Ancient China · Ruler

King Wu 武

Wu

Attested BC 1046

Passages: 1
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

King Wu was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 1046 武王克商前後
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 289

Places and affiliations

Zhou 周
Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 25, passage 289

Events and relationships

retained mutilating punishments 順而行之
Legal · Ruler · Continued · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Xunzi (孫卿)
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 289

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 1 passage

孫卿之言既然，又因俗說而論之曰：禹承堯舜之後，自以德衰而制肉刑，湯武順而行之者，以俗薄於唐虞故也。 Xunzi, having made this argument, went on to reason from the conventional account: Yu succeeded Yao and Shun but, believing that moral virtue had declined, instituted mutilating punishments; Tang and King Wu retained them because customs were less refined than in the age of Yao and Shun.