Jiang Taigong
Assisted King Wen and King Wu in overthrowing the Shang, was enfeoffed in Qi, and founded the state of Qi.
Life
Meeting on the Wei River
Jiang Taigong was named Shang, also known as Lü Shang or Taigong Wang; his ancestors had been enfeoffed at Lü. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in his old age he was fishing by the Wei River when he met the Western Earl of Zhou (King Wen of Zhou), who was out hunting. The two hit it off, and King Wen said, "My grandfather long awaited someone like you," so he honored him as his teacher; this is the origin of the name "Taigong Wang" ("the one the grandfather awaited").
Battle of Muye
He helped King Wen cultivate virtue and plan against the Shang, and after King Wen's death he served King Wu. At the Battle of Muye, c. 1046 BCE, he led the vanguard in the charge against the Shang army; King Zhou of Shang was defeated and burned himself to death, and the Zhou dynasty was founded.
Enfeoffed with Qi
After the war he was enfeoffed in Qi, with his capital at Yingqiu. He followed local customs, simplified rites, developed crafts and commerce, and exploited the profits of fish and salt, so Qi quickly became a great power in the east, laying the foundation for Duke Huan of Qi's later hegemony.
Legacy
Later generations revered Jiang Taigong as the founder of military strategists and the origin of the Martial Saint tradition, and the State of Qi's policy of "following local customs, simplifying rites and promoting commerce and crafts" had a far-reaching influence.
Major works & achievements
- Helped King Wu overthrow Shang
- Founded the state of Qi
Did you know? "Jiang Taigong goes fishing, and only the willing fish bite" is a later folk saying; the Records of the Grand Historian only says that he used fishing as a way to seek an audience with King Wen.
Key dates
- 1056 BCEMet King Wen by the Wei River (legendary date)
- 1046 BCEBattle of Muye: helped King Wu overthrow the Shang
- 1045 BCEEnfeoffed in Qi