]
[[Category:4th-century BC Chinese monarchs]]

Latest revision as of 06:40, 9 September 2024

King Nan of Zhou
周赧王
King of the Zhou dynasty
Reign314–256 BC[1][2]
PredecessorKing Shenjing of Zhou[2]
SuccessorTitle officially extinct,[3] though claimed by King Hui of Zhou[4]
Died256 BC[5]
IssueJī Wen[3]
Jī Zhao[6]
Names
Ji Yan (姬延) or Ji Dan (姬誕)
Posthumous name
King Nan (赧王) or King Yin (隱王)
HouseJi
DynastyZhou (Eastern Zhou)
FatherKing Shenjing of Zhou[7]
King Nan of Zhou
Posthumous name
Chinese周赧王
Literal meaningThe Blushing King of Zhou
The Ruddy King of Zhou
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōu Nǎn Wáng
Wade–GilesChou Nan-wang
King Nan of Chou
Second alternative Chinese name
Literal meaningThe Beclouded King of Zhou
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhou Yin Wang
Wade–GilesChou Yin-wang
King Yin of Chou
Personal name
Chinese姬延
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJi Yan
Wade–GilesChi Yen

King Nan of Zhou (?–256 BC), personal name Ji Yan,[1] also less commonly known as King Yin of Zhou,[8] was the last king of the Zhou dynasty of China. He was the son of King Shenjing and grandson of King Xian.[8] He was king from 314 BC until his death in 256 BC, a reign of fifty-nine years,[3] the longest in the Zhou dynasty and all of pre-imperial China.[9]

By the time of King Nan's reign, the king of Zhou had lost almost all political and military power,[10] as even their remaining crown land was split into two states, led by rival feudal lords: Western Zhou state, where the capital Wangcheng was located, and Eastern Zhou state, centred at Chengzhou.[11][5][a] Therefore, King Nan lacked any personal territory and was effectively under the control of the local feudal lords, essentially relying on their charity.[10]

However, Nan's symbolic and ritual power remains disputed. On one side, the feudal states largely ignored the king's activities and adopted royal titles and rituals for themselves, while the Zhou dynasty's fall generally received meagre contemporary coverage and attention. This led to the assumption that King Nan no longer had any symbolic power or semblance of royal authority left.[10][12] On the other side, recent epigraphic discoveries and some accounts in the Records of the Grand Historian and Strategies of the Warring States suggest that until his death, King Nan was still respected as the Son of Heaven.[12] Either way, the last king of Zhou managed to preserve his weakened dynasty through diplomacy and conspiracies for fifty-nine years until his deposition by the Qin state and death in 256 BC.[13]

Life

[edit]

Reign

[edit]

At the beginning of his reign in 314 BC, King Nan moved the capital from Chengzhou to Wangcheng.[10][5] From then on, the Zhou crown lands were invaded several times by foreign powers, beginning with Qin's attack on Yiyang in West Zhou in 307 BC.[8] Only constant political manoeuvring and ever-changing alliances of the king and the feudal lords ensured the survival of West and East Zhou, even though the two Zhou states often weakened themselves by conspiring against each other.[13] Once, Qin planned to march its troops through East and West Zhou to attack Han, so that the lords of Zhou feared to be caught in war between the two states. The Scribe Yan advised King Nan that it would be of advantage if Han would cede some territory to Zhou and Zhou send some hostages to Chu. Qin would then suspect the state of Chu was planning an attack on Qin during its campaign against Han. At the same time the king of Zhou should, as Yan suggested, explain to the king of Qin that Han suspected Zhou of conspiring with Qin because of the present of land made to Zhou. With this method the king of Zhou would increase his territory and avoid Qin troops marching through his land. On another occasion, King Nan was summoned to Qin's royal court to debate the question of attacking the Han city of Nanyang. Instead of following the request, Nan conspired with Han to block the way between Zhou and Qin in order to prevent the debate and avoid a war.[14]

King Nan's rule was not only threatened by outside powers, but also by the constant conflict between the lords of West and East Zhou. When they went to war, the state of Han initially supported West Zhou's nobles, but went on to betray its allies. Instead of fighting East Zhou, the Han forces looted Wangcheng and Nan's royal palace, while avoiding war with the Son of Heaven, King Nan, as they were still officially "allies".[14] As Zhou grew increasingly weak, the king's rule was more frequently challenged by expansionist Qin. In 273 BC Ma Fan developed a plan to protect the Nine Tripod Cauldrons of Yu the Great representing royal authority by enlisting the help of King Anxi of Wei, who constructed a fortification wall for Zhou. Nevertheless, the Zhou dynasty remained unable to stop Qin's expansion, and Nan's kingdom was only spared because the rulers of Qin believed that the annihilation of the land of the Son of Heaven would damage their names.[8] In order to survive, Nan and his officials even used to function as a spy for Qin in explaining the military changes in the state of Han, Wei and Zhao.[3]

Fall

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Only when Qin occupied the town of Fushu, belonging to Han, but in the vicinity of the ancient royal capital, Nan and the lords of West Zhou became so frightened of an impending invasion that they joined an alliance against Qin. West Zhou attacked Qin, but was quickly driven back. Wangcheng was finally conquered in 256 BC, and King Nan travelled to Xianyang to submit to King Zhaoxiang of Qin. West Zhou was then annexed by Qin, whereupon Nan was demoted to Duke of West Zhou.[3] Imprisoned in Wangcheng, he died shortly afterwards, "and the rituals of the Zhou dynasty ceased forever".[5] Qin seized the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and exiled Nan's heir, Ji Wen, to Danhu.[3] Both the royal Ji family and many citizens of West Zhou then fled to East Zhou,[3][5] where they and the local lords proclaimed Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou the new king. Duke Wen was never recognized king outside of East Zhou, however, so that Nan is generally considered the last rightful King of Zhou. Together with Nan's son Ji Zhao, Wen led the resistance against Qin, but they were defeated in 251 and 249 BC, respectively. East Zhou was annexed by Qin,[6] and none of Nan's sons subsequently laid claim to the Zhou dynastic imperial title. The remaining royal Ji family fled to the State of Wey. Thus ended the Zhou dynasty,[15] whose fall was hardly noted by the people and states of China.[12] However, soon after Nan's death a king of Qin lamented the dynasty's fall as disruptive for the order of Heaven and Earth.[16] Likewise, the scholars of Qin wrote in the Lüshi Chunqiu:

"Nowadays, the house of Zhou has been destroyed, [the line of] the Sons of Heaven has been severed. There is no greater turmoil than the absence of the Son of Heaven; without the Son of Heaven, the strong overcome the weak, the many lord it over the few, they use arms to harm each other having no rest."[17]

The title of "Son of Heaven" was eventually adopted by Qin Shi Huang, when he proclaimed himself the First Emperor.[8]

Ancestry

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King An of Zhou (d. 376 BC)
King Xian of Zhou (d. 321 BC)
King Shenjing of Zhou (d. 315 BC)
King Nan of Zhou (d. 256 BC)

See also

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  1. Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors
  2. Duke Wen of Eastern Zhou — the last Zhou ruler and claimant to the throne

Notes

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  1. ^ The exact location of Wangcheng and its relation to Chengzhou is disputed and confusing. According to Xu Zhaofeng, "Chengzhou" and "Wangcheng" were originally synonymous and used to name several Zhou capitals of the Spring and Autumn period. "The creation of a distinction between Wangcheng and Chengzhou probably occurred during the reign of King Jing", under whom a new capital "Chengzhou" was built to the east of the old city "Wangcheng". Nevertheless, the new Chengzhou was still sometimes called Wangcheng and vice versa, adding to the confusion.[10]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Tan (2014), p. 54.
  2. ^ a b Shaughnessy (1999), p. 29.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Sima (1995), p. 83.
  4. ^ Tan (2014), p. 37, 56.
  5. ^ a b c d e Schinz (1996), p. 80.
  6. ^ a b Tan (2014), p. 56.
  7. ^ Cambridge History of ancient China
  8. ^ a b c d e "Chinese History - Political History of the Zhou Dynasty 周 (11th cent.-221 BCE)". Theobald, Ulrich. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  9. ^ Pines (2009), p. 238, 239.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Considering Chengzhou ("Completion of Zhou") and Wangcheng ("City of the King")" (PDF). Xu Zhaofeng. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  11. ^ Sima (1995), p. 78.
  12. ^ a b c Pines (2009), p. 17,18.
  13. ^ a b Sima (1995), p. 79-83.
  14. ^ a b Sima (1995), p. 80.
  15. ^ Tan (2014), p. 37.
  16. ^ Pines (2009), p. 18.
  17. ^ Pines (2009), p. 19.

Bibliography

[edit]
King Nan of Zhou
 Died: 256 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of China
314–256 BC 		Vacant
Title next held by
Qin Shi Huang
as Emperor of China
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