A Concise History of China-Pangu to Puyi - Part 2

**Laszlo Montgomery** (0:00)
Welcome back, everyone, all over the galaxy. Laszlo Montgomery here with part two of this CHP overview of Chinese imperial history. Thank you for tuning in.
Last time, we looked at many of the myths, going back to Pan Gu and Fu Xi, Lady Fuhao, the three sovereigns and five emperors, the founding of the Xia, the Shang, and we finished off with the exciting Shang to Zhou transition that saw the Ji family, led by Ji Chang and his two very capable sons, Ji Fa and Ji Dan, defeat the Shang at the Battle of Muye in 1046 BC, and the Battle of Muye joined the Battle of Mingtiao of 1600 BC as a military confrontation that resulted in a change of dynasties. We ended last time with the sudden death of the first Zhou king to rule the dynasty, King Wu. Only three years into his reign and he passes. The crown prince, Ji Song, was just a young pup of 13 years old and the dynasty was already being circled by wolves. The Duke of Zhou was given the responsibility of coming to the aid of the new King Cheng and serve as his regent until this young teenage son of King Wu could come into his majority. Until then, the Duke of Zhou held the reins of power in the capital at Haojing near modern day Xi'an.
Some say this venerable Duke served. Some say he usurped. Was King Cheng really too young to be king? Or was this just a power grab by the Duke of Zhou? Nobody got it on video.
At the time of King Wu's passing, there were three of the Duke of Zhou's brothers plus someone named Wú Gēng who ruled the eastern part of the Zhou domains. Wú Gēng was the son of the defeated Shang King, Zhou Xin.
Wú Gēng was a bone that King Wu had thrown to the Shang loyalists out in those parts, of which there were still quite a few. He believed giving Zhou Xin's prince some roll out there would keep them quiet. But after King Wu up and died so suddenly and unexpectedly, these three brothers and Wú Gēng weren't so sure they liked the way their brother Ji Dan, the Duke of Zhou, how he went and grabbed all the power for himself without even asking them. So this all led to a succession crisis known as the Rebellion of the Three Guards, the Sanjian Zhi Luan, 1042 to 1039 BC. This took place in western Shandong and northern Jiangsu. These three brothers of the Duke of Zhou were the so-called Three Guards. Jiang Ziya, along with the forces loyal to Zhou Gong, the Duke of Zhou, once again was credited with handing the rebels a complete and total defeat, further enhancing his reputation as a military strategist in general. Not to mention a BFF to the Zhou royal family. Once again, Jiang Ziya rescued the Ji family. And one of the main upshots of this rebellion of the Three Guards was that the Duke of Zhou instituted the so-called feudal or fengjian system that called for all the lands under Zhou control to be divvied up amongst all Zhou loyalists. Those who were related by blood to the ruling Ji family controlled all the lands surrounding the capital at Haoxing. Haoxing was just west of modern day Xi'an, located on the southern bank of the Wei River. And beyond these core lands surrounding the Zhou capital, when they ran out of family members, loyalists were in fief there and given all kinds of titles and privileges. And then of course much later on, in the Eastern Zhou dynasty beginning around 771 BC., their loyalty to the Zhou royal house starts to come into question. And before long, their loyalty to the ruling house was a name only. And all these aristocrats ruling their small and not so small patches of land, as we'll see later on, start to knock each other off until there's only one man left standing in 221 BC.
So, Jiang Ziya, we remember him for his timely service to kings Wen and Wú and the Duke of Zhou, and for putting down a very potent rebellion very early in the life of the dynasty when there was no adult king on the throne. And for his next act in life, Jiang Ziya was sent out to pasture to these still rather new lands where the Dong Yi once roamed and were now incorporated into what was already a very highly developed Chinese civilization. These lands given to Jiang Ziya in recognition for all he had done for the Ji royal family and for the dynasty, were located in northern Shandong and went on to become the state of Qi. And besides all the titles he held as the first head of Qi state, Jiang Ziya also became known as the father of Qi culture. And he's revered today in the city of Zibo, ancient Linzi, where they consider him a favorite son, even though he didn't come from there originally.