Conflicts & Resolutions · Revolt

Rebellion of the Three Guards

c. 1040 BCE · 11th century BCE · Also known as Rebellion of the Three Monitors

The Rebellion of the Three Guards was a revolt early in the Western Zhou dynasty by three brothers of King Wu, Guan Shu, Cai Shu and Huo Shu, who had been set to watch the conquered Shang. Allied with the Shang prince Wu Geng, they rose against the regency of the Duke of Zhou, who crushed them after about three years and redistributed the Shang heartland among loyal kin.

Rebellion of the Three Guards
Image: File:EN-WesternZhouStates.jpg: Philg88 derivative work: Applodion · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Shang dynastyDeclineWestern ZhouFoundation

Mentioned in 2 state histories

State of CaiState of Wey

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rebellion of the Three Guards. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rebellion-of-the-three-guards
MLA
“Rebellion of the Three Guards.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rebellion-of-the-three-guards. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rebellion of the Three Guards.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rebellion-of-the-three-guards.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rebellion of the Three Guards’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rebellion-of-the-three-guards (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻