Person

King Wen of Zhou

d. c. 1050 BCE · 11th century BCE

King Wen of Zhou was the leader of the Zhou people in the Wei River valley in the late Shang period. He built up Zhou power and alliances, and his son King Wu went on to overthrow the Shang around 1046 BCE. Later tradition revered him as a model ruler, and several Zhou states, among them Eastern and Western Guo, were founded by his brothers.

King Wen of Zhou
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

State of ChuFoundation

Mentioned in 5 state histories

State of YuWestern ZhouEastern GuoWestern GuoState of Wu

Songs in history

Guan juc. 650 BCE

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). King Wen of Zhou. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-wen-of-zhou
MLA
“King Wen of Zhou.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-wen-of-zhou. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “King Wen of Zhou.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-wen-of-zhou.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘King Wen of Zhou’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-wen-of-zhou (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻