King Huiwen of Qin facts for kids

King Huiwen of Qin (Chinese: 秦惠文王; 356–311 BC) was an important ruler of the Qin state in ancient China. His personal name was Ying Si. He ruled from 338 to 311 BC. King Huiwen was the first ruler of Qin to call himself "King" (王) instead of "Duke" (公). This showed that Qin was becoming a very powerful state.

Biography

Early Life and Challenges

Prince Si was the son of Duke Xiao of Qin. He became the ruler after his father passed away. When Si was still a young crown prince, he made a mistake. At that time, a powerful minister named Shang Yang was making new, strict laws for Qin. Shang Yang believed that everyone, even the crown prince, should follow the laws. Because of this, Prince Si was sent away from the royal palace as a punishment.

Later, when Si became King Huiwen, he had Shang Yang removed from power. Some people believe King Huiwen held a grudge against Shang Yang for his earlier punishment.

Building Qin's Power

During King Huiwen's rule, Qin grew much stronger, especially its army. Qin often expanded its territory by taking over lands from neighboring states. In 316 BC, Qin conquered the states of Shu and Ba. These states were located to the south in the Sichuan basin. Qin chose to conquer these lands because they were less developed. It was easier to expand there than to fight the stronger states to the east.

A clever planner named Gongsun Yan tried to unite five other major states against Qin. However, another smart strategist, Zhang Yi, worked for King Huiwen as his prime minister. Zhang Yi helped Qin by causing disagreements among the five states. This stopped them from forming a strong alliance against Qin.

Later Years and Succession

King Huiwen ruled Qin for 27 years. He passed away in 311 BC when he was about 46 years old. His son, King Wu of Qin, became the next ruler of Qin.

Family

King Huiwen had several important family members:

• Queens:
  • Queen Huiwen: She was from the state of Wei and was the mother of Crown Prince Dang.
  • Queen Dowager Xuan: She was from the state of Chu. She was the mother of Prince Ji, who later became King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

• Sons:
  • Crown Prince Dang: He later became King Wu of Qin.
  • Prince Ji: He later became King Zhaoxiang of Qin.
  • Other sons included Prince Tong, Prince Yun, Prince Shi (Lord Gaoling), and Prince Kui (Lord Jingyang).

• Daughters:
  • Queen Yi of Yan: She married King Yi of Yan.