Duke Huan of Jin () was from 388 to 369 BC the titular ruler of the State of Jin during the beginning of the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji, given name Qi, and Duke Huan 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 ...

recorded in the ''

Bamboo Annals The ''Bamboo Annals'' (), also known as the ''Ji Tomb Annals'' (), is a chronicle of ancient China. It begins in the earliest legendary time (the age of the Yellow Emperor) and extends to 299 BC, with the later centuries focusing on the history ...

'','' Annals of Wei'', ''

''. while the ''

Records of the Grand Historian ''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 ...

'' refers to him as Duke Xiao of Jin (晉孝公).

Final ruler of Jin

Duke Huan succeeded his father, Duke Lie of Jin, who died in 389 BC. By then the once powerful state of Jin had been existing in name only, as virtually all of its territory had been partitioned into the states of

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, Zhao, and Wei, founded by the aristocratic clans of Jin. The ''

'' mentions that in the 20th year of Duke Huan's reign (369 BC),

Marquess Cheng of Zhao Marquess Cheng of Zhao (?–350 BCE) was a ruler of the State of Zhao during the Warring States Period of Chinese history (475–220 BCE). Born Zhào Zhòng (), he was the son of Marquess Jing of Zhao. In 372 BCE, Marquess Cheng of Zhao built a w ...

and

Marquess Gong of Han Marquess Gong of Han () (died 363 BC), ancestral name Jì (姬), clan name Hán (韩), personal name Ruòshān (若山), was the ruler of the State of Han Han (, Old Chinese: ''*'') was an ancient Chinese state during the Warring States pe ...

moved Duke Huan to

Tunliu Tunliu () is a district of the city of Changzhi, Shanxi province, China. Lord Chang'an, Chengjiao, brother of Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rathe ...

, and after that there were no more records of Duke Huan or any other Jin ruler. Modern historians such as

Yang Kuan Yang Kuan (1914 − September 1, 2005) was a Chinese historian specializing in pre-Qin Dynasty Chinese history. He is considered an authority of the Warring States period, and his ''History of the Warring States'', first published in 1955, rema ...

Ch'ien Mu Ch'ien Mu or Qian Mu (; 30 July 1895 – 30 August 1990) was a Chinese historian, philosopher and writer. He is considered to be one of the greatest historians and philosophers of 20th-century China. Ch'ien, together with Lü Simian, Chen Yink ...

, and Han Zhaoqi consider 369 BC the final year of Duke Huan and the State of Jin.

Account in ''Shiji''

The ''

'' (''Shiji''), on the other hand, says Duke Xiao reigned for 17 years and was succeeded by his son Jujiu. However, ''Shiji's'' account of the last rulers of Jin is often self-contradictory, and historians generally regard the ''

'' as more reliable, since it was unearthed from the tomb of King Xiang (died 296 BC) of the

State of Wei Wei (; ; Old Chinese: *') was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han and Zhao. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi ...

, one of the three successor states of Jin. Duke Huan is therefore generally considered the final ruler of Jin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huan of Jin, Duke Monarchs of Jin (Chinese state) 4th-century BC Chinese monarchs