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King Wu: The Zhou Dynasty’s First Emperor Respects Heaven
JESSICA CHANG/THE EPOCH TIMES
BY STEPHEN GREGORY &
DAVID WU
EPOCH TIMES STAFF
King Wu of Zhou was the son of
King Wen of the Zhou Kingdom.
Several years after King Wu succeeded to the throne, he conquered
the Shang Dynasty (୘ර) and
established the Zhou Dynasty (‫ڬ‬
ර) (traditionally given as 1122–222
B.C.).
The Zhou Dynasty was an
important period of Chinese history. Thirty-seven emperors ruled
for 900 years before it was conquered by the Qin Dynasty (છර)
in 221 B.C.
Not only was the Zhou Dynasty
China’s longest dynasty, but it
was also the high point of ancient
Chinese civilization. The Confucian and Daoist philosophies that
developed during this dynasty
influenced generations throughout Chinese history.
At the beginning of King Wu’s
rule, he asked Jiang Ziya, his military adviser, whether there was a
simple, effective principle recorded
from the past that could enable
future generations to preserve the
foundation of the country created
by their ancestors.
Jiang Ziya replied that there was
a sacred book passed down from
preceding kings that contained
this wisdom for good governance.
He told King Wu that the king
could only hear it after purifying
himself by fasting.
Three days later, King Wu, wearing his ceremonial cap, respectfully requested that he be granted
this wisdom. He stood facing east
to show his respect, rather than
south, which is the direction rulers
customarily faced when meeting
their subjects.
Wisdom of Ancient Kings
Jiang Ziya then started to read from
the book: “One who is diligent in
administrating the country, shows
reverence toward Heaven, and
rejects idleness and extravagance,
his affairs will prosper.
“One who neglects duty and covets ease and enjoyment, his affairs
will decline.
“One whose righteousness overcomes personal desire, his affairs
will go smoothly and be successful. One whose selfish desire over-
King Wu, the first emperor of Zhou Dynasty.
ᡀ䈝
CHENGYU
(Idioms)
᮷↖ѻ䚃ˈ
аᕥаᕋ
Wén Wƅ Zhī
Dào, Yī Zhāng
Yī Chí
Live life as King Wen and King
Wu ruled the country: One must
combine leniency and strictness
to live a well-balanced life.
One whose
selfish desire
overcomes moral
principles, his
affairs will be
thwarted.
comes moral principles, his affairs
will be thwarted.”
Jiang Ziya said, “This is the simple,
effective principle that can enable
future generations to preserve the
foundation of the country created
by their ancestors.”
He also told the king that if he
ruled with benevolence, his dynasty would be measured by dozens
of generations.
Upon hearing this wisdom,
King Wu was greatly inspired. He
ordered these words to be written
on his mirror and washbasin, his
staff and sword, bow and spear,
and on the pillar, door, and window, among other places, so that
he could use them to caution and
encourage himself at all times.
Humbly Seeking Good Advice
King Wu acted in a manner befitting a sage king, humbly and
respectfully seeking good advice
from wise and virtuous officials.
In addition, he had their words
inscribed as rules to observe, and
used them in self-reflection at
every moment to correct his own
conduct and thoughts.
With these actions, he diligently
strove to cultivate a heart of pure
wisdom that allowed him to
understand the will of Heaven
and to govern the country with
benevolence.
The 900-year reign of the Zhou
Dynasty can largely be attributed
to its successive emperors who
carefully safeguarded their ancestors’ teachings, respected Heaven,
loved their subjects, and placed
high importance on cultivating
their moral character.
Chinese Characters: Wén and WƖ
The first emperor of the Zhou
Dynasty, King Wu (‫ݓڬ‬Ц), and
his father, King Wen (‫ڬ‬ЎЦ),
derived their imperial name
from the characters Ў (pronounced wén) and ‫( ݓ‬pronounced wƖ).
These two characters together
represent the perfect combination of skills a man can have: Ў!
refers to academia and civil matters, while ‫ ݓ‬refers to military
affairs and martial arts.
Someone in possession of both
qualities, called Ў‫ݓ‬ᚈӄ (wén wƖ
shuāng quán) in Chinese, would
be a fine scholar as well as a
strong soldier, a master of both
the pen and the sword.
The first emperor of the Zhou
Dynasty, King Wu (‫ݓڬ‬Ц), and
his father, King Wen (‫ڬ‬ЎЦ),
derived their imperial name
from the characters Ў (pronounced wén) and ‫( ݓ‬pronounced wƖ).
These two characters together
represent the perfect combination of skills a man can have: Ў!
refers to academia and civil matters, while ‫ ݓ‬refers to military
affairs and martial arts.
Someone in possession of both
qualities, called Ў‫ݓ‬ᚈӄ (wén wƖ
shuāng quán) in Chinese, would
be a fine scholar as well as a
strong soldier, a master of both
the pen and the sword.
The character Ў is used in
combination with other characters to form phrases such as
Ўϯ!(wén huà), culture, and ύ
Ў (zhōngwén), the Chinese language.
‫ݓ‬, on the other hand, is used
in combination with other characters to create terms associated
with combat and warfare, such
as ‫ݓ‬Ꮤ (wƖ qì), weapons, or ‫!ೌݓ‬
(wƖshù), martial arts.
King Wen is also known for his
contributions to the Yi Jing (ܰ࿶),
a manual of divination and one
of the oldest Chinese classic texts,
also called the I Ching, Book of
Changes, or Zhou Yi (‫)ܰڬ‬.
The Yi Jing presents 64 hexagrams that are formed by creating different permutations of
the eight basic trigrams passed
down from the legendary Fu Xi
(ҷᑢ), symbols that the Chinese
people interpreted to help them
understand changes in their
world and in the Heavens.
King Wen is attributed with
having formed the 64 hexagrams and writing the meanings
associated with each one.
His son, King Wu, or “the martial king” in Chinese, received his
name because of his skills as a
commander in battle.
Though his father, King Wen,
is credited as the founder of the
Zhou Dynasty, it was not until
after King Wen’s death that
the previous dynasty, the Shang
Dynasty, was defeated.
It was King Wu who united
the neighboring dukes under
his command and led them
into battle, defeating the Shang
Dynasty and establishing him-
&+,1(6(&+$5$&7(56
:‹1$1':ƕ
Ў!‫ݓ‬
self as Emperor Wu of Zhou.
These two kings, associated
with the founding of China’s
longest-lasting dynasty, are
famous in Chinese history due
to their outstanding virtue and
benevolent rule.
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