Ancient China · Royal Family Member and Statesman

Duke of Zhou 周公

Zhougong

Attested BC 1042 - BC 1021

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Duke of Zhou was a Royal Family Member and Statesman.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 1042 to BC 1021 成王幼少，周公攝政
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 33, passages 11, 13; houhanshu:033:s0010a; houhanshu:033:s0010i; houhanshu:033:s0010j

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Boqin (伯禽)
descendant/heir 後
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 33, passage 11

Career and standing

regent 攝政
BC 1042 to BC 1021 成王幼少，周公攝政 · Held
Dated from the passage context · houhanshu:033:s0010a

Events and relationships

Line paired with Heaven in suburban sacrifice for more than thirty generations
Ritual · Honoree
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 33, passage 11
Relation Colleague of · Person Duke of Shao (召公)
Directly stated · houhanshu:033:s0010b
Relation Regent for · Person King Cheng of Zhou (周成王)
Directly stated · houhanshu:033:s0010a

Assessments and attributes

Assessment supremely sagely yet still incurred blame · Mode quotation Speaker Shentu Gang (申屠剛)
Directly stated · houhanshu:033:s0010j

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · houhanshu:033:s0010a

References in the histories

Book of Later Han, Chapter 33Volume 29: Biographies of Shentu Gang; Bao Yong; Zhi Yun · 5 passages

臣聞成王幼少，周公攝政，聽言不賢，均權市寵，無舊無新，唯仁是親，動順天地，舉措不失。 Your servant has heard that when King Cheng was young and the Duke of Zhou served as regent, he listened broadly, shared authority, showed no bias toward old or new associates, drew near only to the humane, acted in accord with Heaven and Earth, and made no misstep.

今之保傅，非古之周公。 Today’s guardians and tutors are not the ancient Duke of Zhou.

周公至聖，猶尚有累，何況事失其衷，不合天心者哉！ The Duke of Zhou was supremely sagely, yet even he suffered blame; how much more those whose actions miss the proper mean and do not accord with Heaven’s will!

昔周公先遣伯禽守封於魯，以義割恩，寵不加後，故配天郊祀，三十餘世。 Formerly, the Duke of Zhou sent Boqin to guard his fief in Lu, cutting affection off by duty and not piling later favor on his kin. Therefore his house was paired with Heaven in suburban sacrifice for more than thirty generations.

方今師傅皆以伊、周之位，據賢保之任，以此思化，則功何不至？ Your tutors and guardians stand in the place of Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou and bear the charge to protect wise counsel—if they truly taught reform, what goal could be beyond reach?