An Ruzi (; died 489 BC), also called Yan Ruzi (), was for a few months in 489 BC ruler of the

State of Qi Qi, or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization, was a state of the Zhou dynasty-era in ancient China, variously reckoned as a march, duchy, and independent kingdom. Its capital was Linzi, located in present-day Shandong. Qi was founded shortly ...

, a major power during the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Tu (呂荼),

ancestral name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name, ...

Jiang ( 姜), and An Ruzi was his

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

, ''ruzi'' meaning "little boy". Due to his short reign and young age he was not given the normal ducal title. He was known as Prince Tu before ascending the throne.

Designation as Crown Prince

Prince Tu was the youngest son of

Duke Jing of Qi Duke Jing of Qi (; died 490 BC) was ruler of the State of Qi from 547 to 490 BC. Qi was a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Chujiu (呂杵臼), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Jing ...

, and his mother was Duke Jing's favourite concubine Yu Si,The ''

Shiji ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...

'' incorrectly gives her name as Rui Ji and Rui Zi. who was from the minor state of Chunyu. In the summer of 490 BC, the 58th year of Duke Jing's reign, the crown prince of Qi died. Although Duke Jing had at least five other grown sons, he decided to make Prince Tu the new crown prince. Because Prince Tu was a young boy and his mother was of a lowly status, Duke Jing ordered the ministers Guo Xia of the Guo clan and Gao Zhang of the Gao clan to support Prince Tu and exile the other princes to the remote city of Lai.

Reign

Duke Jing died soon afterward in the autumn of 490 BC. Guo and Gao installed Prince Tu on the throne, and the other princes escaped to the nearby states of

Wey Wey may refer to: Places *Wey (state) (衞), or Wei, ancient Chinese state during the Zhou Dynasty *River Wey, river in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, England *River Wey (Dorset), river of Dorset, south west England *Wey and Arun Canal, canal ...

and Lu. However, the next year the Tian and Bao clans, led by Tian Qi and Bao Mu, staged a coup d'etat and defeated the Gao and Guo clans. Tian Qi brought back Prince Yangsheng, an older half-brother of Prince Tu, from Lu and installed him on the throne, to be known as

Duke Dao of Qi Duke Dao of Qi (; died 485 BC) was from 488 to 485 BC ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Yangsheng (呂陽生), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Dao was ...

. Bao Mu was reluctant to depose Prince Tu but dared not oppose Tian. Duke Dao soon killed Prince Tu, who is posthumously known as An Ruzi. The Tian clan would from then on increasingly dominate the power of Qi, eventually replacing the House of Jiang as rulers of Qi in 386 BC.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:An Ruzi Monarchs of Qi (state) 5th-century BC Chinese monarchs 489 BC deaths Child rulers from Asia 5th-century BC murdered monarchs Assassinated Chinese politicians Year of birth unknown