Ancient China · Ruler

Emperor Yi 帝乙

Dì Yǐ

Attested BC 1101 - BC 1076

Passages: 5
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Yi was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 1101 帝乙
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 438
BC 1101 to BC 1076 帝乙立
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 169

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Weizi Qi (微子啟)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 171
Child of Taiding (太丁)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 169
Parent of King Zhou of Shang (紂)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passages 172-173
Spouse of Mother of Xin (辛母)
proper queen 正后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 172
Spouse of Mother of Weizi Qi (微子啟之母)
Secondary marriage
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 171

Key source chapters

Assessments and attributes

Assessment Yin declined further · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 438

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3Annals of Yin · 4 passages

帝太丁崩，子帝乙立。 Taiding died and his son Yi ruled.

帝乙立，殷益衰。 Under Emperor Yi, Yin declined further.

帝乙長子曰微子啟，啟母賤，不得嗣。 Yi's eldest son was Weizi Qi, but Qi's mother was of low rank so he could not inherit.

帝乙崩，子辛立，是為帝辛，天下謂之紂。 When Yi died, Xin ruled as Emperor Xin, the man the world calls Zhou.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 1 passage

帝乙。殷益衰。 Emperor Yi. Yin declined further.