周

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

King Wu of Zhou周武王

ZhouHistory × Fiction

Founding monarch of the Zhou dynasty, second son of Ji Chang, who led the feudal lords to attack King Zhou and overthrow the Shang dynasty after ascending the throne.

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DIRECT FIGURES
19
RELATION RECORDS
24
SOURCE WORKS
14

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

King Wu of Zhou, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
MENTORSHIP

Mentorship

Teachers, disciples and transmission

1 figure · 1 record
02
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

8 figures · 11 records
5 more in the complete record
03
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

4 figures · 5 records
1 more in the complete record
04
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

4 figures · 4 records
1 more in the complete record
05
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

3 figures · 3 records
1 more in the complete record
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FeatureHow Investiture Rewrote Shang and Zhou: From Muye to 365 Divine OfficesInvestiture of the Gods did not invent a dynasty from nothing. It took King Zhou's fall, Daji, Bi Gan and Jiang Taigong from Records of the Grand Historian and recomposed them through rival teachings, fox possession and a bureaucratic pantheon. This feature compares only passages verifiable word for word in the local corpus: the chronicle supplies political events and actions; the novel changes their causes, identities and afterlives.
Event · c. 1046 BCEBattle of MuyeKing Wu of Zhou reached Muye and addressed the allied army before the decisive overthrow of Shang. Later fiction transformed the dynastic battle into the supernatural climax of the Investiture story.

In history · Records of the Grand Historian · History of Song · Old Book of Tang

Son of King Wen of Zhou and founding monarch of the Zhou dynasty, who led troops to attack King Zhou and overthrow the Shang dynasty.

In fiction · Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms · Book of the Later Han · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era · Investiture of the Gods · Strategies of the Warring States · Researches into Lost Records · New Book of Tang · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition · Book of Han

Second son of Ji Chang, lord of Western Qi, named Fa, who honored Jiang Ziya as Shangfu. After ascending the throne, he carried on his father's will to raise an army against King Zhou, aided by various immortals and feudal lords, breaking the Ten Absolute Formation, conquering passes, and overthrowing the Shang to establish the Zhou dynasty.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. 1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  2. Literature / legend

    Investiture of the Gods

    7 profile notes
    5 relations7 verified quotations
    • King Wu of Zhou→ adopt as father →Jiang Ziya
    • King Wu of Zhou→ enfeoff king →Huang Feihu
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    • Bo Yikao→ brothers →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 7
    1. 拜子牙为亚父

      adopt as father · Investiture of the Gods, ch. 29

    2. 武王曰：“孤西岐只改一字罢，便封‘开国武成王。’”

      enfeoff king · Investiture of the Gods, ch. 34

    5 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  3. Official history

    Book of Han

    3 profile notes
    2 relations2 verified quotations
    • King Wu of Zhou→ visit →Jizi
    • Jizi→ visit Zhou →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 2
    1. 周武王访箕子

      visit · Book of Han, 律历志

    2. 箕子访周

      visit Zhou · Book of Han, 叙传上

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  4. Official history

    Book of the Later Han

    5 profile notes
    3 relations2 verified quotations
    • Emperor Guangwu→ imitate →King Wu of Zhou
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    • King Wu of Zhou→ brothers →Duke of Zhou
    Verified original text · 2
    1. 斯乃汤武之所以昭王业也

      imitate · Book of the Later Han, 班彪列传下

    2. 文王、周公冢皆在镐聚东杜中

      brothers · Book of the Later Han, 郡国一司隶

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  5. Official history

    Old Book of Tang

    2 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Duke of Shao→ accompany sacrifice →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 周武王、周公、召公配

      accompany sacrifice · Old Book of Tang, 礼仪志四

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  6. 12 profile notes
    14 relations16 verified quotations
    • King Wu of Zhou→ attack →King Zhou (Di Xin)
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    • King Wu of Zhou→ slay →Daji
    • Houji→ distant ancestor →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 16
    1. 周武王伐纣克殷

      attack · Records of the Grand Historian, 宋微子世家

    2. 周武王于是遂率诸侯伐纣

      attack · Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Yin

    14 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  7. Literature / legend

    Researches into Lost Records

    1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  8. Official history

    History of Song

    1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  9. 3 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  10. Official history

    New Book of Tang

    1 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Jizi→ visit Zhou →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 箕子为周武王陈禹所有洪范之书

      explain · New Book of Tang, 行一志

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  11. Official history

    Yi Zhou Shu

    3 profile notes
    5 relations5 verified quotations
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    • Houji→ distant ancestor →King Wu of Zhou
    • King Wu of Zhou→ enfeoff →Duke of Zhou
    • Ji Gong→ great defeat →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 5
    1. 诏太子发曰

      father-son · Yi Zhou Shu, 卷三

    2. 在昔后稷，惟上帝之言

      ancestor · Yi Zhou Shu, 商誓

    3 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  12. 2 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 周室自文、武始兴

      father-son · Strategies of the Warring States, 刘向书录

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  13. Official history

    Bamboo Annals

    1 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • King Wu of Zhou→ attack →King Zhou (Di Xin)
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 王亲禽帝受辛于南单之臺

      catch · Bamboo Annals, 古本辑校

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  14. 5 profile notes
    2 relations2 verified quotations
    • King Wen of Zhou→ father-son →King Wu of Zhou
    • King Wu of Zhou→ release →Weizi
    Verified original text · 2
    1. 周自文王受命，发迹肇基，武王伐纣

      father-son · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 39

    2. 武王亲释其缚，受其璧而祓之。

      untie bonds · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 12

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History vs. fiction

In official histories, he is a decisive ruler who founded the Zhou dynasty, while in novels he appears as a benevolent monarch who relies on celestial immortals for aid.

  • attestedCrushed the Shang army at the Battle of Muye

    According to the Book of Documents (Wucheng) and Records of the Grand Historian (Annals of Zhou), King Wu led a coalition of feudal lords to rout the Shang forces at Muye; King Zhou of Shang immolated himself, and the Zhou dynasty was established.

  • novel inventionRelied on immortals from the Chan sect to slay generals and overcome obstacles

    The Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Zhou, records that King Wu's conquest of Shang relied on the political strategies and military command of virtuous ministers such as Jiang Shang and the Duke of Zhou, with absolutely no divine protection. The original text: 「武王即位，太公望为师，周公旦为辅」（Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Zhou, Part 1, data/raw/shiji/周本纪上.txt）

  • attestedReviewed troops at Mengjin to test the waters

    The Records of the Grand Historian, in the chapter 'Basic Annals of Zhou', records that after King Wu ascended the throne, he led troops across the Yellow River to Mengjin to review the troops, where eight hundred feudal lords gathered unexpectedly, but King Wu deemed the time not yet ripe and withdrew. (Original text: 「十一年十二月戊午，师毕渡盟津，诸侯咸会。」, source: data/raw/shiji/周本纪上.txt)

Relationship network

20 figures · 82 links
King Wu of ZhouKing Wu of ZhouEmperor GuangwuEmperor GuangwuJiang ZiyaJiang ZiyaKing Zhou (Di Xin)King Zhou (Di Xin)Huang FeihuHuang FeihuKing Wen of ZhouKing Wen of ZhouDajiDajiHoujiHoujiJiziJiziDuke of ZhouDuke of ZhouWeiziWeiziDuke of ZhouKang ShuDuke of ShaoBo YikaoJi GongCai Shu DuGuan Shu XianKing Zhou of ShangWu Geng
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, ch. 101; Records of the Grand Historian, 三代世表; Book of the Later Han, 律历中贾逵论历永元论历延光论历汉安论历熹平论历论月食; Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 乐一; History of Song, 礼七志; Investiture of the Gods, ch. 10; Strategies of the Warring States, 刘向书录; Researches into Lost Records, 卷二

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.