Jiang Ziya
 | |
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Ancestral name (姓): | Jiang (Chinese: 姜; Pinyin: Jīang) |
| Clan name (氏): | Lü (Ch: 呂; Py: Lǚ) |
| Given name (名): | Shang (Ch: 尚; Py: Shàng) or Wang (Ch: 望; Py: Wàng) |
| Courtesy name (字): | Ziya (Ch: 子牙; Py: Zǐyá) |
| Posthumous name (謚): | Elder Duke (Ch: 太公; Py: Tàigōng) |
Jiang Ziya (Chinese: 姜子牙, Pinyin: Jiāng Zǐyá, Wade-Giles: Chiang Tzu-ya) (dates of birth and death unknown) was a Chinese historical and legendary figure who resided next to the Weishui River about 3,000 years ago. The region was the feudal estate of King Wen of Zhou.
Background
The last ruler of the Shang dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) was a tyrannical and debauched slave owner who spent his days carousing with his favourite concubine Daji and mercilessly executing or punishing upright officials and all others who objected to his ways. Jiang Shang had once served the Shang king and had come to hate him with all his heart. He was an expert in military affairs and hoped that some day someone would call on him to help overthrow the king. He waited and waited till he was 80 years old, continuing placidly with his fishing in a tributary of the Weihe River (near today’s Xi'an) using a barbless hook or even no hook at all, on the theory that the fish would come to him of their own volition when they were ready.
Hire by King Wen of the Zhou
King Wen of the Zhou state, (central Shaanxi), found Jiang Shang fishing. King Wen, following the advice of his father and grandfather before him, was in search of talented people. In fact, he had been told by his grandfather, the Grand Duke of Zhou, that one day a sage would appear to help rule the Zhou state.
When King Wen saw Jiang Shang, at first sight he felt that this was an unusual old man, and began to converse with him. He discovered that this white-haired fisherman was actually an astute political thinker and military strategist. This, he felt, must be the man his grandfather was waiting for. He took Jiang Shang in his coach to the court and appointed him prime minister and gave him the title Jiang Taigongwang (Hope of the Duke of Zhou). This was later shortened to Jiang Taigong.
Attack of the Shang
After King Wen died, his son King Wu, who inherited the throne, decided to send troops to overthrow the King of Shang. But Jiang Taigong stopped him, saying: "While I was fishing at Panxi, I realised one truth- if you want to succeed you need to be patient . We must wait for the appropriate opportunity to eliminate the King of Shang". Soon it was reported that the people of Shang were so oppressed that no one dared speak. King Wu and Jiang Taigong decided this was the time to attack, for the people had lost faith in the ruler. A bloody battle was fought at Muye (35 kilometres from the Shang capital Yin, now Anyang in Henan province).
Jiang Taigong charged at the head of the troops, beat the battle drums and then with 100 of his men drew the Shang troops to the southwest. King Wu's troops moved quickly and surrounded the capital. The Shang King had sent relatively untrained slaves to fight. This, plus the fact that many surrendered or revolted, enabled Zhou to take the capital.
King Zhou set fire to his palace and perished in it, and King Wu and his successors as the Zhou dynasty established rule over all of China. As for Daji, one version has it that she was captured and executed by the order of Jiang Taigong himself, another that she took her own life, another that she was killed by King Zhou. Jiang Taigong was made duke of the State of Qi (today’s Shandong province), which thrived with better communications and exploitation of its fish and salt resources under him.
As the most notable Prime Minister employed by King Wen and King Wu, he was declared "the master of strategy"--resulting in the Zhou government growing far stronger than that of the Shang Dynasty as the years elapsed. Thus making him known well as the most famous Prime Minister of all in China.
Personal views and historical influence
An account of Jiang Taigong's life written long after his time says he held that a country could become powerful only when the people prospered. If the officials enriched themselves while the people remained poor, the ruler would not last long. The major principle in ruling a country should be to love the people; and to love the people meant to reduce taxes and corvée labour. By following these ideas, King Wen is said to have made the Zhou state proper very rapidly.
His treatise on military strategy, Six Secret Strategic Teachings, is considered one of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China.
Jiang Ziya's seventh generation descendant (his great-grandson's great-grandson's son) was Jiang Chi (姜赤). Jiang Chi had a great-grandson named Shi (傒), who was given a piece of land in Shandong province called "Lu" (盧). He took his surname from the land. All Chinese with the last name Lu (盧) can trace their ancestry back to Jiang Ziya.
Today, Jiang Ziya is regarded as one of the greatest strategists in both Chinese history and the world, and is honored as the first famous general and progenitor of strategic studies. In the Tang Dynasty he was even accorded his own state temple as the martial patron and thereby attained officially sanctioned status apporaching that of Confucius.
In popular culture
He is a prominent character in the popular Chinese classic novel Creation of the Gods (封神演義) or called Fengshen Yanyi. In this novel he is known well as Da Ji's arch-rival, arch-nemesis and the one who ordered her execution personally.
There are two xiehouyu about him:
- Grand Duke Jiang fishes - those who are willing jump at the bait (姜太公釣魚──願者上鉤), which means "put one's own head in the noose"[1].
- Grand Duke Jiang investiture the gods - omitting himself (姜太公封神──漏咗自己), which means "leave out oneself".
In the scenario "Chinese Unification" of the Civilization IV: Warlords expansion pack, Jiang Ziya is the leader of the State of Qi.
The protagonist of Hoshin Engi, Tai Gong Wang, is based on Jiang Ziya.
Jiang Ziya is also Da Ji's arch-rival (Jiang Ziya never thought of Da Ji as his rival while Da Ji herself always thought that Jiang Ziya was her rival) as Jiang Ziya can easily through Da Ji's plans.
Jiang Ziya is a playable character in Koei's Warriors Orochi 2. In the game he is alternatively referred to as Taigong Wang. A stark contrast to the historical accounts however, would be that he is portrayed as a handsome young man, who is quite arrogant, although he is still a divinely genius strategist and a good man at heart. He is often referred to by others, namely Fu Xi, Nu Wa and Da Ji as "boy". The reason for his radically improvised design may be to emphasize his rivalry with Da Ji, whose character design depicts her as being young and beautiful as well. Their clashes can be inspired loosely on the Fengshen Yanyi.
Notes
- ^ "Chiang Tai Kung fishing, barbless hook without baits". BeijingTouree.com. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
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