Danzhu (), surname Qi (祁) and given name Zhu (朱), was given the
Fengjian
''Fēngjiàn'' ( zh, c=封建, l=enfeoffment and establishment) was a political ideology and governance system in ancient China, whose social structure formed a decentralized system of confederation-like government based on the ruling class con ...
state in Danyuan (丹渊), therefore got the honorable title in reference to the state. As the eldest son of the legendary Chinese monarch
Emperor Yao
Emperor Yao (; traditionally c. 2356 – 2255 BCE) was a legendary Chinese ruler, according to various sources, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Ancestry and early life
Yao's ancestral name is Yi Qi () or Qi (), clan name i ...
(Tang Yao) who reigned traditionally c. 2356 – 2255 BCE, Danzhu studied
Weiqi
Go is an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent. The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game continuously played to ...
from his father.
''
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 ...
'' Documentation
The Central China under Emperor Yao's governance had been peaceful until Shun conspired an insurrection to usurp the throne. To carry out his scheme, Shun bad-mouthed Danzhu and made it known to Emperor Yao, intending to erode the harmony between father and son. As Shun gradually gained power, he blatantly asked Emperor Yao to abdicate, for him to ascend the throne.
The story of Danzhu is entwined with
Shun
Shun may refer to one of the following:
*To shun, which means avoiding association with an individual or group
* Shun (given name), a masculine Japanese given name
*Seasonality in Japanese cuisine (''shun'', 旬)
Emperor Shun
* Emperor Shun (舜 ...
– another distant relative to Yao through the Yellow Emperor; but one who was living in obscurity, despite his royal lineage. Shun succeeded in obtaining royal favour married Yao's daughter, and became emperor. According to the ancient Chinese text
Han Feizi
The ''Han Feizi'' or ''Hanfeizi'' (" ritings ofMaster Han Fei") is an ancient Chinese text named for its attribution to the political philosopher Han Fei. It comprises a selection of essays in the Legalist tradition on theories of state power, ...
(Chinese: 韓非子) it was said that after the death of Yao "When the princes went to an audience at court, they did not present themselves before Danzhu, but before Shun; litigants did not go before Danzhu, but Shun; and the singers did not sing in praise of Danzhu, but of Shun." inferencing the virtuous attributes and authority of Shun.
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 ...
'' () represent Yao as having banished prince Danzhu to
Danshui in his 58th year of his reign. They add that following Yao's abdication, Danzhu kept away from Shun, and that after the death of Yao, "Shun tried to yield the throne to him, but in vain." It was at this point that Shun invested Danzhu with Tang. However, an alternative account elsewhere in the Annals holds that Shun dethroned and imprisoned Yao, raising Danzhu to the throne for a short time before seizing it himself.
The Annals of five Emperors () which is part of
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 his ...
by
Sima Qian
Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years be ...
state that "Yao's son Danzhu and Shun's son Shangjun were allowed by Shun to have their own territories in order to offer sacrifices to their ancestors", The official
Qiao Zhou
Qiao Zhou (199 - 270), courtesy name Yunnan, was an official and scholar of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Cho ...
proposed that Danzhu was given
benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
at Tang 唐, while Shangjun 商均 benefice was at Yu 虞.
Despite the fact that Danzhu did not succeed his father in most historical accounts, Danzhu is referred to with the title 帝 (Di, Emperor) in Zhou writings.
References
Sources
*.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dan Zhu
Year of birth unknown
Place of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
Place of death unknown
Deified Chinese people