Ancient China · Statesman and Strategist

Grand Duke Wang 太公望

Taigong Wang

Attested BC 1046

Passages: 2
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Grand Duke Wang was a statesman and Strategist.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Lü Shang	呂尚	Lǚ Shàng

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 1046 太公望封於營丘
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 24

Career and standing

enfeoffed at Yingqiu 封於營丘
At Yingqiu 營丘 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 24

Places and affiliations

Polity Qi 齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passages 24-25

Events and relationships

Developed handicrafts and fish salt trade
Economic · Ruler · At Yingqiu 營丘
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passages 24-25

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 129Biographies of Money-Makers · 2 passages

故太公望封於營丘，地澙鹵，人民寡，於是太公勸其女功，極技巧，通魚鹽，則人物歸之，繦至而輻湊。 When the Grand Duke Wang was enfeoffed at Yingqiu, the land was salty and barren and the people few. He encouraged women's handicrafts, perfected artisanal skills, and opened up trade in fish and salt. People and goods streamed toward him, arriving as if carried in swaddling clothes, converging like spokes toward the hub of a wheel.

故曰：「吾治生產，猶伊尹、呂尚之謀，孫吳用兵，商鞅行法是也。 He declared: 'My approach to managing commerce and production is comparable to the stratagems of Yi Yin and Lü Shang, the military art of Sunzi and Wu Qi, and Shang Yang's implementation of the law.