kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

State of Rui

1046 BCE – 640 BCE (approx.) · capital Rui

A Ji-clan state on the Yellow River bend whose rich cemetery at Liangdai and outspoken minister Rui Liangfu make it one of the better-known minor Zhou states.

Origins

Rui was a Western Zhou fief held by a branch of the royal Ji clan, its lords ranked as earls. It lay along the Yellow River where it divides Shaanxi from Shanxi, near modern Ruicheng and later at Liangdai village by Hancheng.

Rule and society

Earl Rui Liangfu served at the royal court and is remembered for warning King Li of Zhou against monopolising the kingdom's resources. In 709 BCE Earl Wan of Rui was driven out by his mother, Rui Jiang, and the states of Qin and Jin intervened. The Liangdai cemetery, excavated from 2005, yielded fine jades and gold ornaments.

Decline and legacy

Wedged between rising Qin and Jin, Rui was annexed by the State of Qin in 640 BCE as Qin pushed east towards the Yellow River.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). State of Rui. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-rui
MLA
“State of Rui.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-rui. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “State of Rui.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-rui.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘State of Rui’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-rui (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻