Emperor Yi of Chu
Encyclopedia
Emperor Yi of Chu also known as King Huai II of Chu (楚懷王), personal name Xiong Xin (熊心) (died 206 BC) was the ruler of the Chu state
during the late Qin Dynasty
. Chu was annexed by the Qin state
in 223 BC as part of Qin's wars of unification, but in 209 BC, it was revived when rebellions erupted throughout China to overthrow the Qin Dynasty and restore the former states annexed by Qin. Mi Xin was a grandson of King Huai I of Chu, and was living as a commoner then. Mi was discovered by a rebel leader, Xiang Liang
, who officially recognized him as the heir to the throne of Chu, and Mi became King Huai II of Chu with Xiang's support. However, Mi was actually a puppet ruler as the military power of Chu was actually in the hands of Xiang's clan and he was merely used as a figurehead to rally men to join Xiang Liang's rebel force. After Xiang's death, his nephew Xiang Yu
overthrew the Qin Dynasty and proclaimed himself "Hegemon King of Western Chu", while Mi was promoted to the more honorific title of "Emperor Yi of Chu". He was relocated by Xiang to Chencheng (in present-day Chenzhou
, Hunan
) and was assassinated during his journey on Xiang's order.
in the Warring States Period
, and a grandson of King Huai I of Chu. However, he was not in the main line of succession and there were four kings who succeeded his grandfather before the Chu state was annexed by the Qin state
in 223 BC as part of Qin's wars of unification. Mi became a commoner after the fall of Chu.
erupted under the leadership of Chen Sheng
, who proclaimed himself "King of Zhangchu" ("King of rising Chu"). Although Chen's uprising was crushed by the imperial forces, other rebel forces had sprouted throughout China to overthrow Qin and restore the former six states annexed by Qin about two decades ago. The leader of the Chu rebel force, Xiang Liang
, was advised by Fan Zeng
to seek a member of the Chu royal family and install him on the throne, in order to garner more support from the people. After some searching, Xiang found Mi, who was a shepherd-boy then, and installed Mi on the throne of Chu in the summer of 208 BC, with the title of "King Huai II of Chu".
King Huai II was effectively a puppet ruler, as the military power of Chu was actually in the hands of Xiang Liang and his men. However, after Xiang was killed in action
at the Battle of Dingtao in the winter of 208 BC, the military power of Chu fell into the hands of King Huai II and some Chu generals, with the king gradually beginning to assert his authority. Following that, King Huai II commissioned Song Yi and Liu Bang to lead two armies to attack Qin, promising that whoever managed to enter Guanzhong
(heartland of Qin) first would be granted the title of "King of Guanzhong". Xiang Liang's nephew, Xiang Yu
, was put as second-in-command to Song Yi's army, which was sent to attack the Qin forces led by Zhang Han. Zhang's army was besieging Handan
, the capital city of the Zhao state
, and Song Yi refused to advance any further to assist the Zhao forces. Xiang took Song by surprise in a military conference and killed Song on charges of treason
. Xiang sent a messenger to inform King Huai II, and the king approved of Xiang's command of the army reluctantly. In the winter of 207 BC, Liu Bang's army arrived in Guanzhong before Xiang and the last Qin ruler Ziying
surrendered, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty.
arrived in Guanzhong
later and wrote a letter to King Huai II, asking the king to grant him the title instead. King Huai II's response was "As per the earlier agreement.", but he had already lost his authority by then and existed as a king only in name. Xiang proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and proceeded to divide the former Qin empire into the eighteen principalities. Xiang promoted King Huai II to a more honorific title of "Emperor Yi of Chu" and he moved the emperor to the remote region of Chencheng (in present-day Chenzhou
, Hunan
), effectively sending the puppet emperor into exile.
's intention to send him into exile, so he feigned illness and used excuses in an attempt to postpone his "migration", but to no avail. The emperor was still forced to make his journey from Pengcheng
(彭城; present-day Xuzhou
) to Chencheng. In the meantime, Xiang issued a secret order to Ying Bu, Wu Rui and Gong Ao
to kill the emperor during his journey. Emperor Yi was murdered by Ying's men near Chengcheng and was buried by the locals in a hill southwest of Chengcheng.
During the power struggle for supremacy over China, known as the Chu–Han contention, between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu
, Liu used Emperor Yi's death as political propaganda to justify his war against Xiang. Liu held a three-day long memorial service for Emperor Yi in 205 BC and denounced Xiang as guilty of regicide
and called for the people to rise up against Xiang. In 202 BC, the Chu–Han contention ended with victory for Liu, who founded the Han Dynasty
and became Emperor
Gaozu of Han. Gaozu ordered his dukes Zhou Bo, Wang Ling and Fan Kuai to conduct another memorial service for Emperor Yi in their respective fiefs.
Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
during the late Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
. Chu was annexed by the Qin state
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...
in 223 BC as part of Qin's wars of unification, but in 209 BC, it was revived when rebellions erupted throughout China to overthrow the Qin Dynasty and restore the former states annexed by Qin. Mi Xin was a grandson of King Huai I of Chu, and was living as a commoner then. Mi was discovered by a rebel leader, Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty.-Early life:Xiang was a native of Xiaxiang . Xiang was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state for generations...
, who officially recognized him as the heir to the throne of Chu, and Mi became King Huai II of Chu with Xiang's support. However, Mi was actually a puppet ruler as the military power of Chu was actually in the hands of Xiang's clan and he was merely used as a figurehead to rally men to join Xiang Liang's rebel force. After Xiang's death, his nephew Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
overthrew the Qin Dynasty and proclaimed himself "Hegemon King of Western Chu", while Mi was promoted to the more honorific title of "Emperor Yi of Chu". He was relocated by Xiang to Chencheng (in present-day Chenzhou
Chenzhou
Chenzhou is a city located in the southern area of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total population reached 4,559,600 as of 2001, 26% of them living in urban areas, 74% of them live in rural areas.-History:Chenzhou...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) and was assassinated during his journey on Xiang's order.
Early life
Mi was a descendant of the royal clan of the Chu stateChu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
in the Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
, and a grandson of King Huai I of Chu. However, he was not in the main line of succession and there were four kings who succeeded his grandfather before the Chu state was annexed by the Qin state
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...
in 223 BC as part of Qin's wars of unification. Mi became a commoner after the fall of Chu.
As King Huai II of Chu
In 209 BC, the Daze Village Uprising to overthrow the Qin DynastyQin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
erupted under the leadership of Chen Sheng
Chen Sheng
Chen Sheng , also known in some sources as Chen She , was the leader of the first rebellion, known as Daze Village Uprising, against the Qin Dynasty during the reign of Qin Er Shi.-Start of the rebellion:...
, who proclaimed himself "King of Zhangchu" ("King of rising Chu"). Although Chen's uprising was crushed by the imperial forces, other rebel forces had sprouted throughout China to overthrow Qin and restore the former six states annexed by Qin about two decades ago. The leader of the Chu rebel force, Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty.-Early life:Xiang was a native of Xiaxiang . Xiang was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state for generations...
, was advised by Fan Zeng
Fan Zeng
Fan Zeng was an advisor to Xiang Yu during the Chu–Han contention period of Chinese history.-Starting his career:Fan Zeng was a native of Juchao . He had a keen interest towards military strategy and politics...
to seek a member of the Chu royal family and install him on the throne, in order to garner more support from the people. After some searching, Xiang found Mi, who was a shepherd-boy then, and installed Mi on the throne of Chu in the summer of 208 BC, with the title of "King Huai II of Chu".
King Huai II was effectively a puppet ruler, as the military power of Chu was actually in the hands of Xiang Liang and his men. However, after Xiang was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
at the Battle of Dingtao in the winter of 208 BC, the military power of Chu fell into the hands of King Huai II and some Chu generals, with the king gradually beginning to assert his authority. Following that, King Huai II commissioned Song Yi and Liu Bang to lead two armies to attack Qin, promising that whoever managed to enter Guanzhong
Guanzhong
Guanzhong , or Guanzhong Plain, is a historical region of China corresponding to the lower valley of the Wei River. It is called Guanzhong or 'within the passes' to distinguish it from 'Guandong' or 'east of the pass', that is, the North China Plain. The North China Plain is bordered on the west by...
(heartland of Qin) first would be granted the title of "King of Guanzhong". Xiang Liang's nephew, Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
, was put as second-in-command to Song Yi's army, which was sent to attack the Qin forces led by Zhang Han. Zhang's army was besieging Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, the capital city of the Zhao state
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
, and Song Yi refused to advance any further to assist the Zhao forces. Xiang took Song by surprise in a military conference and killed Song on charges of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Xiang sent a messenger to inform King Huai II, and the king approved of Xiang's command of the army reluctantly. In the winter of 207 BC, Liu Bang's army arrived in Guanzhong before Xiang and the last Qin ruler Ziying
Ziying
Ziying was the last ruler of the Qin Dynasty of China, ruling as King of Qin from mid-October to the beginning of December 207 BC, and being known posthumously as Qin San Shi...
surrendered, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty.
As Emperor Yi of Chu
According to King Huai II's earlier promise, Liu Bang should become the "King of Guanzhong", but Xiang YuXiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
arrived in Guanzhong
Guanzhong
Guanzhong , or Guanzhong Plain, is a historical region of China corresponding to the lower valley of the Wei River. It is called Guanzhong or 'within the passes' to distinguish it from 'Guandong' or 'east of the pass', that is, the North China Plain. The North China Plain is bordered on the west by...
later and wrote a letter to King Huai II, asking the king to grant him the title instead. King Huai II's response was "As per the earlier agreement.", but he had already lost his authority by then and existed as a king only in name. Xiang proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and proceeded to divide the former Qin empire into the eighteen principalities. Xiang promoted King Huai II to a more honorific title of "Emperor Yi of Chu" and he moved the emperor to the remote region of Chencheng (in present-day Chenzhou
Chenzhou
Chenzhou is a city located in the southern area of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total population reached 4,559,600 as of 2001, 26% of them living in urban areas, 74% of them live in rural areas.-History:Chenzhou...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), effectively sending the puppet emperor into exile.
Death
Emperor Yi was aware of Xiang YuXiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
's intention to send him into exile, so he feigned illness and used excuses in an attempt to postpone his "migration", but to no avail. The emperor was still forced to make his journey from Pengcheng
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
(彭城; present-day Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
) to Chencheng. In the meantime, Xiang issued a secret order to Ying Bu, Wu Rui and Gong Ao
Gong Ao
Gong Ao was a ruler of the Kingdom of Linjiang of the Eighteen Kingdoms during the Chu–Han contention period of Chinese history.Gong descended from a noble family of the Chu state. He served King Huai II of the insurgent Chu kingdom that was established in the final years of the Qin Dynasty...
to kill the emperor during his journey. Emperor Yi was murdered by Ying's men near Chengcheng and was buried by the locals in a hill southwest of Chengcheng.
During the power struggle for supremacy over China, known as the Chu–Han contention, between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
, Liu used Emperor Yi's death as political propaganda to justify his war against Xiang. Liu held a three-day long memorial service for Emperor Yi in 205 BC and denounced Xiang as guilty of regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
and called for the people to rise up against Xiang. In 202 BC, the Chu–Han contention ended with victory for Liu, who founded the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and became Emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
Gaozu of Han. Gaozu ordered his dukes Zhou Bo, Wang Ling and Fan Kuai to conduct another memorial service for Emperor Yi in their respective fiefs.