Wu Ding
Encyclopedia
Wu Ding was a Shang Dynasty
King of China.
His is the first historically verifiable name in the history of Chinese
dynasties. The records of later historians that recorded his reign were long thought to be little more than legends until contemporary records of his reign were discovered in oracle script inscriptions on bones
unearthed at the ruins of his capital Yin
in 1899.
In the Records of the Grand Historian
he was listed by Sima Qian
as the twenty-second Shang king, succeeding his father Xiao Yi
(Chinese: 小乙). He was enthroned in the year of Dingwei (Chinese: 丁未) with Gan Pan (Chinese: 甘盘) as his prime minister and Yin
(Chinese: 殷) as his capital.
He cultivated the allegiance of neighbouring tribes by marrying one woman from each of them. His favoured consort Fu Hao
entered the royal household through such a marriage and took advantage of the semi-matriarchal slave society to rise through the ranks to military general and high priestess.
In the third year of his reign he had vivid dreams about the way to rule his kingdom. He went on to order his prime minister to edit the book of ruling in the sixth year of his reign. He also ordered that all the people must support their elders. In the twelfth year of his regime, he promoted Shangjiawei to a position of power to exercise control over the Qi
(Chinese: 契) people.
In the twenty-fifth year of his reign, his son Zu Ji
(Chinese: 祖己) died at a remote area after being exiled. His mother had died previously and the new wife of Wu Ding did not show favour to Zi Xiao.
In the twenty-ninth year of his reign, he conducted rituals in honour of his ancestor King Tang
, the first king of the Shang Dynasty, at the Royal Temple. Angered by the presence of a wild chicken standing on one of the ceremonial bronze vessels, he condemned his vassals and wrote an article called Gao Zong Tong Day (Chinese: 高宗肜日).
In the thirty-second year of his reign, he sent troops to Guifang
(Chinese: 鬼方) and after three years of fighting he conquered it. The Di
(Chinese: 氐) and Qiang (Chinese: 羌) barbarians immediately sent envoys to Shang to negotiate. His armies went on to conquer Dapeng
(Chinese: 大彭) in the forty-third year of his reign, and Tunwei (Chinese: 豕韦) in the 50th year of his reign.
He died in the fifty-ninth year of his reign according to all the sources available. Widely regarded one of best kings of the Shang Dynasty, he was given the posthumous name Wu Ding (Chinese: 武丁) and was succeeded by his son Zu Geng
(Chinese: 祖庚).
The oracle script inscriptions on the bones unearthed at Yinxu
(Ruins of Yin) alternatively record that he was the twenty-first Shang king.
Quan (state)
was founded by Wen Ding ’s son Quan Wending (权文丁) in the area of modern day Maliang Town (马良镇), Shayang County , Jingmen City, Hubei Province
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
King of China.
His is the first historically verifiable name in the history of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
dynasties. The records of later historians that recorded his reign were long thought to be little more than legends until contemporary records of his reign were discovered in oracle script inscriptions on bones
Oracle bone
Oracle bones are pieces of bone normally from ox scapula or turtle plastron which were used for divination chiefly during the late Shang Dynasty. The bones were first inscribed with divination in oracle bone script by using a bronze pin, and then heated until crack lines appeared in which the...
unearthed at the ruins of his capital Yin
Yinxu
Yinxu is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty. The capital served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations.Rediscovered in 1899, it is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
in 1899.
History
In the sixth year of his father's reign, he was ordered to live at He (Chinese: 河) and study at Ganpan (Chinese: 甘盘). These early years spent among the common people allowed him to become familiar with their daily problems.In the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
he was listed by Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
as the twenty-second Shang king, succeeding his father Xiao Yi
King Xiao Yi
Xiao Yi was a Shang Dynasty King of China.In the Records of the Grand Historian he was listed by Sima Qian as the twenty-first Shang king, succeeding his older brother Xiao Xin . He was enthroned with Yin as his capital...
(Chinese: 小乙). He was enthroned in the year of Dingwei (Chinese: 丁未) with Gan Pan (Chinese: 甘盘) as his prime minister and Yin
Yinxu
Yinxu is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty. The capital served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations.Rediscovered in 1899, it is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
(Chinese: 殷) as his capital.
He cultivated the allegiance of neighbouring tribes by marrying one woman from each of them. His favoured consort Fu Hao
Fu Hao
Fu Hao , posthumously Mu Xin , was one of the many wives of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty and, unusually for that time, also served as a military general and high priestess....
entered the royal household through such a marriage and took advantage of the semi-matriarchal slave society to rise through the ranks to military general and high priestess.
In the third year of his reign he had vivid dreams about the way to rule his kingdom. He went on to order his prime minister to edit the book of ruling in the sixth year of his reign. He also ordered that all the people must support their elders. In the twelfth year of his regime, he promoted Shangjiawei to a position of power to exercise control over the Qi
Qi (Henan)
Qi was a minor feudal state that appears in Chinese history from the beginning of the Shang Dynasty until the beginning of the Warring States Period, circa 445 BCE.-History:...
(Chinese: 契) people.
In the twenty-fifth year of his reign, his son Zu Ji
Zu Ji
Zu Ji was the eldest son of King Wu Ding but despite his kingly title he never succeeded his father as a Shang Dynasty King of China....
(Chinese: 祖己) died at a remote area after being exiled. His mother had died previously and the new wife of Wu Ding did not show favour to Zi Xiao.
In the twenty-ninth year of his reign, he conducted rituals in honour of his ancestor King Tang
Tang of Shang
King Cheng Tang of Shang was the first ruling king of the Shang dynasty in Chinese history. He overthrew Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty.-Early life:...
, the first king of the Shang Dynasty, at the Royal Temple. Angered by the presence of a wild chicken standing on one of the ceremonial bronze vessels, he condemned his vassals and wrote an article called Gao Zong Tong Day (Chinese: 高宗肜日).
In the thirty-second year of his reign, he sent troops to Guifang
Guifang
Guifang is an ethnonym for the most ancient nomadic tribes that invaded China during legendary times. Sima Qian stated that in the literate period starting with the Shang Yin period , the Hu and Jung Huns were called Guifang...
(Chinese: 鬼方) and after three years of fighting he conquered it. The Di
Di (ethnic group)
The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...
(Chinese: 氐) and Qiang (Chinese: 羌) barbarians immediately sent envoys to Shang to negotiate. His armies went on to conquer Dapeng
Dapeng
Dapeng is a subdistrict in the south east of district Longgang, in prefecture-level city Shenzhen, in the Chinese province Guangdong. In this area the main spoken dialect are Dapeng dialect and Bao'an-Hakka....
(Chinese: 大彭) in the forty-third year of his reign, and Tunwei (Chinese: 豕韦) in the 50th year of his reign.
He died in the fifty-ninth year of his reign according to all the sources available. Widely regarded one of best kings of the Shang Dynasty, he was given the posthumous name Wu Ding (Chinese: 武丁) and was succeeded by his son Zu Geng
King Zu Geng
Zu Geng was king of the Shang Dynasty of China. His given name is Yao .His capital was at Yin .On the 12th year of his regime, he sent troop to fight Rong people in the west until winter....
(Chinese: 祖庚).
The oracle script inscriptions on the bones unearthed at Yinxu
Yinxu
Yinxu is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty. The capital served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations.Rediscovered in 1899, it is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
(Ruins of Yin) alternatively record that he was the twenty-first Shang king.
Quan (state)
Quan (state)
The State of Quán was a small Zhou Dynasty vassal state of Central China. A marquessate , its rulers were descendants of Shang Dynasty ruler Wu Ding with the surname Zi...
was founded by Wen Ding ’s son Quan Wending (权文丁) in the area of modern day Maliang Town (马良镇), Shayang County , Jingmen City, Hubei Province
See also
- Fu HaoFu HaoFu Hao , posthumously Mu Xin , was one of the many wives of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty and, unusually for that time, also served as a military general and high priestess....
, a consort, military commander and priestess of Wu Ding - Quan (state)Quan (state)The State of Quán was a small Zhou Dynasty vassal state of Central China. A marquessate , its rulers were descendants of Shang Dynasty ruler Wu Ding with the surname Zi...
- Quan (Kwon)Quan (Kwon)Quan , is Chinese family name. Kwon alike Cantonese, Quan is Mandarin. surname quan have 4~5 kinds source, and etc anomaly. quan is gradually extinct surname in China's long history. Maybe past's quan clan mostly change surname, so just now little. Ranked 401 in book "100 kinds surname""-History of...
, surname