Duke Liu () was a noble of ancient China. He was an important early leader of the Ji clan, which later founded the

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

. His father was Ji Ju.

Ancestry

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of ...

, the Zhou lineage traditionally began with a consort of the

Emperor Ku Kù (, variant graph ), usually referred to as Dì Kù (), also known as Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì () or Qūn (), was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He went by the name Gaoxin until receiving imperial authority, when he took the name Ku and t ...

, who miraculously conceived "the Abandoned One" after stepping into a divine footprint. His son

Buzhu Buzhu or Buku (Chinese: ) was a legendary noble during the Xia dynasty in China. He was the son of the Xia minister of agriculture, Houji, and inherited his father's position under the Xia king Kong Jia. Feeling the Xia court to be corrupt, he rem ...

was said to be displeased with the decadence of the Xia court and to have resigned his post as director of agriculture, moving the clan to Tai. Either Buzhu or his heir Ji Ju abandoned agriculture entirely and enjoyed living the nomadic lifestyle of their

Rong Rong or RONG may refer to: Places China * Rong County, Guangxi, Yulin, Guangxi, China * Rong County, Sichuan, Zigong, Sichuan, China Nepal * Rong, Ilam, a rural municipality in Ilam District, Nepal Norway * Rong, Norway, a village in Øygard ...

and Di

barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less ...

neighbors.

History

Gong Liu was credited with restoring agriculture among his people and leading them to their subsequent prosperity. He led his people away from their new home at Tai to a new place called Bin, where they prospered at the expense of neighboring

tribes. His son was

Qingjie Qingjie () or Qing () was a legendary leader of the Ji clan, which eventually established the Zhou dynasty in ancient China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c ...

. After Zhou’s defeat of the

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...

Muye Muye District () is a district of the city of Xinxiang, Henan province, China. History The BC Battle of Muye ended Shang hegemony over the Wei and Yellow Rivers and established the state of Zhou. Administrative divisions As 2012, this district ...

and the establishment of the

Kingdom of Zhou The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by ...

, Gong Liu was commemorated with an ode among the Great Hymns in the Chinese classic '' Book of Songs''. This ode tells the story of the preparations and move to Bin.'' Book of Songs'', III.2.6.

References

External links

*
Ode to Duke Liu
{{Authority control

Nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

Ancient Chinese states Zhou dynasty nobility

Ancestry

History

See also

References

External links