Yi Yin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yi Yin
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| 伊尹 | |||||||||||
Depiction of Yi yin on the Xiashanghezhuan(夏商合傳),thought to be a work in the Era of the Ming-Qing dynasty
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| Chancellor of Shang China | |||||||||||
| Monarch | Tang Bu Bing Zhong Ren Tai Jia Wo Ding |
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| Born |
Yi Zhi
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| Nationality | Shang | ||||||||||
| Occupation | Chef, politician | ||||||||||
| Known for | Serving Tang of Shang; overthrowing Xia dynasty; serving Tai Jia | ||||||||||
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| Chinese | 伊尹 | ||||||||||
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Yi Yin (Chinese: 伊尹), also known as A Heng, was a very important politician and minister in ancient China. He lived during the early Shang dynasty. He is famous for helping Tang of Shang, who founded the Shang dynasty, defeat the last king of the Xia dynasty, King Jie. Ancient writings found on oracle bones show that Yi Yin was a highly respected person.
Contents
Yi Yin's Amazing Story
How Did Yi Yin Begin?
There are a few stories about how Yi Yin started his life. One popular legend says he was a servant to a man named Youshen. When Youshen's daughter married Tang of Shang, Yi Yin went with her as a servant.
Yi Yin was very good at cooking. Because of this, Tang made him his personal chef. While serving meals, Yi Yin used the chance to talk with Tang about the problems of their time. He especially discussed the bad rule of King Jie of Xia. He also shared his ideas on how to overthrow King Jie. Tang trusted Yi Yin more and more, and Yi Yin became his most important helper.
Another story says that Yi Yin was never a servant. Instead, Tang had heard about Yi Yin's wisdom and tried many times to get his help. It took five tries before Yi Yin agreed to join Tang.
Helping Tang of Shang
Yi Yin advised Tang to move closer to the Xia capital. They also stopped paying taxes to King Jie. King Jie was very angry and gathered his armies to fight Tang.
Yi Yin told Tang to wait. He explained that King Jie's armies were still strong. So, they waited for a year. Then, they attacked the states that supported King Jie and won every battle.
When they were close to the capital, Yi Yin told the army to stop. He said the soldiers needed more courage and spirit. Tang then gave a powerful speech to his troops. This speech is known as 'Tang's pledge'. After this, they bravely defeated King Jie of Xia in a big battle called Battle of Mingtiao.
After the Shang dynasty began, Yi Yin helped Tang create new rules and systems. This made the government stable and helped the economy grow.
Serving Later Kings
After Tang of Shang died, two of his sons became king but passed away early. So, Yi Yin became a temporary ruler, called a regent, for Tang's grandson, Tai Jia.
What happened next is a bit unclear. One popular story says Yi Yin wrote three important messages for Tai Jia about how to rule. Tai Jia followed these rules for two years. But in the third year, he started ruling however he wanted. He ignored the old laws and treated people badly. He didn't listen to Yi Yin's advice.
Seeing that Tai Jia wouldn't change, Yi Yin sent the king away to a place called Tonggong. Yi Yin then ruled China for a while. After three years, Tai Jia was allowed to return. Yi Yin and other officials brought him back to the capital and gave him back his power. Tai Jia learned his lesson and ruled the kingdom much better.
After Tai Jia died, the next king, Wo Ding, took over. Yi Yin died in Wo Ding's eighth year as king. Some legends say he was 100 years old! King Wo Ding gave Yi Yin a funeral fit for a king. He sacrificed animals and mourned for three years.
However, another ancient record, the Bamboo Annals, tells a different story. It says that Yi Yin and Tai Jia were fighting for power. In this version, Yi Yin sent Tai Jia away and ruled completely for seven years. But Tai Jia escaped, killed Yi Yin, and took back his throne.
But there's a problem with this second story. Ancient writings on oracle bones show that the Shang people, including the royal family, continued to worship Yi Yin hundreds of years after his death. This makes the story of Tai Jia murdering Yi Yin seem unlikely.
Recent Discoveries
- The Yingao text, found on Tsinghua Bamboo Slips, contains 112 characters about Yi Yin.
- The Jiu zhu text, found at Mawangdui, also talks about Yi Yin.
See also
In Spanish: Yi Yin para niños
