King Li of Zhou facts for kids

The Duo You ding inscription from King Li's time. It mentions an attack from the northern Xianyun tribe.

King Li of Zhou (died 828 BC), also known as King Fen of Zhou, was an important ruler of the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. His personal name was Ji Hu. He ruled for many years, from about 877 BC to 841 BC. King Li is remembered in history for his strict and sometimes unfair rule.

The Zong Zhou Zhong (Bell of Zhou) from the 9th century BC. It is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

King Li of Zhou: A Ruler's Story

The famous historian Sima Qian wrote about King Li in his book, Records of the Grand Historian. Sima Qian described King Li as a king who loved expensive habits. To pay for his fancy lifestyle, King Li increased taxes on his people. This made life very hard for many of his subjects.

The Story from Sima Qian

King Li also made a rule that common people could not use the shared forests and lakes. These places were important for them to gather food and resources. He also created a harsh new law. This law said that anyone who spoke against him could be punished severely, even with death.

Life in King Li's Time

King Li's unfair rules soon caused many peasants and soldiers to become very angry. They started a rebellion against him. Because of this uprising, King Li was forced to leave his kingdom. He went into exile in a place called Zhi in 842 BC. One of his ministers bravely took his son and hid him to keep him safe. King Li died in exile in 828 BC. After his death, his son became the new king.

Another View: Shen Dao Fragments

Other historical writings also talk about King Li. The Shen Dao fragments are pieces of ancient texts. They also describe King Li as a king who caused trouble. These fragments say that during King Li's rule, there was chaos everywhere. Powerful lords started fighting and taking over each other's land. The people felt like there was no proper order or leadership.

King Li's Family

King Li had a wife named Shen Jiang. She was from the Jiang family of the Shen state. They had two sons:

• Crown Prince Jing: He later became King Xuan of Zhou. He ruled from 827 BC to 782 BC.
• Prince You: He became Duke Huan of Zheng. He ruled from 806 BC to 771 BC. He also served as the Minister of Education for Zhou for a short time.

See Also

• Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)

Sources