Wen from Jin

Gong Wen of Jin ( Chinese  晉文公  /  晋文公 , Pinyin Jìn Wén Gōng ; born 697 BC ; died 628 BC ) was a Chinese ruler and one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Annals . From 636 BC Until his death he ruled the state of Jin . Under his rule, Jin became the most powerful Chinese state of its time.

Before his accession to the throne, he called himself Ji Chong'er (姬 重耳).

biography

Wen from Jin

Chong'er was the son of Jin Gong Xian . The year of birth 697 BC BC refers to Sima Qian's statements that Guoyu would have been born later (680, 673 or 672 BC).

Xian had several sons, including Shengsheng , Xiqi and Yiwu in addition to Chong'er . He had Shengsheng murdered - presumably at the instigation of Xiqi's mother Li Ji . There was also an attempted murder against Chong'er, whereupon he fled Jin. He lived in changing exiles for 19 years and during this time he developed a reputation as an impressive personality and attracted many followers.

While Chong'er was in exile, Xian and his son Xiqi died. Chong'er's brother Yiwu ruled from 650 to 637 BC. As Gong Hui from Jin . In 643, Hui assassinated Chong'er because he feared competition from his brother. When Hui's son Yu, who had been sent hostage to the powerful Prince Mu of Qin , returned to Jin on his own initiative on the occasion of Hui's death and in 637 BC. BC when Huai ascended the throne of Jin , this angered Mu, who favored Chong'er. Chong'er married five of Mus's daughters, including Huai Ying , previously Yu's wife.

A few months after Yu, Chong'er also returned to Jin and ascended the throne with the help of troops from Qin and when Gong Wen, his nephew and predecessor Huai von Jin died in battle. Wen then initiated reforms, reorganized the military and improved the administrative apparatus. Under Gong Wen, Jin conquered many small states, but many residents of those states welcomed his rule.

When Wang Xiang of Zhou was overthrown by Prince Dai , Wen helped him regain the throne. He led the alliance that restored Xiang's rule. He also led Jin as the head of the coalition against Chu . 632 BC His troops (together with those of Qi and Qin) defeated Chu in the battle of Chengpu .

literature

• Valerie Hansen: The Open Empire. A history of China to 1600. Norton, New York et al. 2000, ISBN 0-393-97374-3 .
• Richard Louis Walker: The Multi-state System of Ancient China. The Shoe String Press, Hamden CT 1953 (Reprinted: Greenwood Press, Westport CT 1971, ISBN 0-8371-5172-4 ).
• Herbert Franke , Rolf wedding slip: Weltbild Weltgeschichte. Volume 19: The Chinese Empire. Weltbild-Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5