by Confucius
Hear me, a man like this is truly dangerous.
A state can be brought down by just one man.
It can also rise to glory, because of one man.’
Personalities of the Book
Chapter numbers in which these characters appear are given at the end of each entry.
Bao Heng. Minister to King Tai Jia (ancestral king of Shang). 44
Bi, Duke of. Royal official of King Cheng and King Kang. Sent to administer the Eastern border. 51, 52
Cai, Prince. Exiled to Guo Lin with just seven chariots. 45
Chen, Prince. Son of the Duke of Zhou, who takes up some of his father’s duties. 49, 52
Chen Hu. Minister of King Tai Wu, one of the three Ancestor Kings of the Zhou. 44
Cheng, King of Zhou. Successor to his father King Wu and nephew of the Duke of Zhou. Reigned from 1115 to 1078 BC. 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50
Chi You. Ancient leader of the Miao people and the first person known to have launched a rebellion. 55
Chong. With Li, sundered for ever the links between Earth and Heaven. 55
Chui. Minister for Works under Emperor Shun. 2
Dan: see the Duke of Zhou
Fa: another name for Wu, the first ruler of the Zhou Dynasty.
Feng: see Kang, Prince
Gan Pan. Minister to King Wu Ding. 23, 44
Gaoyao. Minister for Justice under Emperor Shun and a model of the just Confucian official. 2, 3, 45
Gaozong, King of Yin. Successor to Zhong Zong. As a model king he is supposed to have reigned for fifty-nine years. 24
Ge. A petty ruler who pleaded poverty as the reason why he could not make sacrifices. Tang ordered his own people to help him, but Ge murdered them as they brought the sacrifice materials for Ge. Tang therefore overthrew Ge c.1781 BC. 11
Guan, Prince of Shang. A rebel executed for his rebellion against the new Zhou dynasty. 45
Guanshu. One of the ten sons of King Wen, brother to the king, uncle to the young king, and brother to the Duke of Zhou. 34
Gui. Last king of the Xia dynasty, who came to the throne in 1818 and was overthrown by Tang the Conqueror in 1766 BC. He was one of the archetypal bad rulers of Chinese history. 10, 11
Gun. The first person appointed by Yao to try to tackle the Great Flood, even though Yao knows him as a rebel, but he doesn’t understand enough and after nine years fails. In the Book of Zhou, chapter thirty-two, he is referred to as having failed to respect the Divine Order. 1, 32
He. An official, always appears with Ho. 1, 9
Ho. An official, always appears with He. Both are charged by Emperor Yao with responsibility for the agricultural calendar, a symbol of the partnership between the Emperor and Heaven in maintaining order and the balance of nature. It seems that these names later became official titles for those responsible for the astrological calculations and calendar. 1, 9
Hu: see Zhong, Prince. 45
Huo, Prince. Dismissed from office. 45
Ji, King. Together with Wen and Tai, one of the three Ancestor Kings of Zhou. 43
Ji Zhao. Son of King Cheng, later King Zhao and also known as King Kang. Reigned from 1078 to 1052 BC. 50, 51
Jie. Son of Yu and second ruler of the Xia Dynasty, he reigned from 2197 to 2188 BC. Chapter seven relates to a rebellion against him around 2193 BC. 28
Kang, Prince. Ninth son of King Wen, also called Feng. Brother to Guanshu and the Duke of Zhou. 37, 38, 39
Kang, King: see King Zhao
King of Xia: see Gui
Kui. Minister for Music and Poetry under Emperor Shun. 2, 5
Li. With Zhong, sundered the links between Earth and Heaven. 55
Liu. Noble. Remembered from the past as one of the founders of the Zhou House, building on the worthiness of the Great King. 31
Long. Minister for Information under Emperor Shun. 2
Lu Ji, Prince of Qi. 50
Mu, King. Reigned between 1001 and 947 BC. 53, 54 (976–922/ 956–917)
Nan Gong Mao. Court official of King Cheng. 50
Pang Geng. King of Shang Dynasty, who reigned from 1401 to 1374 BC. He is the subject of chapters eighteen to twenty which tell of his moving the capital to Yin and this is when the name of the dynasty changes. 18, 19, 20
Ping, King. Followed King Yu, 770 BC. 56
Prince Yin. Same person as Yi: see below.
Qi. Minister for Agriculture under Emperor Shun. 2, 5, 55
Qi, King. Built up the Royal House. 31
Qi, Viscount of. The same person as the Viscount of Wei. He refused to run away when the Shang dynasty fell and was honoured by King Wu of the Zhou for his integrity. He is brought to lay out the Great Plan and then in chapter thirty-six he is given responsibility for the ancestor rituals for the Shang ancestors. 32
Qin, Duke of. He goes to meet defeated army commanders, and acts as a model of Confucian responsibility as a leader; not putting them to death but taking responsibility himself. Thought to refer to an event in the reign of King Ping, c.750 BC, though other traditions place it c.628 BC. 58
Qiong, Earl. High Chamberlain under King Mu. 54
Rui, Earl of. Royal official of Kings Cheng and Kang. 51
Shao. Grand Protector. Believed to be one of King Wen’s ten sons, and with responsibility of helping his brother, the Duke of Zhou, find a site for the new capital. 40
Shi, Prince. Another of the brothers of the Duke of Zhou and with him the key guardian of the young King. 44
Shu, King. Laid the foundations of the Zhou. 31
Shun. He was a model of correct behaviour despite having a terrible father, stepmother and brother. He is recommended to the Emperor Yao for his temperance and ability to build harmony in difficult circumstances. Chosen by Yao to succeed him. He is the last ruler in the Age of the Five Rulers. Traditionally ruled from 2255 to 2205 BC. 1, 2, 35
Su. Grand Recorder, Minister of Justice. 47
Tai, also Tai Wu. Together with Ji and Wen, one of the three Ancestor Kings of Zhou. 43
Tai Gang. The third Xia ruler. Reigned from 2188 to his overthrow in 2159 BC, recorded in chapter eight, where his five brothers lament his foolishness which leads to his fall. 8
Tai Wu. Shang king before Wu Ding. 43, 44
Tai Jia. Second ruler of the Shang, who reigned from 1753 to 1700 BC. He is the subject of chapters 14–16, 44.
Tang the Conqueror. First ruler of the Shang (later called Yin) Dynasty. He conquered the corrupt Xia dynasty and received the Mandate of Heaven to rule. His reign was from 1766 to 1753 BC. 10 onwards.
Tang of Dao: another name for Emperor Yao, because he was also the ruler of Dao and Qi.
Two Dukes. Brothers to the King and to the Duke of Zhou, Prince Kang and Guanshu. 34
Wei, Viscount of. Outspoken minister of the last Shang/Yin ruler, Zhou. First mentioned in chapter twenty-six, he reappears in chapter thirty-six and is honoured as having taken a principled stance against the corruption of the last ruler, Zhou. He is appointed to oversee the rites honouring the Shang ancestors under the new Zhou dynasty. 26, 36
Wen. King and Lord of the West and ruler of the state of Zhou, who conquers the land of Li in chapter twenty-five and begins the downfall of Zhou, the last and most despised ruler of the Shang/Yin dynasty. Mentioned from 25 onwards.
Wu. First ruler of the Zhou dynasty and son of Wen. He finished the overthrow of the Shang/Yin dynasty and ruled from 1122 to 1115 BC. He is also called Fa. 27 onwards
Wu Ding, King. Laboured alongside ordinary people before ascending the throne, which he held from 1324 to 1264 BC. He mourned his father’s death by not speaking for three years and rarely spoke thereafter. 21–3, 43, 44.
Wu Xian. Managed the Household of King Tai Wu, one of the three Ancestor Kings of Zhou, and was also Minister to King Zu Yi. 44
Xie. Minister for Education under Emperor Shun. 2
Ya, Lord. Official under King Mu. 53
Yao, Emperor. The penultimate ruler of the group know as the Five Rulers, he is a
semi-mythological figure credited with having first defined the calendar and its practical use, especially for the purposes of agriculture. He has at least four brothers. His son, the Crown Prince, is dissolute, so he needs to find another heir. He has at least two daughters whom he is willing to send for a strategic marriage with Shun, whom he ultimately chooses to succeed him. Traditionally ruled from 2357 to 2255 BC. 1
Yi. Prime Minister of Tang, who in the chapter bearing his name (chapter thirteen) is addressing the successor to Tang, King Tai Jia, who reigned from 1753 to 1700 BC. 13, 14–17, 44
Yi, Lord. In charge of the Temple of the Ancestors, under Emperor Shun. 2, 3, 55.
Yi, Emperor. Penultimate ruler of the Shang and father of the last ruler, Zhou. Reigned 1191 to 1154 BC. Seen as the last virtuous ruler of the Shang. 38 onwards
Yi, King. Ruler of Jiong. Also known as Yi the Great or Yi the Archer. One of the great semi-mythological figures of China, he is credited with shooting eight false suns out of the sky and thereby saving the world from destruction by drought. The counterpart to the story of the Great Flood. He opposed the corrupt Xia ruler Dai Gong and overthrew him. 8
Yi He. Uncle to King Ping. 56
Yi Yin: same person as Yi, see above
Yi Zhi. Minister of King Tai Wu, one of the three Ancestor Kings of the Zhou. 44
Yu, also called Yu the Great. Prime Minister under Emperor Shun, having quelled the Great Flood after ten years of devoted service. He is chosen to succeed Shun and is the founder of the Xia Dynasty. He rules from 2205 to 2197 BC. One of the great heroic figures of Chinese history and mythology. 2, 3 onwards
Yue. Prime Minister to King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty (by then renamed the Yin Dynasty), who reigned from 1324 to 1265 BC. Also called Fu. First appears in chapter 21.
Yu Shun: see Shun
Zhao, King. Takes over from his father, King Cheng. Also called King Kang. 50, 51 (and Ji Zhou 50)
Zhidan. One of the sons of Yao, who lost his chance of ruling because of his bad behaviour. 5
Zhong, Prince. Son of Prince Cai, a reverent man promoted by the Duke of Zhou and inheritor of Cai. Also called Hu. 45
Zhonghui. Advisor to Tang the Conqueror and the key speaker in chapter 11.
Zhong Huan. Court official of King Cheng. 50
Zhong Kang. Fourth ruler of the Xia, he reigned from 2159 to 2146 BC. 9
Zhong Zong. Early King of Yin. As a model king, he is reputed to have ruled for seventy-five years. 43
Zhou. The last Shang King, reigned from 1154 to 1122 BC. He is the epitome of the evil ruler, renowned for his cruelty and dissolute lifestyle. He is overthrown by Wu, the first ruler of the Zhou dynasty. 27 onwards, but is also the king referred to in 25 and 26.
Zhou, Duke of, also called Dan. The fourth son of King Wen, brother to King Wu of Zhou, to the ‘Two Dukes’, to Prince Kang (also called Feng), to the plotting Guangshu, and uncle to the young king who succeeds his brother. Zhou is the ultimate model Confucian official and was revered throughout the imperial history of China for his wisdom and sage guidance. 34 onwards
Zu Jia. King of Yin, successor to Gaozong, and as a model king ruled for thirty-three years. 24, 43
Zu Yi. Advisor to King Zhou of the Shang. 25
THE BEGINNING
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This translation first published in Great Britain by Penguin Classics 2014
Translation copyright © Martin Palmer, 2014
Editorial material copyright © Martin Palmer, 2014
‘The Poet and the Text’ copyright © Jay Ramsay
Cover: Portrait of Confucius, illustration after a carved stone stele, from the Forest of the Stelae, Shaanxi Provincial Museum © Bettmann/Corbis
All rights reserved
The moral right of the translators and author of the editorial material has been asserted
ISBN: 978-0-141-97040-0
* The two sets of alternative dates are based upon the Chinese government’s own attempts to finalize a date under what is called the Xia–Shang–Zhou system (which gives 976 to 922 for King Mu) while the second set of dates is based upon the Cambridge University History of China calculations (which gives 956 to 917 for King Mu).
* See James Palmer, The Death of Mao, Faber and Faber, London 2012, p. 64f.
† His position was set forth in his book Policraticus and sharpened by his siding with Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who opposed the abuse of power by King Henry II of England. John was in Canterbury the day Thomas was murdered in the cathedral.
* Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, Volume II, Cambridge University Press, 1956, p. 232ff.
* Quote taken from Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, Volume II, Cambridge University Press, 1956, p. 322.
† Quote taken from Wm Theodore De Bary, Wing-Tsit Chan and Burton Watson (eds), Sources of Chinese Tradition, Volume I, Columbia University Press, 1960, p. 242.
* Poem no. 216 from The Book of Songs, translated by Arthur Waley, first published 1937.
* Chinese days are named after a sixty-day cycle, based on the sixty-year cycle of Chinese astrology.
* Quote taken from the Confucian Statement on Ecology 2013, Beijing, edited by Professor Tu Wai Ming.
* Mark Edward Lewis, The Early Chinese Empires–Qin and Han, History of Imperial China series, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2007.
* See page 273 of Henri Maspero, China in Antiquity, translated by Frank A. Kierman Jr, Dawson, Folkestone, Kent, UK edition, 1978.
* Polygamy or having a concubine as well as an official wife was normative until very recently in China.
* Thought to be the sun, moon and five planets known to ancient Chinese astronomy.
* In traditional Chinese belief, a person has two souls. One, known as bo, is seen as yin and therefore earthly, to which it returns at death. The other soul is known as hun and is seen as yang – heavenly, which is where it ascends.
* The shadow is seen as more real because it comes directly from the physical body whereas the echo can fool you as it is often hard if not impossible to tell from where it really originates. Thus the shadow is seen as the virtuous path while the echo is not.
* The term here refers to the Way (Dao) as a moral path in comparison to the later Daoist understanding of the Way (Dao) as a spiritual truth about the nature of existence.
* A li is a Chinese mile, equivalent to roughly half a kilometre.
* We have translated this as a Report to Heaven based upon the use in the t
itle of the character for ‘Above’.
* The owl was seen as a hunter, preying upon innocent victims – like those who disturbed and robbed the Royal House.
* The Five Precepts were the five virtues of filial love; loyalty; marital fidelity; obedience; and sincerity.
