Zu Ji

Zu Ji (祖己)
Prince of Shang dynasty
Full name
Posthumous name
Zu Ji (祖己)

Zu Ji (Chinese: 祖己) was the eldest son of King Wu Ding but despite his kingly title he never succeeded his father as a Shang dynasty King of China. In later texts he is known as Xiao Ji (Chinese: 孝己), while contemporary inscriptions record his name as Jie (Chinese: 卩).[1]

In the Records of the Grand Historian he was said by Sima Qian to have died in distant exile during the twenty-fifth year of his father's reign.[2]

Oracle script inscriptions on bones unearthed at Yinxu confirm his lineage and his failure to succeed to the throne.[3][4]

  1. ^ Keightley, David N. (1999). "The Shang: China's First Historical Dynasty". In Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L. (eds.). The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C. Cambridge University Press. p. 275. ISBN 0-521-47030-7.
  2. ^ Bai, Shouyi (2002). An Outline History of China. Beijing: Foreign Language Press. ISBN 7-119-02347-0.
  3. ^ "The Shang Dynasty Rulers". China Knowledge. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  4. ^ "Shang Kingship And Shang Kinship" (PDF). Indiana University. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2007.