# Lu (state)

| State of Lu魯國 |
| --- |
| c. 1042 BC–249 BC |
| Lu was a state in the northeast, south of Qi |
| Capital | Qufu |
| Religion  | Chinese folk religion, Taoism |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Duke |   |
| History |   |
|  |
| • Established  | c. 1042 BC |
| • Annexed by Chu  | 249 BC |
|  |

|  |
| --- |
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**Lu** (Chinese: 魯, c. 1042 – 249 BC) was a state during the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. It was located around what is now Shandong. It was founded in the 11th century BC, and its rulers came from a branch of the *House of Ji* (姬), which ruled the Zhou dynasty. The first duke was Boqin, a son of the Duke of Zhou, who was the brother of King Wu of Zhou and acted as regent for King Cheng of Zhou.

Lu was the home of the famous Chinese philosophers, Confucius and Mozi, giving it a strong cultural influence among the states of the Eastern Zhou period and in history. The *Annals of Spring and Autumn*, for example, was written using the years of Lu's rulers. Another important work of Chinese history, the *Zuo Zhuan* or *Commentary of Zuo*, was also written in Lu by Zuo Qiuming.

## Name

The American linguist, William H. Baxter (cited in Matisoff, 1995) suggests a possible link between the name *Lǔ* (魯) and its very similar-sounding word *lǔ* (鹵), meaning "salty" or "rock salt." This is because the area of the State of Lu was a salt marsh in ancient times.

## Area

The capital of the state was in Qufu, and its land mainly covered the central and southwest parts of what is now Shandong Province of China. Lu was bordered to the north by the strong state of Qi and to the south by the powerful state of Chu. Lu's location on the eastern edges of the Western Zhou state, facing non-Zhou people in states like Lai and Xu, was an important reason for its creation.

## History

Lu was one of the many states founded in eastern China at the start of the Zhou dynasty to extend Zhou rule far from its capital, Zongzhou, and its main region, Guanzhong. During the Western Zhou period, Lu helped keep Zhou control steady in what is now Shandong.

In the early Spring and Autumn period, Lu was one of the strongest states and competed with Qi to the north. Under Duke Yin and Duke Huan of Lu, Lu defeated both Qi and Song states several times and led missions against other smaller states.

However, things changed in the middle of this period when Qi became more powerful. Although Lu managed to defeat Qi in the Battle of Changshao in 684 BC, Lu could not gain the upper hand again. Meanwhile, the power of Lu's dukes weakened due to the rise of strong noble families known as the Three Huan—*Jisun*, *Mengsun*, and *Shusun*—descendants of Duke Huan of Lu. These families were so powerful that when Duke Zhao of Lu tried to regain control, they exiled him, and he never returned. It wasn't until the rule of Duke Mu of Lu, in the early Warring States period, that the dukes regained their power.

In 249 BC, King Kaolie of Chu invaded and took over Lu. Duke Qing, the last ruler of Lu, became a commoner.

The main line of the Duke of Zhou's descendants came from his firstborn son's third son, Yu, whose descendants took the surname Dongye. The Duke of Zhou’s descendants were given the title Wujing Boshi (五經博士). Mencius, the famous Confucian philosopher, was a descendant of Qingfu, one of Duke Huan of Lu’s sons. This family connection is shown in the Mencius family tree.

## Rulers

The Chinese Plain, 5th century BC
The surviving part of the State of Lu's city wall on the outskirts of Qufu.
Here is a list of Lu rulers based on the *Records of the Grand Historian* by Sima Qian:

| Title | Given name | Reign | Relationship |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Duke Tai | Boqin | c. 1042–997 BC | son of Duke of Zhou |
| Duke Kao | You | 998–995 BC | son of Boqin |
| Duke Yang | Xi or Yi | 994–989 BC | brother of Duke Kao |
| Duke You | Zai or Yu | 988–975 BC | son of Duke Yang |
| Duke Wei | Fei | 974–925 BC | brother of Duke You |
| Duke Li | Zhuo or Di | 924–888 BC | son of Duke Wei |
| Duke Xian | Ju | 887–856 BC | brother of Duke Li |
| Duke Shen | Bi or Zhi | 855–826 BC | son of Duke Xian |
| Duke Wu | Ao | 825–816 BC | brother of Duke Shen |
| Duke Yi | Xi | 815–807 BC | son of Duke Wu |
| *none* | Boyu | 806–796 BC | nephew of Duke Yi |
| Duke Xiao | Cheng | 795–769 BC | brother of Duke Yi |
| Duke Hui | Fuhuang or Fusheng | 768–723 BC | son of Duke Xiao |
| Duke Yin | Xigu | 722–712 BC | son of Duke Hui |
| Duke Huan | Yun or Gui | 711–694 BC | brother of Duke Yin |
| Duke Zhuang | Tong | 693–662 BC | son of Duke Huan |
| Ziban | Ban | 662 BC | son of Duke Zhuang |
| Duke Min | Qi | 661–660 BC | son of Duke Zhuang |
| Duke Xi | Shen | 659–627 BC | son of Duke Zhuang |
| Duke Wen I | Xing | 626–609 BC | son of Duke Xi |
| Duke Xuan | Tui or Wo | 608–591 BC | son of Duke Wen I |
| Duke Cheng | Heigong | 590–573 BC | son of Duke Xuan |
| Duke Xiang | Wu | 572–542 BC | son of Duke Cheng |
| Ziye | Ye | 542 BC | son of Duke Xiang |
| Duke Zhao | Chou | 541–510 BC | son of Duke Xiang |
| Duke Ding | Song | 509–495 BC | brother of Duke Zhao |
| Duke Ai | Jiang | 494–467 BC | son of Duke Ding |
| Duke Dao | Ning | 466–429 BC | son of Duke Ai |
| Duke Yuan | Jia | 428–408 BC | son of Duke Dao |
| Duke Mu | Xian | 407–377 BC | son of Duke Yuan |
| Duke Gong | Fen | 376–353 BC | son of Duke Mu |
| Duke Kang | Tun | 352–344 BC | son of Duke Gong |
| Duke Jing | Yan | 343–323 BC | son of Duke Kang |
| Duke Ping | Shu | 322–303 BC | son of Duke Jing |
| Duke Wen II | Jia | 302–278 BC | son of Duke Ping |
| Duke Qing | Chou | 277–249 BC | son of Duke Wen II |

### Rulers family tree

| Lu state family tree |
| --- |
|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Three Huan |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Duke of Zhou 周公旦 |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Bo Qin** 伯禽 |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Kao** 鲁考公 |  | **Duke Yang** 鲁炀公 |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke You** 鲁幽公 |  | **Duke Wei** 鲁魏公 |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Li** 鲁厉公 |  | **Duke Xian** 鲁献公 |
|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Zhen** 鲁真公 ?-**855-825BC** |  | **Duke Wu** 鲁武公 ?-**825-816BC** |
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|  |  |  |  | 括 |  | **Duke Yi** 鲁懿公 ?-**816-807BC** |  | **Duke Xiao** 鲁孝公 ?-**796-769BC** |
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|  |  |  |  | **Bo Yu** 伯御 ?-**807-796BC** |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Hui** 鲁惠公 ?-**769-723BC** |  | 公子益师 衆氏 ?-722BC |  | 公子展 展氏 |  | 郈惠伯 郈氏 |  | 公子彄 臧孙氏 ?-718BC |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Yin** 鲁隐公 ?-**723-712BC** |  | **Duke Huan** 鲁桓公 ?-**712-694BC** |  | 施父 施氏 |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Qingfu 庆父 孟孙氏 ?-660BC |  | **Duke Zhuang** 鲁莊公 706-**694-662BC** |  | Shuya 叔牙 叔孙氏 ?-662BC |  | Jiyou 季友 季孙氏 ?-644BC |  |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Zi Ban** 子般 ?-**662BC** |  | **Duke Xi** 鲁僖公 ?-**660-627BC** |  | **Duke Min** 鲁闵公 670-**662-660BC** |  | 公子遂 东门氏 ?-601BC |  |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Wen** 鲁文公 ?-**627-609BC** |
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|  |  |  |  | 恶 ?-609BC |  | 视 ?-609BC |  | **Duke Xuan** 鲁宣公 ?-**609-591BC** |  | 叔肹 子叔氏 ?-592BC |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Cheng** 鲁成公 ?-**591-573BC** |  | 公子偃 ?-575BC |  | 公子鉏 |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Xiang** 鲁襄公 575-**573-542BC** |  | 公衡 |
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| **Zi Ye** 子野 ?-**542BC** |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Zhao** 鲁昭公 560-**542-510BC** |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Ding** 鲁定公 ?-**510-495BC** |
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| 公衍 |  | 公为 ?-484 |  | 公果 |  | 公贲 |  | **Duke Ai** 鲁哀公 ?-**495-468BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Dao** 鲁悼公 ?-**468-437BC** |  | 公子荆 |  | 孺子𪏆 |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Yuan** 鲁元公 ?-**437-416BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Mu** 鲁穆公 ?-**416-383BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Gong** 鲁共公 ?-**383-353BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Kang** 鲁康公 ?-**353-344BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Jing** 鲁景公 ?-**344-323BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Ping** 鲁平公 ?-**323-303BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Wen** 鲁文公 ?-**303-280BC** |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Duke Qing** 鲁顷公 ?-**280-256**-249BC |
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## Other websites

* *Qin ding da Qing hui dian (Jiaqing chao)0*. 1818. p. 1084.
* 不詳 (21 August 2015). *新清史*. 朔雪寒. GGKEY:ZFQWEX019E4.