King Hui of Wei (; 400–319 BC), originally called Marquis Hui of Wei, and after 344, King Hui of Liang () was the third ruler 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 ...

during the

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

, ruling from approximately 369–319 BC. He was a grandson of Marquess Wen of Wei, the founder of the state, and a son of Marquess Wu of Wei. He was succeeded by his son,

King Xiang of Wei King Xiang of Wei () (died 296 BC), personal name Wei Si (), was king of Wei from 318 BC to 296 BC. He was the son of King Hui of Wei. In 318 BC, at the suggestion of the Wei minister, Gongsun Yan, he entered into an alliance against Qin created ...

. He came to the throne after a war of succession during which his state was nearly partitioned by Zhao and Han. For his wars and eventual defeat by Qi and Qin in 340, see

. He is notable for four policies: # In 361, he moved the capital from Anyi to Daliang to get it out of the reach of Qin. Anyi was on the plateau south of the Fen River not far from where the

Fen River The Fen River drains the center of Shanxi Province, China. It originates in the Guancen Mountains of Ningwu County in northeast Shanxi, flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan, and then south through the central valley of Shanxi before turni ...

and

Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. The source of the Wei River is close to ...

join the Yellow River. Daliang was to the far southeast of the state near the border with

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

. Thereafter, the state was briefly called ''Liang''. # in 362-359, he made exchanges of territory with Zhao to the north and Han to the south. This gave Wei more rational borders, secured the new capital and gave Wei more control over trade routes. # In 361-355, he held several face-to-face meetings with the rulers of the neighboring states. # In 344, he promoted himself from Marquis (''hou''), calling himself "King Hui of Liang". He also conducted several dialogues with the renowned

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

Mencius.

References

Bibliography

Cambridge History of Ancient China, 1999. Chapters: Calendar and Chronology (Edward L. Shaughnessy) and Warring States Political History (Mark Edward Lewis). {{DEFAULTSORT:King Hui Of Wei Monarchs of Wei (state) Zhou dynasty nobility 4th-century BC Chinese monarchs