King Huai of Chu
| Xiong Huai | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King of Chu | |||||||||
| Reign | 328–299 BCE | ||||||||
| |||||||||
King Huai of Chu(traditional Chinese:Sở hoài vương;simplified Chinese:Sở hoài vương;pinyin:Chǔ Huái Wáng,died 296 BC) was from 328 to 299 BC the king of the state ofChuduring theWarring States periodof ancient China. He was bornXiong Huai(Chinese:Hùng hòe) and King Huai ( hoài, a different Chinese character) was hisposthumous title.[1]
King Huai succeeded his fatherKing Wei of Chu,who died in 329 BCE. In 299 BCE King Huai was trapped and held hostage byKing Zhao of Qinwhen he went to thestate of Qinfor negotiation, and his sonKing Qingxiang of Chuascended the throne. King Huai managed to escape but was recaptured by Qin. Three years later, he died in captivity.[1]
One of his grandsons was later reinstated as King of Chu as the Qin dynasty descended into chaos, also under the name "King Huai of Chu"; this grandson was later known asEmperor Yi of Chu.
Culture[edit]
King Huai's historical fame is especially due to the poetry ofQu Yuan,and other earlyClassical Chinese poetry,as preserved in theChu ci:particularly and seminally the poem "Li Sao"(sometimes translated as" Encountering Sorrow ") is thought to reflect the political and personal relationships between Qu Yuan or the poet writing in his persona and King Huai. The main themes of" Li Sao "and the poems of the Sao genre include Qu Yuan's falling victim to intrigues in the court of Chu, his resulting exile, his desire to nevertheless remain pure and untainted by the corruption that was rife in the court, and his lamentations at the gradual decline of the once-powerful state of Chu. At the very end the poet, resigned, states his resolve to die, by drowning in the river.
In fiction and popular culture[edit]
- Portrayed by Peng Bo inThe Qin Empire II: Alliance(2012).
- Portrayed by Cao Zheng inThe Legend of Mi Yue(2015).
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^abSima Qian."Sở thế gia (House of Chu)".Records of the Grand Historian(in Chinese). Archived fromthe originalon 10 March 2012.Retrieved1 March2012.
References[edit]
- Hawkes, David,translation, introduction, and notes (2011 [1985]). Qu Yuanet al.,The Songs of the South: An Ancient Chinese Anthology of Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets.London: Penguin Books.ISBN978-0-14-044375-2