Person

Zichan

d. 522 BCE · 6th century BCE · Also known as Gongsun Qiao

Zichan, personal name Gongsun Qiao, was chief minister of the State of Zheng from 543 BCE until his death in 522 BCE. He reorganised land and taxes, defended the small state between Jin and Chu by skilful diplomacy, and in 536 BCE had the penal laws cast on bronze vessels, the first published law code recorded in China. Confucius praised him as a benevolent statesman.

Zichan
Image: 《三才圖會》，王圻及王思義撰寫 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

State of Zheng

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Zichan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zichan
MLA
“Zichan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zichan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Zichan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zichan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Zichan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zichan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻