Jili was a leader of the

Predynastic Zhou The Predynastic Zhou or Proto-Zhou (; ) refers to the ancient Chinese state ruled by the Ji (surname 姬), Ji clan that existed in the Guanzhong region (modern central Shaanxi province) during the Shang dynasty, before its rebellion and subsequen ...

during the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou d ...

of ancient China. His son King Wen and grandson King Wu would defeat the Shang to establish the

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

. He was posthumously granted the title of king, and often referred to as Ji, King of Zhou. Jili's

ancestral name In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

was Ji. He was the youngest son of King Tai.

Sima Qian Sima Qian () was a Chinese historian during the early Han dynasty. He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for the ''Shiji'' (sometimes translated into English as ''Records of the Grand Historian''), a general history of China cov ...

recorded that Jili and his son were both renowned for their wisdom and this reputation caused his elder brothers

Taibo Taibo () (circa 1150 BCE), or Wu Taibo, was the eldest son of King Tai of Zhou and the legendary founder of the State of Wu. His exact birth and death dates are unknown. Biography According to Sima Qian, Taibo was the founder of the State of W ...

and Zhongyong to renounce voluntarily their claims to the throne and to leave in exile to Wu.Sima Qian. ''

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 ...

'
"Annals of Zhou"
/ref> Surviving historical records portray him travelling to the Shang capital to submit to Wu Yi and being rewarded with land, jade, and horses in 1118 BC.

Bamboo Annals The ''Bamboo Annals'' ( zh, t=竹書紀年, p=Zhúshū Jìnián), also known as the ''Ji Tomb Annals'' ( zh, t=汲冢紀年, p=Jí Zhǒng Jìnián), is a chronicle of ancient China. It begins in the earliest legendary time (the age of the Yellow E ...

. In 1117, he captured 20 "kings" of the Guirong tribes. During the reign of the Shang king

Wen Ding Wen Wu Ding () or Wen Ding () or Tai Ding (太丁), personal name Zi Tuo (), was a king of the Shang dynasty of Ancient China. His reign was from 1116 to 1106 BC according to the Cambridge History, or 1112 to 1102/1 BC according to the Xia–Sha ...

, he was defeated by the

Yanjing Ji or Jicheng was an ancient city in northern China, which has become the longest continuously inhabited section of modern Beijing. Historical mention of Ji dates to the founding of the Zhou dynasty in about 1045BC. Archaeological finds in sout ...

Rong but managed to subdue the Yuwu (), Hu (), and Xitu () Rong. After the defeat of the Xitu tribe, Wen Ding became nervous and betrayed him, rewarding him richly before dispatching him to a place called Saiku (), where he was killed by Shang forces. Jili's death caused his son

Ji Chang King Wen of Zhou ( zh, c=周文王, p=Zhōu Wén Wáng; 1152–1050 BC, the Cultured King) was the posthumous title given to Ji Chang ( zh, c=姬昌), the patriarch of the predynastic Zhou, Zhou state during the final years of Shang dynasty in ...

to harbor hatred towards the

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou dyn ...

. However, the Zhou were still weak and must serve the Shang, Ji Chang only plotted revenge. Jili's wife was Tai Ren (). Tai Ren, along with

Jiang Yuan Jiang Yuan () is an important figure in Chinese mythology and history. She is recorded as having lived during ancient Chinese history. Jiang Yuan was the mother of Houji, who is a culture hero and revered as the god of millet. Clan name and title J ...

(mother of Jili's paternal ancestor

Hou Ji Hou Ji (or Houji; ) was a legendary Chinese culture hero credited with introducing millet to humanity during the time of the Xia dynasty.. Millet was the original staple grain of north and South China, northern China, prior to the introduction of ...

), were credited by

as two women responsible for the success of the Zhou.''Records of the Grand Historian'
"Hereditary Houses of the In-Laws"
quote: "周之興也以姜原及大任" She came from a place called Zhi () and represented some connection to the Shang royalty.''

Classic of Poetry The ''Classic of Poetry'', also ''Shijing'' or ''Shih-ching'', translated variously as the ''Book of Songs'', ''Book of Odes'', or simply known as the ''Odes'' or ''Poetry'' (; ''Shī''), is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, co ...

'', "Major Court Hymns - Decade of King We
Da Ming
translated by James Legge Jili had at least three sons. The eldest son was King Wen, whose son King Wu established the

of China upon defeating the

at the

Battle of Muye The Battle of Muye, Mu, or Muh () was fought between forces of the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty led by King Zhou of Shang and the rebel state of Zhou led by King Wu. The Zhou defeated the Shang at Muye and captured the Shang capital Yin, ...

. The second eldest son was enfeoffed in

Eastern Guo Eastern Guo () was a Chinese vassal state of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–770 BCE). According to transmitted ancient texts, after King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang dynasty in 1046 BCE, his two uncles received grants of land. One, kno ...

, also known as (i.e. the "Second Son of Guo"), and the third eldest son in

Western Guo Western Guo () was a vassal state in China during the Zhou dynasty. "Guo" was a kinship group that held at least five pieces of territory within the Zhou realm at various times. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang dynasty in 1046 BCE, hi ...

, also known as (i.e. the "Third Son of Guo,) by King Wu (their nephew.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ji of Zhou Kings of the Zhou dynasty Shang dynasty people 12th-century BC Chinese monarchs