Yan, King of Song (, died 286 BC), also known as King Kang of Song (宋康王) or King Xian of Song (宋獻王), was the last ruler of

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

. He ruled the state between 328 BC until his death in 286 BC. Yan was a descendant of Duke Dai, the 11th ruler of Song. He was also a younger brother of Lord Ticheng. Just like his elder brother, Yan was a usurper too. In 328 BC, he killed Lord Ticheng and seized the throne. Yan was ambitious ruler, during his reign, Song had succeeded in beating troops from

Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...

, Wei and Qi and annexing Teng. According to ''

Mencius Mencius (孟子, ''Mèngzǐ'', ; ) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher, often described as the Second Sage () to reflect his traditional esteem relative to Confucius himself. He was part of Confucius's fourth generation of disciples, inheriting ...

'', though Song was a small state, he was setting about to practise the " true royal government" (王政).''

'', Teng Wen Gong II: "Sung is a small State. Its ruler is now setting about to practise the true royal government (宋，小國也。今將行王政，齊楚惡而伐之)" However, in ''

Records of the Grand Historian The ''Shiji'', also known as ''Records of the Grand Historian'' or ''The Grand Scribe's Records'', is a Chinese historical text that is the first of the Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written during the late 2nd and early 1st ce ...

'' and many other history books, he was described as a tyrant and oppressor.還原真實的宋康王
/ref> In 318 BC, Yan declared himself to be King of Song. Song was at odds with its powerful neighbors, including Qi and Wei. In 286 BC,

King Min of Qi King Min of Qi (), personal name Tian Di, was a king of the Qi state. During his reign, the troops of Yan, Qin, Zhao, Han, Wei, and Chu launched the Battle of Jixi (濟西之戰) against Qi, resulting in Qi's defeat. Life "Famous for his p ...

plotted with the states of Chu and Wei for a joint expedition against Song, Yan fled to Wei and died there. Finally, Song was partitioned by Qi, Chu and Wei.

References

{{Monarchs of Song (state) 286 BC deaths Year of birth unknown Chinese kings Monarchs of Song (state) 4th-century BC Chinese monarchs 3rd-century BC Chinese monarchs