Marquis Wen of Jin

Who was Marquis Wen of Jin?

Marquis Wen of Jin, ancestral name Ji, given name Chou, was the eleventh ruler of the state of Jin. He was also the first ruler of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period.

In 805 BC, Marquis Mu of Jin was battling with a tribe called Tiao. During this time, his eldest son, Chou, was born. In 776 BC, Marquis Mu of Jin died and Chou's uncle, Shang Shu, took control and ascended the throne of Jin. Chou left Jin for fear of his uncle since he believed himself the rightful heir to the throne.

In 781 BC, after four years away from Jin, he brought troops to remove his uncle from the throne. He succeeded and became the next ruler of Jin.

In 771 BC, the tenth year of his reign, King You of Zhou was killed by Quanrong nomads and two Zhou family members were subsequently and separately declared king: King Ping of Zhou and King Xie of Zhou. Therefore, both kings were claiming to be the next king of Zhou.

In 760 BC, the 21st year of his reign, Marquis Wen of Jin killed King Xie of Zhou, and the Zhou government became one again. Since this action helped King Ping of Zhou in establishing the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Marquis Wen of Jin was heavily rewarded.