Origins & Early Life

King Wu of Zhou (died c. 1043 BC), personal name Ji Fa, was the founding king of the Zhou dynasty of China. He is considered one of the inaugurators of the Chinese dynastic cycle and a model ruler in the Confucian tradition. King Wu's rule of the Predynastic Zhou began around 1050 BC, when he succeeded his father King Wen.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Working with Jiang Ziya, he set out to complete his father's unfinished task of overthrowing the tyrannical Di Xin and his Shang dynasty. In 1046 BC, leading a coalition that included eight other states, King Wu routed Di Xin's army at the Battle of Muye and captured the Shang capital Yin, marking the end of the Shang and the rise of the Zhou. As King of China, King Wu consolidated his rule by granting territory to his relatives and allies. He is regarded as a virtuous ruler by later Confucians, and his overthrow of the Shang features prominently in Chinese historiography as an example of the Mandate of Heaven. In bronze inscriptions, such as the Li gui, King Wu's name is occasionally contracted to wǔ 珷.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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