Ziban Explained

Ziban
子般
Succession:Ruler of Lu
Reign:662 BC
Predecessor:Duke Zhuang of Lu
Successor:Duke Min of Lu
Death Date:6 October 662 BC
Full Name:Ancestral name

Ji
Given name: Ban (or)

House:Ji
Dynasty:Lu
Father:Duke Zhuang of Lu
Mother:Meng Ren

Ziban (; ; died 6 October 662 BC), personal name Ji Ban (姬般), was a ruler of the Lu state. He is generally known in historiography as Ziban due to his reign being less than a year long, as Ziban died in the same year as his father, Duke Zhuang.[1]

Ziban's mother was Meng Ren (孟任), a woman from the Dang (黨) family who Duke Zhuang saw from a tower he built, which overlooked the Dang residence. Duke Zhuang followed her and promised to make her his concubine. Meng Ren agreed and made a covenant with him by cutting her arm. Later, Ziban was born.

After the death of Duke Zhuang in 662 BC, Prince You (友), Duke Zhuang's brother, installed Ziban to the Lu throne.

Two months into his reign, Ziban was murdered by Qingfu (慶父), another one of Duke Zhuang's brothers. Qingfu installed Qi (Duke Min), Ziban's brother, to the Lu throne, while Prince You fled to the Chen state.

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Miller (2015), p. 76