Duke Kang of Qi (; died 379 BC) was from 404 to 386 BC the titular ruler of the

State of Qi Qi, or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization, was a state of the Zhou dynasty-era in ancient China, variously reckoned as a march, duchy, and independent kingdom. Its capital was Linzi, located in present-day Shandong. Qi was founded shortly ...

during the early

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

of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Dai (呂貸),

ancestral name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name, ...

Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Kang was his

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

. He was the final Qi ruler from the House of Jiang.

Reign

Duke Kang succeeded his father, Duke Xuan of Qi, who died in 405 BC after 51 years of reign as titular ruler of Qi. Since

Tian Heng ''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "Lor ...

killed Duke Xuan's uncle

Duke Jian of Qi Duke Jian of Qi (; died 481 BC) was from 484 to 481 BC ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was Lü Ren (呂壬), ancestral name Jiang ( 姜), and Duke Jian was his post ...

in 481 BC, the leaders of the Tian clan had been the ''de facto'' rulers of Qi. Tian He was leader of the Tian clan during Duke Kang's reign. With the lobbying of

Marquis Wu of Wei Marquess Wu of Wei (died 370 BCE), was a ruler of the Wei (state), State of Wei during the Warring States period of ancient China. Born Wèi Jī, he was the son of the former ruler Marquess Wen of Wei. He became ruler in 395 BCE upon the death of h ...

, in 386 BC

King An of Zhou King An of Zhou (), personal name Ji Jiao, was the thirty-third king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty and the twenty-first of the Eastern Zhou. He succeeded his father King Weilie of Zhou on the throne of China in 401 BC and reigned until his death ...

, the nominal ruler of all China, officially recognized Tian He as ruler of Qi, ending more than six centuries of rule by the House of Jiang. Tian He became the first ''de jure'' ruler of Qi from the House of Tian, and is posthumously known as

Duke Tai of Tian Qi Duke Tai of Tian Qi (; died 384 BC) was from 386 to 384 BC ruler of the State of Qi, a major power during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was the first Qi ruler from the House of Tian, replacing the House of Jiang that had ruled ...

. After Tian He ascended the throne of Qi, he exiled Duke Kang to

Zhifu Island Zhifu Island () or North Island (), is an islet with historical significance in Shandong Province, China. The name of the islet ''Chefoo'' was generalized to mean the entire Yantai region in older western literature. Etymologies Possibilities inc ...

in present-day

Shandong Province Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizatio ...

, where he lived for seven more years and died in 379 BC.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang of Qi, Duke Year of birth unknown Monarchs of Qi (state) 5th-century BC Chinese monarchs 4th-century BC Chinese monarchs 379 BC deaths