Duke Ling of Qin

Duke Ling of Qin
秦靈公
Ruler of Qin
Reign424–415 BC
PredecessorDuke Huai of Qin
SuccessorDuke Jian of Qin
Died415 BC
IssueDuke Xian of Qin
Posthumous name
Duke Ling (靈公) or Duke Suling (肅靈公)
HouseYing
DynastyQin
FatherYing Zhaozi (嬴昭子)

Duke Ling of Qin (Chinese: 秦靈公; pinyin: Qín Líng Gōng; died 415 BC), personal name unknown, was from 424 to 415 BC the monarch of the Qin state.[1][2]

Duke Ling's predecessor was his grandfather Duke Huai. In 425 BC Qin general Chao (鼌) and other ministers attacked and besieged Duke Huai, and Duke Huai committed suicide. As Duke Huai's son Crown Prince Zhaozi (昭子) died early, the ministers installed Duke Ling, Zhaozi's son, on the throne.[1][2]

In 419 BC, the sixth year of Duke Ling's reign, Qin attacked the Wei state at the city of Shaoliang (少梁, in present-day Hancheng, Shaanxi).[1][2]

Duke Ling reigned for 10 years and died in 415 BC. However, the throne was passed to his uncle Duke Jian, son of Duke Huai and younger brother of Zhaozi. Duke Ling's own son Shixi, later known as Duke Xian, was exiled to Wei. Duke Xian would eventually ascend the throne nearly 30 years later, after Duke Jian's grandson Chuzi II was killed.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b c d Sima Qian. 秦本纪 [Annals of Qin]. Records of the Grand Historian (in Chinese). guoxue.com. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Han, Zhaoqi (2010). "Annals of Qin". Annotated Shiji (in Chinese). Zhonghua Book Company. pp. 414–416. ISBN 978-7-101-07272-3.