King Mu of Zhou (), personal name Ji Man, was the fifth king of the Zhou dynasty of China. The dates of his reign are 976–922 BC or 956–918 BC.

Life

thumb|[[Joseon painting Yoji yeondo (요지연도) depicting King Mu visiting the goddess Queen Mother of the West at Yaochi in the mythical mountain Kunlun.]]

King Mu came to the throne after his father King Zhao’s death during the Zhou-Chu war. King Mu was perhaps the most pivotal king of the Zhou dynasty, reigning nearly 55 years, from ca. 976 BC to ca. 922 BC. Mu was more ambitious than wise, yet he was able to introduce reforms that changed the nature of the Zhou government, transforming it from a hereditary system to one that was based on merit and knowledge of administrative skills.

Mu tried to stamp out invaders in the western part of China and ultimately expand Zhou’s influence to the east. In the height of his passion for conquests, he led an immense army against the Quanrong, who inhabited the western part of China. His travels allowed him to contact many tribes and swayed them to either join under the Zhou banner or be conquered in war with his army. This expedition may have been more of a failure than a success, judging by the fact that he brought back only four white wolves and four white deer. Unintentionally and inadvertently, he thus sowed the seeds of hatred which culminated in an invasion of China by the same tribes in 771 BC. In his thirteenth year the Xu Rong, probably the state of Xu in the southeast, raided near the eastern capital of Chengzhou. The war seems to have ended in a truce in which the state of Xu gained land and power in return for nominal submission.

However, despite his success, traditional historiography viewed him with controversy. While some praise his victories against the Quanrong, others criticized him for from his time, the fourth border state no longer entered into a relationship with the Zhou dynasty. Even still, the Shang Shu credited him with establishing the first systematic legal code in China.

Mu was reputed in narratives to have lived until the age of 105 and to have traveled to the mythical mountain known as Kunlun - a popular later work is the Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven.

His successor was his son King Gong of Zhou.

In mythology

One Chinese myth tells a story about Mu, who dreamed of becoming an immortal. He was determined to visit the divine paradise of Kunlun and taste the Peaches of Immortality. A brave charioteer named Zaofu used his chariot to carry the king to his destination. The Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven, a fourth-century BC romance, describes Mu’s visit to the Queen Mother of the West. Late Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin retold the story in a poem of four lines.

In fiction, King Mu is frequently said to have eight horses, paired as "King Mu's Eight Stallions" (). Some names come from real sources, such as Xunzi and Liezi, but most are made-up.

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" | Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven

</blockquote>

Family

Queens:

  • Wang Zu Jiang, of the Jiang clan ()

Concubines:

  • Sheng Ji, of the Ji clan of Cheng (), a royal of Cheng by birth; buried with queenly honours

Sons:

  • Crown Prince Yihu (; d. 900 BC), ruled as King Gong of Zhou from 921–900 BC
  • Prince Bifang (; d. 886 BC), ruled as King Xiao of Zhou from 891–886 BC
  • Prince Baozong (), ruled as the Viscount of Xu

Daughters:

  • A daughter whose personal name was Shuqie ()

See also

  • Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)

Notes

References

  • Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.