Ancient China · Last King of Shang

Zhou 紂

Attested BC 1075 - BC 1046

Passages: 26
Chapters: 14
Histories: 5

Overview

Zhou was a Last King of Shang.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Zhou of Yin	殷紂	Yīn Zhòu
Posthumous name	King Zhou of Shang	商紂王	Shang Zhou Wang
Alternate name	Yin Zhou	殷紂	Yīn Zhòu

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15; History of Liao 78, passage 64; Book of Southern Qi 8, passage 57; Records of the Grand Historian 53, passage 99; Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 22; Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89
BC 1075 to BC 1046 BC 1075-1046
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 104
BC 1046 夏桀、殷紂
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 15
BC 1046 武王伐紂
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 3
BC 1046 武王將伐紂
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 34, passage 41
BC 1046 紂剖比干
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 23, passage 78

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Shang-Yin 殷
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 61, passages 22, 28
Shang 商
Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 23, passage 78
Polity Shang 商 · Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passages 3, 15
Polity Shang 商 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89

Events and relationships

Accepted evil counsel
Political · Ruler · With Yuxin (于莘), Marquis of Chong (崇侯)
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15
Attacked by
Military · Defeated ruler · With King Wu of Zhou (武王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 22
Attacked by
Military · Target · With King Wu of Zhou (武王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 3
Executed
Legal · Ruler · With Bi Gan (比干) · Outcome Good counsel rejected
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15
Tortured and killed innocent
Legal · Perpetrator · With Bi Gan (比干)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 23, passage 78
Wrestled beasts and chased horses
Military · Participant
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 15

Assessments and attributes

Assessment brave-but-authority-failed · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passages 15-16, 19
Assessment caused-fall-of-Shang-Yin · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 8, passage 57
Assessment utter folly: can join in evil but not in good · Mode named-source-report Source Work the Tradition 傳
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passages 15-16

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 22; Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89

References in the histories

Search passages

History

26 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 22Volume 20: Prominent People from the Past Until the Present · 1 passage

桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yuxin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil.

Book of Han, Chapter 48Volume 39: Xiao He and Cao Shen · 1 passage

相國為民請吾苑不許，我不過為桀紂主，而相國為賢相。 Had I refused your plea for the people, I would have ranked with Jie and Zhou, while you stood as the good minister.

Book of Han, Chapter 65Volume 56: Dong Zhongshu · 10 passages

聖王已沒，鐘鼓管弦之聲未衰，而大道微缺，陵夷至乎桀、紂之行，王道大壞矣。 The sage-kings are gone, but pipes and strings still sound, even as the great Way has thinned and cracked, sliding all the way to the tyranny of Jie and Zhou Xin, when the royal order collapsed.

故堯、舜行德則民仁壽，桀、紂行暴則民鄙夭。 Under Yao and Shun’s virtue the people grew humane and long-lived; under Jie and Zhou Xin’s cruelty they turned coarse and died young.

至於殷紂，逆天暴物，殺戮賢知，殘賊百姓。 Zhou Xin of Shang defied Heaven, ravaged the world, butchered wise men, and tortured the people.

當此之時，紂尚在上，尊卑昏亂，百姓散亡，故文王悼痛而欲安之，是以日昃而不暇食民。 At that time Zhou Xin still occupied the throne, high and low were thrown into confusion, and the people were scattered and lost. King Wen grieved over them and sought to bring them peace, working until the sun slanted west without leisure even to eat.

武王行大誼，平殘賊，周公作禮樂以文之，至於成康之隆，囹圄空虛四十餘年，此亦教化之漸而仁誼之流，非獨傷肌膚之效也。 King Wu cut down Zhou’s cruelty, and the Duke of Zhou set rites and music to refine the realm; by the peace of Cheng and Kang the jails stood empty forty years—because custom had shifted and kindness spread, not because men were merely flayed into fear.

故朕垂問乎天人之應，上嘉唐虞，下悼桀、紂，浸微浸滅浸明浸昌之道，虛心以改。 So I ask how Heaven answers man, praising Yao and Shun above, mourning Jie and Zhou below, tracing how states fade or flourish—hoping to mend my ways with an open heart.

冊曰：「上嘉唐、虞，下悼桀、紂，浸微浸滅浸明浸昌之道，虛心以改。」 Your rescript asked me to praise Yao and Shun, mourn Jie and Zhou, and trace how kingdoms wither or wax—so you may reform with an open heart.”

此唐、虞之所以得令名，而桀、紂之可為悼懼者也。 That is how Yao and Shun won praise, and how Jie and Zhou became warnings.

故桀、紂暴謾，讒賊並進，賢知隱伏，惡日顯，國日亂，晏然自以如日在天，終陵夷而大壞。 Jie and Zhou grew cruel and slack; flatterers swarmed while sages hid; evil mounted, the realm rotted, yet they lolled as if the sun would never set—then came the crash.

夫暴逆不仁者，非一日而亡也，亦以漸至，故桀、紂雖亡道，然猶享國十餘年，此其浸微浸滅之道也。 Tyrants do not fall overnight; Jie and Zhou clung to the throne years after the Way was gone—such is the slow slide to ruin.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 2 passages

夫殷作九市之宮而諸侯畔，靈王起章華之台而楚民散，秦興阿房之殿而天下亂。 King Zhou of Yin built his pleasure tower and the lords turned against him; King Ling of Chu raised Zhanghua and his people fled; Qin built Epang and the empire fell apart.

先生對曰：「昔者關龍逢深諫於桀，而王子比干直言於紂，此二臣者，皆極慮盡忠，閔王澤不下流，而萬民騷動，故直言其失，切諫其邪者，將以為君之榮，除主之禍也。 The gentleman replied, saying: "Formerly Guan Longpeng remonstrated deeply with Jie, and Prince Bigan spoke straight with Zhou—these two ministers both exhausted thought and fulfilled loyalty, pitied that the king's grace did not flow downward while the myriad people were restless; therefore they spoke straight of his faults and cut remonstrance of his wickedness, intending thereby to be the lord's glory and remove the ruler's disaster.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 2 passages

時乘輿幄坐張畫屏風，畫紂醉踞妲己作長夜之樂。 Beside the imperial couch stood painted screens of King Zhou drunk and draped over Daji in the revels of the endless night.

上以伯新起，數目禮之，因顧指畫而問伯：「紂為無道，至於是虖？」 Noting that Ban Bo had lately returned to favor, the emperor kept glancing at him politely, then jerked his chin at the scene and asked Ban Bo, "Was wicked King Zhou really as bad as this?"

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

吊夏桀於南巢兮，哭殷紂於牧野。 I mourn Jie of Xia besieged at Southern Nest and Zhou of Yin defeated at Muye.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 34Volume 30a: Biographies of Su Jing; Yang Hou · 1 passage

畢為天網，主網羅無道之君，故武王將伐紂，上祭於畢，求助天也。 Bi is the celestial net that snares wicked rulers. King Wu therefore sacrificed at Bi before marching against Shang, invoking Heaven’s aid.

History of Liao, Chapter 78Volume 78 Biographies 8: Yelu Yilage, Xiao Haili, Xiao Husi, Xiao Siwen, Xiao Jixian · 1 passage

武王之伐紂也，數其罪曰「無辜籲天」； when Wu attacked Zhou, he recited his crimes: "The innocent cry to Heaven";

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Emperor He of Southern Qi · 1 passage

史臣曰：夏以桀亡，殷隨紂滅，郊天改朔，理無延世。 The historian says: Xia perished through Jie; Yin fell with Zhou of Shang; when sacrifices to Heaven were changed and the calendar revised, dynastic rule could not be prolonged.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 23Treatise on Ritual · 1 passage

紂剖比干，囚箕子，為炮格，刑殺無辜，時臣下懔然，莫必其命。 Zhou disemboweled Bi Gan, imprisoned Jizi, devised the heated-pillar torture, and punished and killed the innocent. At that time, the ministers below were terrified, and none were certain of their fate.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 25Treatise on the Pitch-Pipes · 2 passages

武王伐紂，吹律聽聲，推孟春以至于季冬，殺氣相并，而音尚宮。 When King Wu campaigned against Zhou, he blew the pitch-pipes and listened to the sounds, extending this from the first month of spring to the last month of winter. The killing qi joined together, but the sound still favored gong.

夏桀、殷紂手搏豺狼，足追四馬，勇非微也； Xia Jie and Yin Zhou wrestled the jackals and wolves with their hands, chased the four horses with their feet—their bravery was not small.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 53House of Chancellor Xiao · 1 passage

相國為民請苑，吾不許，我不過為桀紂主，而相國為賢相。 You petitioned for the park on behalf of the people, and I refused. That only makes me a tyrant like Jie or Zhou, while you are a worthy minister.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 61Biographies: Biography of Bo Yi · 1 passage

及至，西伯卒，武王載木主，號為文王，東伐紂。 When they arrived, the Earl of the West had died. King Wu carried the wooden spirit tablet, styled him King Wen, and marched east to attack King Zhou.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 88Biography of Meng Tian · 1 passage

桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干而不悔，身死則國亡。 The tyrant Jie killed the loyal Guan Longfeng, and the tyrant Zhou killed Prince Bigan without remorse. Both perished, and their kingdoms fell with them.