Xiong Ai (, reigned c. 977 BCE) was the second viscount of the state of
Chu during the early
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 ...
of ancient China. He succeeded his father
Xiong Yi
Xiong Yi (, reigned 11th century BC) was the first viscount and an early ruler of the State of Chu during early Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. Son of Xiong Kuang, he was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and Zhuanxu through his great-grandfathe ...
, who was
enfeoffed
In the Middle Ages, especially under the European feudal system, feoffment or enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of ti ...
by
King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou (), personal name Ji Song (姬誦), was the second king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042–1021 BCE or 1042/35–1006 BCE. His parents were King Wu of Zhou and Queen Yi Jiang (邑姜).
King Cheng w ...
and granted the hereditary noble rank of
viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
.
Ancient Chinese texts recorded that
King Zhao of Zhou
King Zhao of Zhou (), personal name Jī Xiá, was the fourth king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. He ruled from 977/75 BC until his death twenty years later. Famous for his disastrous war against the Chu confederation, his death in battle ended th ...
, the grandson of King Cheng of Zhou, led an
expedition against Chu, but Zhou was defeated and King Zhao himself drowned in the
Han River in 977 BCE. It is generally believed that Xiong Ai was the monarch of Chu at the time.
Xiong Ai was succeeded by his son,
Xiong Dan
Xiong Dan (, reigned c. 941 BC) was the third viscount of the state of Chu during the early Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. His grandfather Xiong Yi was enfeoffed by King Cheng of Zhou and granted the hereditary noble rank of viscount. Xiong Dan ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiong, Ai
Monarchs of Chu (state)
10th-century BC Chinese monarchs
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown