King Xiao of Zhou facts for kids

King Xiao of Zhou (Chinese: 周孝王; pinyin: Zhōu Xìao Wáng) was an important ruler of the ancient Chinese Zhou dynasty. His personal name was Ji Bifang. He ruled for about five years, from 891 BC to 886 BC.

King Xiao was the son of King Mu of Zhou. He was also the brother of King Gong of Zhou. His time as king is not well known because there are not many historical records about it.

King Xiao's Reign

King Xiao became king after his nephew, King Yì of Zhou. After King Xiao, his nephew's son, King Yí of Zhou, became the next king.

An ancient historian named Sima Qian wrote that King Yí was "restored by the many lords." This might mean that King Xiao took the throne from his nephew. It could also mean that King Yí had to fight to get his power back. The exact details are not very clear.

The Story of Feizi

King Xiao is famous for a story involving a man named Feizi. Feizi was a very skilled person. He was excellent at raising and training horses. King Xiao heard about Feizi's amazing talent.

The king then put Feizi in charge of breeding and training horses for the Zhou army. This was a very important job. The army needed strong, fast horses for battles and travel. Feizi did such a great job that King Xiao wanted to reward him.

King Xiao decided to give Feizi a small piece of land called a fief. This fief was located at a place called Qin. This small area later grew into the powerful Qin state. This state eventually united all of China.

King Xiao even thought about making Feizi the main heir to his father's land. This would have been instead of Feizi's half-brother, Cheng. This shows how much King Xiao valued Feizi's skills.

Royal Family

King Xiao had a queen named Wang Jing (王京).

See also

• Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)