Wey (state)
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(January 2019) |
Wei Vệ | |
|---|---|
| c. 1040 BCE–209 BCE | |
 Zhou dynasty in the 5th century BCE | |
| Status | Duchy |
| Capital | Zhaoge(ca. 1040 BCE – 661 BCE) Chuqiu(659–629 BCE) Diqiu(629–241 BCE) Yewang(241–209 BCE) |
| Religion | Chinese folk religion ancestor worship |
| Government | Monarchy |
| History | |
• Establishment ofZhou dynasty | c. 1040 BCE |
• Annexed byQin | 209 BCE |
| Wey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 "Wey" inseal script(top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Vệ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Vệ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wei(/weɪ/;Chinese:Vệ;pinyin:Wèi), commonly spelledWeyto distinguish from the contemporary largerWei(Ngụy) state, was anancient Chinese statethat was founded in the earlyWestern Zhoudynasty and rose to prominence during theSpring and Autumn period.Its rulers were of the surname Ji (Cơ), the same as that of the rulers of Zhou. It was located in modern northeasternHenanProvince, east ofJin(and later WeiNgụy), and west ofCao.
Early history
[edit]The history of Wey dates back to the beginning of the Zhou dynasty and theRebellion of the Three Guards.After theDuke of Zhousuccessfully defeated the rebellion,Kang Shu,a younger brother ofKing Wu of Zhouwas given a fief centred onZhaoge,the capital of theShang dynasty,which had been the centre of the rebellion.
Spring and Autumn period
[edit]The State of Wey was at its peak during the early Spring and Autumn period, underDuke Wu of Wey,who reigned for 55 years. In the reign of subsequent rulers, however, the state was plagued by succession troubles, untilDuke Yi of Weytook the throne; his dissolute rule and obsession with cranes weakened the state, and in the eighth year of his reign theRong peoplessuccessfully attacked the capital at Zhaoge, killing the Duke and nearly destroying the state as well (660 BCE). It was only with the aid ofDuke Huan of Qithat the state was eventually restored, with its capital moved to Chuqiu.
In 632 BCE Wey was once conquered byDuke Wen of Jin,because when Duke Wen (called Chong'er then) exiled to Wey,Duke Wen of Weyhadn't treated him well, andDuke Cheng of Wey(son of Duke Wen of Wey) was nearly poisoned by Duke Wen of Jin, but eventually the state was restored. (Before theBattle of Chengpu,whenChuwas attackingSong,Jin attacked Wey andCaoas a diversion.)
In 492 BCEDuke Chu of Wey(Ra công) succeeded the throne from his grandfather Duke Ling (Linh công), while his father Kuaikui (Khoái hội), who was the heir of Duke Ling, had been deposed and exiled. To get the throne, Kuaikui fought against his own son and managed to exile Duke Chu in 481 BCE, and was titled as Duke Zhuang II (Sau trang công), but was killed three years later. Duke Chu was restored in 475 BCE. The conflict between father and son weakened Wey, and Wey soon became attached to House of Zhao ofJin.
Downfall and end
[edit]In 346 BCE the duke of Wey degraded himself to a marquis. In 320 BCE the marquis of Wey again degraded himself to only ajun(lord). By then Wey only possessed a single county calledPuyang(Bộc dương). In 254 BCE King Anxi ofWei(Ngụy) killed Lord Huai of Wey (Vệ hoài quân), but two years later he declared his son-in-law, who was from the house of Wey, to be lord of Wey, so Wey became a dependency of the Wei Kingdom. In 239 BCE thestate of Qinoccupied Puyang, and Wey migrated toYewang(Dã vương) in order to preserve its existence.
The state was so weak that it was presumably ignored byQin Shi Huang,and was only abolished in 209 BCE whenQin Er ShideposedJiao, Lord of Wey(Vệ quân giác), two years before the collapse of the Qin dynasty.
Vassals
[edit]Vassals of Wey include Shi clan, Ning clan, Kong clan, Beigong clan, Nan clan and Sun clan. They were mostly cadet branches of Wey. Kong clan, which came from the state ofNan Yan,was an exception.
List of rulers
[edit]
See also
[edit]- Wei River,a tributary of the Grand Canal named for the former state
Notes
[edit]- ^abcdefghijGōngzǐ(Chinese:Công tử;lit.'The Lord's Son') is a title attached to the sons of a ruler.
- ^Yòugōngzǐ(Chinese:Hữu công tử;lit.'The Lord's Son of the Right') indicates the title holder being a son of a ruler.
- ^Zuǒgōngzǐ(Chinese:Tả công tử;lit.'The Lord's Son of the Left') indicates the title holder being a son of a ruler.
- ^abTàizǐ(Chinese:Thái Tử;lit.'The (Lord's) Heir Apparent') indicates the title holder being the eldest son of a ruler.
- ^abGōngsūn(Chinese:Công Tôn;lit.'The Lord's Grandson') is a title attached to the paternal grandsons of a ruler. In two instances above, Gongsun Banshi was a grandson of Duke Xiang, while Gongsun Mimou was a grandson of Duke Ling. If a person was also a son of a ruler, the titleGōngzǐ( công tử ) was used instead.
References
[edit]- Wey (state)
- Ancient Chinese states
- States of the Spring and Autumn period
- States of the Warring States period
- 209 BC
- 3rd-century BC disestablishments
- States and territories disestablished in the 3rd century BC
- 1st-millennium BC disestablishments in China
- States and territories established in the 11th century BC