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See other feudal lords of the Zhou period.
The state of Wei 衛 (correctly written 衞) was a feudal state of the Zhou period 周 (11th cent.-221 BCE). As a small state of the Central Plain, it had always to cope with the ambitions of the larger states around.
The fief of Wei was entrusted to Kang Shu Feng 康叔封, a brother of King Wu of Zhou 周武王. The inhabitants of the fief of Wei were subjects of the former Shang dynasty 商 (17th-11th cent. BCE), which had first been ruled by Wu Geng Fulu 武庚父祿, a prince of the Shang, but after his rebellion, they came under the rulership of Kang Shu Feng. The Duke of Zhou 周公旦, regent for King Cheng of Zhou 周成王, proclaimed an instruction to Kang Shu, the Kanggao 康誥, and admonished him to avoid wine and women, because of which the last ruler of the Shang had lost his kingdom. The two other instructions to Kang Shu were the Jiugao 酒誥 and the speech Zicai 梓材, all three of which are included in the historiographical classic Shangshu 尚書. When King Cheng took over regency, Kangshu was made minister of justice. In the seventh generation, the rulers of Wei were promoted to marquess (hou 侯). The oldest son of Marquis Xi 衛釐侯 (r. 855-813) was Prince Yu 餘 (posthumous title Earl Gong 共伯). He was challenged by his younger brother Prince He 和, who attacked him with some retainers. Earl Gong commited suicide at the tomb of his father and was buried at his side. Prince He was enthroned as marquis. During the flight of the Zhou princes to the east in 770, Marquis He supported King Ping of Zhou 周平王 (r. 770-720). He was subsequently promoted to duke, as Duke Wu 衛武公 (r. 812-758).
Duke Zhuang 衛莊公 (r. 757-735) had several sons of different wives. Prince Wan 完 was made heir apparent. Prince Zhouxu 州吁, son of a concubine, loved weapons, and therefore his father wanted to appoint him a general. The Duke's advisor Shi Que 石碏 warned his ruler to give military power into the hands of a younger son, because this would endanger the dynastic peace. The Duke, nevertheless, ignored this premonition. In fact, when Prince Wan became Duke Huan 衛桓公 (r. 734-719), he had to demote Prince Zhouxu, who consequently fled abroad. In exile, he assembled enemies to his brother and finally managed to kill him and to make himself the ruler of Wei. Shi Que went to the state of Chen 陳, where Duke Huan’s mother had came from, and prepared the backlash. On a visit to the duke of Zheng 鄭, Zhouxu was killed, and Prince Jin 晉 was invited to mount the throne, as Duke Xuan 衛宣公 (r. 718-700). Duke Xuan's son Prince Ji 伋 was raised by his uncles, who wanted to marry him with a princess from the state of Qi 齊. When the Duke saw the bride, he took her into his own harem and gave his son another wife. The princess bore him three sons, which the Duke loved more than the heir apparent, Prince Ji. Together with Prince Zishuo 子朔, a son of the Qi princess, the Duke planned to have murdered Prince Ji on a campaign. But Zishuo's brother Prince Zishou 子壽 warned the Prince, but Prince Ji declined to refuse obedience to his father. Therefore, Zishou himself carried the white banner that should serve the assassins as a signal as whom they had to murder. Prince Zishou was killed instead of Prince Ji. Yet instead of to flee, Prince Ji declared to the murdered that he was the right person to be killed, and he was killed by the assassins, too. Prince Zishuo was made heir apparent and later mounted the throne as Duke Hui 衛惠公.
The members of the ducal family were not content with a murderer as their ruler and had him exiled to Qi. Instead, Prince Qianmou 黔牟 was made ruler (r. 696-687). After several years, the duke of Qi undertook a campaign to reinstall Duke Hui (r. 686-669). Prince Qianmou fled to the court of the king of Zhou. Duke Hui therefore asked the duke of Yan 燕 to support him in a punitive campaign against Zhou. The campaign succeeded, and Duke Hui of Wei forced King Hui of Zhou 周惠王 (r. 676-652) into exile in Wen 溫, from which he only returned four years later. In the meantime, Prince Tui 頹 reigned for the exiled king.
The son of the unpopular Duke Hui, Duke Yi 衛懿公 (r. 668-660), was demoted by a rebellion of discontent nobles who enthroned Prince Shen 申, a nephew of Prince Qianmou, known as Duke Dai 衛戴公 (r. 660), who died after only a few months of reign. The duke of Qi more and more took over the fate of Wei and installed Duke Wen 衛文公 (r. 659-635). When Duke Wen escaped a rebellion to the state of Qi, the duke of Qi sent him back. The rule of Duke Wen is generally described as benevolent, with low taxes and a relaxed penal law.
When the duke of Jin 晉 passed Wei, Duke Wen of Wei did not treat him with the appropriate respect, a behaviour that should have consequences. Under Duke Cheng of Wei 衛成公 (r. 634-600), the army of Jin wanted to pass the territory of Wei, in order to bring relief to the state of Song 宋. Duke Cheng refused, and therefore the army of Jin attacked Wei, expelled Duke Cheng into exile in Chen, and divided the territory of Wei. After two years, Duke Cheng asked the king of Zhou to negotiate peace with Jin, but the duke of Jin sent a murderer to poison Duke Cheng of Wei. The Duke managed to bribe the murderer so that the dose was not sufficient to kill him. The king mediated, and Duke Cheng could return. He punished the noble Yuan Xuan 元咺 who had sided with Jin, and exiled the regent, Prince Xia 瑕.
Duke Xian 衛獻公 (r. 576-559) once had the music teacher of his concubines beaten because he did not treat well his disciples. Two nobles, Sun Wenzi 孫文子 (Sun Linfu 孫林父) and Ning Huizi 寧惠子 (Ning Xi 寧喜), were enraged because the Duke went out hunting instead of receiving them at the banquet to which he had invited them. They rebelled, forced Duke Xian into exile in Qi, and enthroned Duke Shang 衛殤公 (r. 558-547). The two nobles fell out with each other and thus created an opportunity for Duke Xian to return. With the help of the states of Qi and Jin, he remounted the throne of Wei (r. 546-544).
During the reign of Duke Ling 衛靈公 (r. 534-493), Confucius stayed in Wei. He refused to instruct the noble Kong Wenzi 孔文子 (Kong Yu 孔圉) in the art of war. There was a rift between Prince Kuaikui 蒯聵 and Lady Nanzi 南子夫人, the consort of Duke Ling. When the Prince attempted to kill the Lady, the Duke had him exiled to Song and later to the earl of Zhao 趙 in the state of Jin. When the Duke went to die, he wished his beloved son Zicheng 子郢 to follow him, but the latter declined and suggested making Kuaikui's son the next ruler. The earl of Zhao planned to bring Prince Kuaikui back to Wei, but Duke Chu 衛出公 (r. 492-481) did not allow his father to enter the soil of Wei. Prince Kuaikui thereupon tried to develop a plan to return to power in Wei. After the death of Kong Wenzi, a bondservant of his, Hun Liangfu 渾良夫, had an affair with Kong's widow, Lady Bo 伯姬, the sister of Prince Kuaikui. The Prince promised to pardon him and even to make him a high official, if Hun Liangfu would support him in gaining back the throne. They managed to enter the capital of Wei, where the Prince hid in the garden of Kong's mansion. Lady Bo, Kong Wenzi's widow, forced her son, Kong Kui 孔悝, to join her alliance with her brother. During a banquet, Duke Chu was informed and made his escape to the state of Lu 魯. After some resistance, Kong Kui was able to proclaim Prince Kuaikui as the new duke, Duke Zhuang 衛莊公 (r. 480-478).
Duke Zhuang had again to flee Wei when the army of Zhao seized the capital after Duke Zhuang had reproached his old host because Zhao used barbarian war prisoners to erect a city wall. Prince Banshi 斑師 was made ruler of Wei, but after a short time had to renounce, because the army of Qi occupied Wei and installed Prince Qi 起 as a ruler. After a few months, the nobles expelled Prince Qi, and Duke Chu could return to Wei (r. 476-456). When he died, his uncle expelled the heir apparent and installed himself as Duke Dao 衛悼公 (r. 455-451). For the next generations, Wei was dominated by the state of Zhao.
Duke Zhao 衛昭公 (r. 431-429) was murdered by Prince Wei 亹, who mounted the throne as Duke Huai 衛懷公 (r. 428-415), and the latter again by Prince Tu 頹, known as Duke Shen 衛慎公 (r. 414-373). In 346 the rulers of Wei were degraded to marquess. The heir of Marquis Ping 衛平侯 (r. 361-333) was even deprived of a title of nobility and is only called "the Successive Lord of Wei" 衛嗣君 (r. 324-283), his personal name is not known. Lord Huai 衛懷君 (r. 282-253) was killed, when he brought tribute to the king of Wei 魏. In 239, the armies of Qin 秦 conquered a great part of Wei and moved the residence of Lord Yuan 衛元君 (r. 252-230) from Puyang 濮陽 to Yewang 野王. Prince Jiao 角, Lord Yuan's son, ruled for nine years, before Qin united the empire.
Source: Shiji 37 史記, Wei Kangshu shijia 衛康叔世家.
Rulers of Wei (Wey) 衛
Capitals: 沬 Mei (Chaoge 朝歌, modern Qixian 淇縣/Henan), Cao 漕, Chuqiu 楚丘, Diqiu 帝丘 (all between modern Qixian and Puyang 濮陽/Henan), Yewang 野王 (modern Qinyang 沁陽/Hebei) |
| dynastic title See also titles of rulers. |
personal name |
time |
| Wei Kang Shu (Wei Kangshu) 衛康叔, Kang Shu Feng 康叔封 | Ji Feng 姬封, brother of King Wu of Zhou 周武王. | |
| Mou, Count of Kang 康伯牟 | Ji Mou 姬牟 | |
| Wei Xiaobo 衛孝伯 | | |
| Wei Sibo 衛嗣伯 | | |
| Wei Jiebo 衛疌伯 or [广/疌]伯 | | |
| Wei Jingbo 衛靖伯 | | |
| Wei Zhenbo 衛貞伯 | | |
| Wei Qinghou 衛頃侯 | | |
| Wei Xihou 衛釐侯 or 僖侯 | | 855-813 |
| Wei Gongbo 衛共伯 | Ji Yu 姬餘 | 812-758 |
| Wei Wugong 衛武公 | Ji He 姬和 | 812-758 |
| Wei Zhuanggong 衛莊公 | Ji Yang 姬揚 | 757-735 |
| Wei Huangong 衛桓公 | Ji Wan 姬完 | 734-719 |
| Wei Xuangong 衛宣公 | Ji Jin 姬晉 | 718-700 |
| Wei Huigong 衛惠公 (1st time) | Ji Shuo 姬朔 | 699-697 |
| Qianmou, Ruler of Wei 衛黔牟 | Ji Qianmou 姬黔牟 | 696-687 |
| Wei Huigong 衛惠公 (again) | | 686-669 |
| Wei Yigong 衛懿公 | Ji Chi 姬赤 | 668-660 |
| Wei Daigong 衛戴公 | Ji Shen 姬申 | 660 |
| Wei Wengong 衛文公 | Ji Hui 姬燬 | 659-635 |
| Wei Chenggong 衛成公 | Ji Zheng 姬鄭 | 634-600 |
| Wei Mugong 衛穆公 | Ji Chi 姬遫 | 599-589 |
| Wei Dinggong 衛定公 | Ji Zang 姬臧 | 588-577 |
| Wei Xiangong 衛獻公 (1st time) | Ji Kan 姬衎 | 576-559 |
| Wei Shanggong 衛殤公 | Ji Piao 姬剽 | 558-547 |
| Wei Xiangong 衛獻公 (again) | | 546-544 |
| Wei Xianggong 衛襄公 | Ji Wu 姬惡 | 543-535 |
| Wei Linggong 衛靈公 | Ji Yuan 姬元 | 534-493 |
| Wei Chugong 衛出公 | Ji Zhe 姬輒 | 492-481 |
| Wei Zhuanggong 衛莊公 | Ji Kuaikui 姬蒯瞶 | 480-478 | | Qi, Lord of Wei 衛君起 | Ji Qi 姬起 | 477 |
| Wei Chugong 衛出公 | | 476-456 |
| Wei Daogong 衛悼公 | Ji Qian 姬黔 | 455-451 |
| Wei Jinggong 衛敬公 | Ji Fu 姬弗 | 450-432 |
| Wei Zhaogong 衛昭公 | Ji Jiu 姬糾 | 431-429 |
| Wei Huaigong 衛懷公 | Ji Wei 姬亹 | 428-415 |
| Wei Shengong 衛慎公 | Ji Tui 姬頹 | 414-373 |
| Wei Shenggong 衛聲公 | Ji Xun 姬訓 | 372-362 |
| Wei Chenghou 衛成侯 | Ji Su 姬速 | 361-333 |
| Wei Pinghou 衛平侯 | | 332-325 |
| Wei Sijun 衛嗣君 | | 324-283 |
| Wei Huaijun 衛懷君 | | 282-253 |
| Wei Yuanjun 衛元君 | | 252-230 |
| Jiao, Lord of Wei 衛君角 | Ji Jiao 姬角 | 229-221 |
221 the Lord of Wei is dethroned by Qin 秦. |
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