King Zhou of Shang

King Dì Xin Shang (Chinese帝辛, popular name: King ( Shang) Zhou, Shang Zhou ( Wáng ) (Chinese商纣(王))), born Zi Shou (子 受) (* BC? , † 1122 BC) reigned from 1155 BC to 1122 BC as the last king ( 31 or 32 king) of the Shang dynasty for 33 years over China. He was the son of the previous king Di Yi.

His first name was Shou (Chinese受, like chinese zhou纣), which is why he was also called Zhou Xin (纣 辛, Pinyin Zhou Xin ). It is also known that he set the character Shang (商, Shang Pinyin ) in front of his name.

The most famous work of history Shiji (Chinese史记) writes Sima Qian (Chinese司马迁) that Di Xin at the beginning of his reign had unusual skills, and that he was of rapid perception and excitable mind. He was the younger brother of Wei Zi (微 子) and Zhong Wei (微 仲), both of which were born of a concubine. His sons were Wu Geng (武庚) and Lu Fu (禄 父). His father Di Yi (帝乙) had two brothers, Ji Zi (箕子) and Bi Gan (比干, a famous sage ). Di Xin enlarged the kingdom of Shang through numerous battles with the surrounding nations, in which he also hit the trunk of Yiren (夷人), which are known as Dongyi today.

In his later years of his reign he succumbed to alcohol and women, and had degenerated morally. He neglected the affairs of state and held by Sima Qian extravagant feasts and orgies from where desert songs were played. His brother Wei Zi tried to bring him to his senses, but was reprimanded. His uncle Bi Gan warned him, but he let Bi Gan to tear out your heart to know, looks like the heart of a wise man. When his uncle Ji Zi heard of this he went to the royal nephew, and exhorted the king, but he was imprisoned. After the Army of the Shang Dynasty of the Zhou tribe ( led by King Zhou Wu ) was defeated, Di Xin put the palace Lu Tai (Chinese鹿台) on fire and committed suicide.

The history book Shiji reported that Di Xin was very strong, so he could even draw nine oxen running in the other direction. He favored his beautiful but evil concubine Da Ji (Chinese妲 己) and trusted her, and set up the so-called alcohol - pool and the meat forest. Di Xin ordered very cruel tortures like burning with red-hot bronze rods and throwing prisoners in a cauldron full of scorpions. He also blocked the dissident feudal princes as the Xi Bo Margrave (Chinese西伯 侯) Ji Chang (Chinese姬昌, father of King Zhou Wu ) from the root Zhou, a.

Historical remarks on King Zhou

Di Xin ( King Zhou ) is considered in China through the ages as a typical despot as Xia Jie, for example, means the Chinese idiom " The King Zhou help his despotism " (Chinese助纣为虐) that evil people with evil actions helps.

Another view is that the negative comments to King Zhou is only intensified over time, but in fact the writers before the Qin Dynasty him not so much criticized. Based on the history of his reign, enhanced by the imagination of future generations, one of the most famous Chinese novels called Fengshen Yanyi (Chinese封神 演义), which was only completed in the Ming Dynasty.

• King of the Shang Dynasty
• Man
• Born in the 12th century BC
• Died in the 12th century BC