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| Duke Hui of Jin 晉惠公 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruler ofJin | |||||||||
| Reign | 650–637 BC | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Ji Zhuozi | ||||||||
| Successor | Duke Huai | ||||||||
| Died | 637 BC | ||||||||
| Issue | Duke Huai Ji Qie (姬妾) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| House | Ji | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Jin | ||||||||
| Father | Duke Xian | ||||||||
| Mother | Xiao Rong Zi (小戎子) | ||||||||
| Yiwu | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 夷吾 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Posthumous name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 晉惠公 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 晋惠公 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | The BenevolentDuke of Jin The KindDuke ofJin | ||||||||
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Duke Hui of Jin, personal nameJi Yiwu, wasduke of theJin state from 650 BC to 637 BC.
Yiwu was one of the nine sons ofDuke Xian. His mother was Xiao Rongzi. He was the younger sibling ofShensheng andChong'er (laterDuke Wen) and the older sibling ofXiqi.[1]
As part ofher scheme to secure the succession to her son, theconcubineLi Ji removedXiqi's older siblings from the capital on the pretext of pacifying their territories. Prince Yiwu was sent to defendErqu in what is nowJi County,Shanxi.
After the death ofDuke Xian in the ninthlunar month during 651 BC, Li Ji placed the 15-year-old Xiqi on the throne and madeXun Xi(荀息)chancellor to help him with administration. In the tenth lunar month of 651 BC, before Duke Xian had even beenproperly buried, a Jin minister named Li Ke(里克) killed Xiqi. The chancellor Xun Xi then placedZhuozi, the youngest son of Duke Xian, on the throne even though he was still just atoddler at that time. Xun Xi then finished the burial of Duke Xian. In the eleventh lunar month of 651 BC, Li Ke killed Zhuozi and his aunt Li Ji. Xun Xi then committedsuicideby hanging himself. Shao Ji(少姬), the younger sister of Li Ji and mother of Zhuozi, was imprisoned.
Li Ke first invitedPrince Chong'er (then in theState of Qi) to return to Jin to become the next duke. After Chong'er declined, Li Ke extended the same offer to his younger brother Prince Yiwu, then in theState of Liang. Yiwu accepted and was enthroned as the next duke of Jin.
As duke, Yiwu sentenced Li Ke to commit suicide to atone for his role in the deaths of his two predecessors.
In the fourth year of his reign (647 BC), Jin experienced a famine and requested that theState of Qin sell some of its grain.Duke Mu of Qin agreed and sold the grain to Jin.
In the fifth year of his reign (646 BC), Qin experienced a famine but Yiwu refused to sell any grain to them, despite its assistance the year before and the advice of the ministerQing Zheng(慶鄭). Enraged, Duke Mu invaded Jin's territory inHan. Prior to battle, Yiwu refused to let Qing Zheng drive hischariot. When it became stuck in the mud during the battle, Yiwu then demanded that Qing Zheng help him; instead, the minister simply walked away. Liang Yao(梁繇) then attempted to free the chariot while Guo She(虢射) protected the duke, even attacking Duke Mu. In the end, the Jin troops fled in retreat and Yiwu was captured and taken as a captive back to Qin. On the day that he was to be killed as an offering tothe gods, his half-sister Bo Ji(伯姬) wept and woremourning clothes. Her husband Duke Mu admonished her and told her that the capture of the enemy of their state should be celebrated. He then repeated a story he had heard that the famous politicianJizi had once praised the Jin patriarchShu Yu, saying that his descendants would thrive and be prosperous. He agreed to spare Yiwu's life, escorting him back to Jin and forming an alliance with Jin in the eleventh lunar month.
Restored to power, Yiwu immediately killed Qing Zheng and reordered the government of Jin. Because many of his ministers held his older brother in affection and were open to the idea of a change in leadership, Yiwu sent assassins to the Di tribe(翟族) of the northernRong(戎族) to kill him. Prince Chong'er and his attendants heard about this, however, and escaped toQi.
In the eighth year of his reign (643 BC), he sent his sonCrown Prince Yu toQin as ahostage.
In 641 BC, Duke Mu invadedLiang, the small state which had once sheltered Yiwu. Thecount had been attempting to massively fortify his capital but construction was not complete, his people were tired and dissatisfied from theirforced work, and Qin was able to conquer them easily.
In the thirteenth year of his reign (638 BC), Yiwu grew gravely ill. Crown Prince Yu and his wife Huai Ying(懷嬴) heard of this and fled their captivity in Qin, arriving in Jin before the duke had died. In the ninth lunar month of the fourteenth year of his reign (637 BC), Yiwu died and wasposthumously entitled Duke Hui of Jin ("The Benevolent Duke of Jin"). Crown Prince Yu ascended the throne, later becoming known asDuke Huai.
Duke Hui of Jin Cadet branch of theHouse of Ji Died: 637 BC | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke ofJin 650–637 BC | Succeeded by |