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Heavenly King facts for kids

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Nanjing Presidential Palace 2010
A historical marker at the Nanjing Presidential Palace mentioning the term "Heavenly King" in its title (Chinese: 天王府遗址; literally "Heavenly King Seat of Government Relics")

The Heavenly King or Tian Wang (Chinese: 天王; pinyin: Tiān Wáng; Wade–Giles: Tien1-wang2) is a special title from China. It means "Heavenly King" or "Heavenly Prince." This title was used for different religious gods and important leaders throughout history. It was also sometimes another way to say "Son of Heaven," which was a title for the emperor.

The Chinese words for Heavenly King are 天 (tiān), meaning "heaven" or "sky," and 王 (wáng), which can mean "king" or "prince." The most famous use of this title was for the kings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It is also used in religious groups, especially in Buddhism.

Historical Uses of Heavenly King

Early Chinese Kingdoms

During the Spring and Autumn period (a long time ago in China), the term Heavenly King was sometimes used for the kings of different Chinese states. For example, in an old text called the Spring and Autumn Annals, it talks about how the King of Zhou helped pay for a funeral. This shows that "Heavenly King" was like calling the king the "Son of Heaven."

秋，七月，天王使宰咺來歸惠公仲子之賵。

In autumn, during the 7th month, the Heavenly King was brought to tears and bestowed a contribution to the funerary expenses of Duke Zhong's son.
—Line 7, Book 1 of the Spring and Autumn Annals


The Sixteen Kingdoms Period

Later, during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, many leaders of Chinese states called themselves Heavenly King. This was a common title for rulers then. Some examples include:

  • The leader of Later Zhao, Shi Le, called himself Heavenly King in 330.
  • Fu Jian, an emperor of Former Qin, also used this title. His wife was called "Heavenly Mistress."
  • The founder of Helian Xia, Helian Bobo, became Heavenly King when he started his state in 407.

Southern Song Dynasty

During the Southern Song Dynasty, a rebel leader named Yang Yao (simplified Chinese: 杨幺; traditional Chinese: 楊幺; pinyin: Yáng Yāo) used the title Heavenly King. He led a rebellion against the Song government in Hunan. Yang started as a soldier in a revolt in 1130. He and about 80,000 other soldiers took over the Dongting Lake area.

After some battles, Yang became the main leader of the rebels. He called himself the "Great Sage Heavenly King" (simplified Chinese: 大圣天王; traditional Chinese: 大聖天王; pinyin: dàshèng tiānwáng). However, his time as Heavenly King was short, lasting only three years. In 1135, the Song forces defeated the rebels, and Yang Yao was killed.

Hong Xiuquan
Hong Xiuquan, the first Heavenly King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

The most famous and recent use of the Heavenly King title was by Hong Xiuquan during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Hong's reasons for using this title were different from earlier leaders. His kingdom was based on strong beliefs and a new religion. Hong believed that God had directly told him to become king. Because of this, he felt he was a "heavenly" king, chosen by heaven to rule a "heavenly" kingdom.

After Hong Xiuquan died, his son, Hong Tianguifu, became the next Heavenly King. However, Hong Tianguifu was very young and was executed soon after becoming king. This ended the use of the Heavenly King title for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Religious Uses of Heavenly King

Even today, the term Heavenly King is used in Chinese Buddhism. Here, it has a more religious meaning. A good example is the Four Heavenly Kings. These are four Buddhist gods, and each one protects one of the four main directions (north, east, south, west). They are:

Guardian of the North, Vaiśravaṇa
Guardian of the North, Vaiśravaṇa Guardian of the East, Dhṛtarāṣṭra Guardian of the South, Virūḍhaka Guardian of the West, Virūpākṣa

Heavenly Kings in Other Countries

Sometimes, the title Heavenly King has been used outside of China too. This happened in Korea and Vietnam, which have been influenced by Chinese culture for a long time.

  • In Korea, the term is used for Hwanung, a legendary founder of Gojoseon.
  • In Vietnam, it refers to a mythical folk hero named Thánh Gióng.

See Also

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