Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 06-25-03 19:27
The Chronological Tables of Chinese History (5)
The State Of Qi (齊國 c1112BC to 221BC)
In 1122BC, after he had overthrown the Shang Dynasty (商朝 c1783BC to c1122BCJi Fa (姬發), who was better known as the Zhou King Wu (周武王), established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 c1134BC to c256BC). Zhou King Wu not only bestowed upon Jiang Ziya (姜子牙), the commander-in-chief of the Zhou armed forces, the hereditary title of Hou (侯 or Marquis) but also gave him the authority to rule a large district called Ying Qiu (營丘 present day Lin Zi county 臨淄縣 in Shandong province 山東省). There was a beautiful river called Qi Shui (齊水) in the district. Jiang Ziya renamed the district, the State of Qi (齊國), after the river. Jiang Ziya, who was also known as Jiang Taigong (姜太公), became the first ruler of the State of Qi. The descendants of Jiang Ziya continued to rule the state of Qi until in 455BC when the throne of Qi was urusped by the Tian (田) family.
Name-------------------------------------Title---------------------------------Period
(01) Jiang Ziya (姜子牙)-------Tai Gong Wang (太公望)---c1112BC to c1073BC
(02) Jiang Ji (姜伋)--------------Ding Gong (丁公)-------------c1072BC to not recorded
(03) Jiang De (姜得)------------Yi Gong (乙公)------------------not recorded
(04) Jiang Cimu (姜慈母)------Ji Gong (祭公)------------------not recorded
(05) Jiang Bu Chen (姜不辰)--Ai Gong (哀公)-----------------not recorded
(06) Jiang Jing (姜靜)-----------Hu Gong (胡公)-----------------c891BC to c860BC
(07) Jiang Shan (姜山)---------Xian Gong (獻公)--------------- c859BC to c852BC
(08) Jiang Shou (姜壽)---------Wu Gong (武公)------------------c851BC to 827BC
(09) JiangWuji (姜無忌)--------Li Gong (厲公)--------------------826BC to 815BC
(10) Jiang Chi (姜赤)-----------Wen Gong (文公)-----------------814BC to 804BC
(11) Jiang Shuo (姜說)--------Cheng Gong (成公)---------------803BC to 795BC
(12) Jiang Shu (姜贖)----------Zhuang Gong (莊公)--------------794BC to 731BC
(13) Jiang Lu (姜祿)------------Li Gong (釐/僖 公)-----------------730BC to 698BC
(14) Jiang Zhuer (姜諸兒)----Xiang Gong (襄公)-----------------697BC to 686BC
(15) Jiang Xiaobai (姜小白)-Huan Gong (桓公)------------------685BC to 643BC
(16) Jiang Wukui (姜無虧)---no title----------------------------------642BC to 642BC
(17) Jiang Zhao (姜昭)--------Xiao Gong (孝公)-------------------642BC to 633BC
(18) Jiang Pan (姜潘)---------Zhao Gong (昭公)-------------------632BC to 613BC
(19) Jiang Shangren (商人)-Yi Gong (懿公)------------------------612BC to 609BC
(20) Jiang Yuan (姜元)--------Hui Gong (惠公)----------------------608BC to 599BC
(21) Jiang Wuye (姜無野)----Qing Gong (頃公)--------------------598BC to 582BC
(22) Jiang Huan (姜環)--------Ling Gong (靈公)---------------------581BC to 554BC
(23) Jiang Guang (姜光)------Zhuang Gong (莊公)-----------------553BC to 548BC
(24) Jiang Chujiu (姜杵臼)---Jing Gong (景公)----------------------547BC to 490BC
(25) Jiang Tu (姜荼)-----------Yan Ru (晏孺)---------------------------489BC to 489BC
(26) Jiang Yangsheng (姜陽生)-Ai Gong (哀公)--------------------488BC to 485BC
(27) Jiang Ren (姜壬)--------Jian Gong (間公)-----------------------484BC to 481BC
(28) Jiang Ao (姜驁)----------Ping Gong (平公)----------------------480BC to 455BC
The throne of the state was usurped by the Tian (田) family. From here on the surname of all the future rulers of Qi was Tian (田) and not Jiang (姜).
(29) Tian Ji (田積)-----------Xuan Gong (宣公)-----------------------454BC to 405BC
(30) Tian Dai (田貸)--------Kang Gong (康公)------------------------404BC to 389BC
(31) Tian Wu (田午)--------Huan Gong (桓公)-------------------------388BC to 379BC
(32) Tian Yin (田因)--------Wei Wang (威王)--------------------------378BC to 343BC
(33) Tian Pijiang (姜辟疆)-Xuan Wang (宣王)-----------------------342BC to 324BC
(34) Tian Di (田地)----------Min Wang (湣王)--------------------------323BC to 284BC
(35) Tian Fazhang (田法章)-Xiang Wang (襄王)--------------------283BC to 265BC
(36) Tian Jian (田建)--------Qi Wang (齊王)----------------------------264BC to 221BC
In the beginning of Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC) there were more than 170 vassal States in the land. They all acknowledged the Central Authority, the Zhou Court's (周室) suzerainty. When the Central Authority became weak and began to decline it was powerless to interfer into the activities of the vassal States. The large and powerful States conquered and annexed the smaller and weaker ones.
In 685BC, Jiang Xiaobai (姜小白) was installed as the 15th ruler of the State of Qi. In 681BC, the State of Qi convened a meeting of all the rulers of the vassal States in the land in Beixing (北杏 present day Dong A county 東阿縣 in Shandong province). Jiang Xiaobai was elected the chairman of the comvention.
The State of Qi defeated the southern bellicose powerful State of Chu (楚國 present day Jiang Ling county 江陵縣 in Hubei province 湖北省) and beat down the incursion by the nomadic tribe of Di (狄族) from the north. The frontiers of the north and south were secured for the Zhou Empire. All the other States looked up to Qi for leadership and the State of Qi became the hegemonic State of the day. For 30 years no other States dared to challenge its leadership as the protector of the Zhou Empire.
In 672BC Gui Jingzhong (媯敬仲) who was the son of Gui Chujiu (媯杵臼), the ruler of the State of Chen (陳國 present day Huai Yang county 淮陽縣 in Henan province 河南省) came to settle in Qi because his father wanted to kill him. Jiang Xiaobai wanted to employ Gui Jingzhong as an official in his Court, but Gui jingzhong declined the offer. So Jiang Xiaobai appointed him as an administrator of a district called Tian (田). Gui Jingzhong changed his surname from Gui (媯) to Tian (田) and was known as Tian Jingzhong (田敬仲).
After the death of Jiang Xiaobai in 643BC there were infightings among his offspring for power. The State of Qi lost its vitality to intervene in the disputes among the vassal States. Eventually, in 632BC Qi lost its statue of hegemonic State to the State of Jin (晉國 present day Yi Cheng county 翼城縣 in Shanxi province 山西省).
Eight generations after Tian Jingzhong, one of his descendants called Tian He (田和) became a very powerful general in the State of Qi's armed forces. In 391BC General Tian He banished Jiang Dai (姜貸), the ruler of Qi to live in a seashore. Jiang Dai survived by eating wild vegetables, sea shells, fish and crabs he caught. Jiang Dai had no utensils to cook his food except a tou or a copper ladle.
In 379BC Tian He took over the rulership of Qi. From then on the surname of the rulers of the State of Qi was not Jiang (姜) but Tian (田).
At the end of the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC) in 221BC, the State of Qi was subjugated by the State of Qin (秦國 present day Feng Xiang county 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) and its ruler Ying Zheng (嬴政) established the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC).
All in all there were twenty eight rulers of the State of Qi with the surname of Jiang (姜) and eight rulers with the surname of Tian (田).
From the book
"The Origin of Chinese Surnames"
Written in English by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
First published in September 2000
ISBN 1 876763663
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 25062003
Yoon-Ngan
|
|
The Asiawind forums are provided to you by
InTechTra Inc.