Duke Xian of Jin
Encyclopedia
Duke Xian of Jin Ancestral name is Ji(姬), given name is Guizhu (詭諸), was the nineteenth ruler of the State of Jin. He was also the ninth ruler of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period and the second duke of Jin. When his father, Duke Wu of Jin
Duke Wu of Jin
Duke Wu of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji,Given name is Cheng and formerly known as Duke Wu of Quwo , was the eighteenth ruler of the state of Jin. He was also the eighth ruler of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period...

, died in 677 BC, Guizhu ascended the throne of Jin and became Duke Xian of Jin. He reigned for 26 years. He moved the capital from Quwo (曲沃) to Jiang (絳). He is named after a Rongdi tribe (戎狄族) leader Guizhu (詭諸) whom his father, Duke Wu of Jin, captured alive.

During his reign, the State of Jin was one of the most powerful and largest states due to his conquests in many small neighboring states. He is also renowned for the slaughter and exile of many royal family members of Jin and for favoring one of his concubines named Li Ji
Li Ji (concubine)
Li Ji was a concubine and later wife of Duke Xian of Jin, ruler of the State of Jin between 676 BC and 651 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period of China. Li Ji is renowned for starting the Li Ji Rebellion which led to the suicide of Prince Shensheng...

 (驪姬).

Rise to Power

When he ascended the throne, Duke Xian of Jin and the duke of Guo visited King Hui of Zhou
King Hui of Zhou
For the King Hui proclaimed as King Nan of Zhou's successor, see King Hui of Eastern ZhouKing Hui of Zhou, ch. 周惠王, py. zhōu hùi wáng, wg...

 and they were given rewards which resulted to the increase of their popularity throughout the states. He also adopted a strategy that his official, Shi Wei (士蒍), suggested which involves the slaughter and exile of almost all the royal family members of Jin to ensure that the throne of Jin will always be held by one of his descendants. This resulted to the increase of the power of the duke and the loss of political power of the clan of the duke since the clan was almost annihilated.

To increase the military power of the state, he expanded his army into 2 troops, each having 10,000 men (some say 12,500). In 672 BC, the fifth year of his reign, he eliminated the Li Rong tribe (驪戎族) and he obtained two women from the tribe: Li Ji
Li Ji (concubine)
Li Ji was a concubine and later wife of Duke Xian of Jin, ruler of the State of Jin between 676 BC and 651 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period of China. Li Ji is renowned for starting the Li Ji Rebellion which led to the suicide of Prince Shensheng...

 (驪姬) and her younger sister, Shao Ji (少姬). Both women were favored greatly by Duke Xian of Jin.

In 665 BC, the twelfth year of his reign, Li Ji gave birth to Prince Xiqi
Prince Xiqi of Jin
Prince Xiqi , was the son of Li Ji, the concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, and the crown prince of the State of Jin since he replaced Prince Shensheng as crown prince. Late in his life, he became duke for about a month before he was killed....

 (奚齊). Since Duke Xian of Jin favored Li Ji, he had a desire to dethrone Prince Shensheng
Prince Shensheng of Jin
Prince Shensheng , was the eldest son of Duke Xian of Jin and the crown prince of the State of Jin during the reign of Duke Xian of Jin before he was replaced by his half-brother Prince Xiqi .-Biography:...

 (申生), the eldest son of Duke Xian of Jin, from his position as crown prince to make Prince Xiqi the crown prince instead, so he sent Prince Shensheng to defend Quwo (曲沃), modern Quwo County
Quwo County
Quwo County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city. The town of Quwo is in the Fen River valley about 30 miles south of Linfen and about 10 miles east of the point where the Fen River turns west. From 745 to 677 BC Quwo a state that broke off from the State of...

 in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....

. Duke Xian of Jin also sent Prince Chonger
Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Jin Wen led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral name is Ji,clan name is Jin Duke Jin Wen (晋文公) (697 BC - 628 BC) led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral...

 to defend the city of Pu (蒲), northwest of modern Xi County
Xi County, Shanxi
Xi County, Shanxi is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city.-References:*...

 in Shanxi, and Prince Yiwu
Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Yiwu , was the duke of the State of Jin during Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was the younger brother of Prince Shensheng and Duke Wen of Jin.-Before Reign as Duke:...

 to Erqu (二屈), modern Ji County
Ji County, Shanxi
Ji County, Shanxi is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city.-References:*...

 in Shanxi.

In 661 BC, the sixteenth year of his reign, he conquered the state of Geng (耿), the state of Huo (霍), the old state of Wei (魏) and the Rongdi tribe . The Jin official Bi Wan (畢萬) was given the land of the old state of Wei, and his descendants will later establish the new state of Wei
Wei (state)
The State of Wei was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Warring States Period of Chinese history. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included parts of modern day Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong...

. The Jin official Zhao Su (趙夙) helped conquer the state of Huo so he was given the land of the state of Geng and his descendants will later establish the state of Zhao
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...

. (Altogether Xian annexed 17 states and subjugated 38 others.)

Li Ji Rebellion

In 656 BC, the 21st year of his reign, Li Ji plotted a scheme for Prince Shensheng
Prince Shensheng of Jin
Prince Shensheng , was the eldest son of Duke Xian of Jin and the crown prince of the State of Jin during the reign of Duke Xian of Jin before he was replaced by his half-brother Prince Xiqi .-Biography:...

 which caused him to go back to Quwo to offer sacrifices for his deceased mother, Qi Jiang (齊姜). After the sacrifice, he gave some of the food to the palace for his father, Duke Xian of Jin. Li Ji secretly placed poison on them and when Duke Xian of Jin discovered that the food was poisoned, he assumed that Prince Shensheng plotted to kill him. Duke Xian of Jin then sent men to capture Prince Shensheng. When Prince Shensheng heard that his father sent men to capture him, he committed suicide on the twelfth month of that year. After Prince Shensheng committed suicide, Li Ji falsely accused Prince Chonger and Yiwu of revolting so both escaped to Pu (蒲) and Erqu (二屈) respectively.

In 655 BC, the 22nd year of his reign, Duke Xian of Jin sent troops to Pu and Erqu to capture Prince Chonger and Yiwu. Prince Chonger escaped to the Di tribe (翟族), one of the northern Rong tribes (戎族), since his mother was a native from the Rong tribes and Prince Yiwu failed to be captured in Erqu.

Conquests of Yu and Guo

The neighboring State of Guo
Western Guo (state)
The State of Western Guo was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty. "Guo" seems to have been a kinship group that held at least five pieces of territory within the Zhou realm at various times....

 (虢國) frequently attacked the border of Jin. Duke Xian wished to overthrow Guo, but needed passage through the State of Yu (虢國), which was allied with Guo, to do so. On the advice of his officer, Xun Xi (荀息), Duke Xian sent beautiful women to the Duke of Guo and a beautiful young man to the Duke of Yu with instructions to distract the rulers from government affairs. At the same time, men were sent to cause trouble on Guo's northern border.

As expected, officials in Guo blamed Duke Xian for the new trouble they were encountering on the northern border. Feigning insult, Duke Xian sent officer Xun Xi to the State of Yu to request passage so that they could avenge the insult. Bringing gifts of jade and horses, Xun Xi arrived in the State of Yu to request passage. Under the influence of his new beloved, the Duke of Yu immediately agreed, over the protestations of his own official, Gong Zhiqi (宮之奇). Gong Zhiqi described the relationship of Yu and Guo with the Chinese proverb "The teeth are cold when the lips are lost" . He told the Duke of Yu that if Guo was conquered, Yu would be next. The Duke of Yu ignored his warning and Gong Zhiqi secretly left the state of Yu, foreseeing its destruction.

In 658 BC, the 19th year of his reign, Duke Xian of Jin sent his general Li Ke (里克) and his officer Xun Xi to attack the State of Guo during the reign of Duke Chou of Guo (虢公醜). Ever more favorable to Jin, the Duke of Yu assisted in the invasion. He sent his own army to capture Xiayang Pass (下陽關) for Jin, under the ruse that his army was there to subdue the rebellious Quanrong tribe (犬戎族).

In the winter of 655 BC, the 22nd year of his reign, the State of Guo was conquered by Jin. The Duke of Yu was given a part of the women and treasures sacked from Guo. Li Ke was then granted permission to station the Jin army outside the Yu capital to rest. After a few days, the Duke of Yu was suddenly informed that Duke Xian of Jin was outside the city wall of the Yu capital. The Duke of Yu quickly went out to greet him and Duke Xian of Jin invited the Duke of Yu to the Ji Mountain (箕山) to hunt. In an ostentatious display, perhaps still under the influence of the beloved planted at his court by Duke Xian, the Duke of Yu brought the entire military force stationed in the capital to the hunt in the Ji Mountain.

While hunting, the Yu officer Baili Xi
Baili Xi
Baili Xi was an influential prime minister of the state of Qin during the Spring and Autumn Period in ancient China.-Background:Baili Xi was born during the Spring and Autumn Period, a time of great internal chaos in China. Though talented, he came from a very poor family and was unable to realize...

 reported to the Duke of Yu trouble at the capital. By the time the Duke of Yu arrived at the outskirts of the city, the Yu capital has already been captured by the Jin army. The Duke of Yu and Baili Xi were held captive and brought back to the State of Jin. Baili Xi was recognized as a good officer by Duke Xian of Jin but Baili Xi rejected every offer given to him to become a court official of Jin. He was later given to the state of Qin
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...

 as a servant dowry with Princess Bo Ji (伯姬). (The use of Yu to attack Guo was one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems).

Later years

In 654 BC, the 23rd year of his reign, Duke Xian of Jin sent troops to attack Erqu and capture Prince Yiwu
Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Yiwu , was the duke of the State of Jin during Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was the younger brother of Prince Shensheng and Duke Wen of Jin.-Before Reign as Duke:...

, but Prince Yiwu fled to the state of Liang (梁國). In 652 BC, the 25th year of his reign, he sent troop to attack the Di tribe (翟族) and capture Prince Chonger, but the army retreated when they met resistance. In that same year, the younger sister of Li Ji, also a concubine of Duke Xian of Jin, gave birth to Prince Zhuozi.

At that time, the State of Jin was one of the largest and most powerful state in China. According to the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...

, the Jin territory at that time extends west to the Hexi (河西) region (the region that extends from Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...

 province to the west) and to the boundary of the western State of Qin
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...

, north to the Di tribe (翟族) of the northern Rong tribes (戎), and east to the Henei (河內) region (roughly the southern part of Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...

 province).

Death and legacy

In the summer of 651 BC, the 26th year of his reign, Duke Huan of Qi held an alliance meeting in Kuiqiu (葵丘), west of modern Minquan County
Minquan County
Minquan County is a county of Shangqiu city, Henan province, People's Republic of China, with an area of 1222 square kilometers and a population of 850,000 in 2002. Minquan County is abundant in the harvest of river crabs....

 in Shanxi. Duke Xian of Jin did not attend because he was sick at that time and Zaikong (宰孔) of Zhou advised him not to attend. Since he was gravely ill, he entrusted the then Crown Prince Xiqi to Xunxi (荀息) and also gave Xunxi the position of the chancellor of Jin. Duke Xian of Jin died on the ninth month of that year.

After the death of Duke Xian of Jin on the ninth month of 651 BC, Li Ji placed the 15-year old Crown Prince Xiqi into the throne of Jin and made Xunxi the chancellor of Xiqi to help him in government affairs. On the tenth month of 651 BC, Li Ke (里克) killed Xiqi roughly a month after his ascension. Duke Xian of Jin was not yet properly buried at that time. Xunxi then placed Prince Zhuozi into the throne of Jin even though Zhuozi was still a toddler at that time. After that, Xunxi finished the burial of Duke Xian of Jin. On the eleventh month of 651 BC, Li Ke killed Zhuozi and his aunt Li Ji (驪姬). Xunxi then committed suicide by hanging himelf. Shao Ji, the younger sister of Li Ji and mother of Prince Zhuozi, was imprisoned.

Li Ke then invited Prince Chonger who was then in the State of Qi back to the State of Jin to become the next duke. Prince Chonger declined so Li Ke then invited Prince Yiwu who was then in the State of Liang and he accepted. Prince Yiwu ascended the throne of Jin and became Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Yiwu , was the duke of the State of Jin during Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was the younger brother of Prince Shensheng and Duke Wen of Jin.-Before Reign as Duke:...

.

According to historical records, Duke Xian of Jin had six wives. The first was Jia Jun (賈君) from the State of Jia (賈國). Another is Qi Jiang (齊姜), formerly the concubine of Duke Wu of Jin
Duke Wu of Jin
Duke Wu of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji,Given name is Cheng and formerly known as Duke Wu of Quwo , was the eighteenth ruler of the state of Jin. He was also the eighth ruler of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period...

, who gave birth to Princess Bo Ji (伯姬) and Prince Shensheng
Prince Shensheng of Jin
Prince Shensheng , was the eldest son of Duke Xian of Jin and the crown prince of the State of Jin during the reign of Duke Xian of Jin before he was replaced by his half-brother Prince Xiqi .-Biography:...

 (申生). He also had Hu Ji (狐姬) from the northern Rong tribe (戎) who gave birth to Prince Chonger
Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Jin Wen led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral name is Ji,clan name is Jin Duke Jin Wen (晋文公) (697 BC - 628 BC) led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral...

. Another was the younger sister of Hu Ji who gave birth to Prince Yiwu
Duke Hui of Jin
Duke Hui of Jin ,Ancestral name is Ji, given name is Yiwu , was the duke of the State of Jin during Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was the younger brother of Prince Shensheng and Duke Wen of Jin.-Before Reign as Duke:...

. Then there was Li Ji (驪姬) from the Lirong tribe (驪戎) who gave birth to Prince Xiqi (奚齊). Lastly, there was Shao Ji (少姬), the younger sister of Li Ji, who gave birth to Prince Zhuozi (卓子).
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK