Editing Zhou dynasty (section)

==Kings==
{{see also|Family tree of Chinese monarchs (ancient)#Zhou dynasty}}
{{anchor|kings|list of kings|list of rulers}}
The rulers of the Zhou dynasty were titled ''wang'' ({{lang|zh|王}}), which was also the term used by the Shang rulers, normally translated into English as 'king'.<ref>{{cite book |title=China in the Early Bronze Age |first=Robert L. |last=Thorp |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8122-3910-2 |page=176}}</ref>
In addition to these rulers, King Wu's immediate ancestors—[[Gugong Danfu|Danfu]], [[King Ji of Zhou|Jili]], and [[King Wen of Zhou|Wen]]—are also referred to as "Kings of Zhou", despite having been nominal vassals of the Shang kings.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ List of Western Zhou kings
|-
! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" | Name
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Reign{{efn|Dates are those published by [[Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project]] and Edward L. Shaughnessy's ''The Absolute Chronology of the Western Zhou Dynasty''.}}
|-
! scope="col" | Personal
! scope="col" | Posthumous
|-
| Fa {{lang|zh|發}} 
| [[King Wu of Zhou|King Wu]] {{lang|zh|周武王}}
| {{ubc|1046–1043 BC|1045–1043 BC}}
|-
| Song {{lang|zh|誦}} 
| [[King Cheng of Zhou|King Cheng]] {{lang|zh|周成王}}
| {{ubc|1042–1021 BC|1042/1035–1006 BC}}
|-
| Zhao {{lang|zh|釗}}
| [[King Kang of Zhou|King Kang]] {{lang|zh|周康王}}
| {{ubc|1020–996 BC|1005/1003–978 BC}}
|-
| Xia {{lang|zh|瑕}} 
| [[King Zhao of Zhou|King Zhao]] {{lang|zh|周昭王}}
| {{ubc|995–977 BC|977/975–957 BC}}
|-
| Man {{lang|zh|滿}} 
| [[King Mu of Zhou|King Mu]] {{lang|zh|周穆王}}
| {{ubc|976–922 BC|956–918 BC}}
|-
| Yihu {{lang|zh|繄扈}}
| [[King Gong of Zhou|King Gong]] {{lang|zh|周共王}}{{efn|Or {{lang|zh|周龔王}}}}
| {{ubc|922–900 BC|917/915–900 BC}}
|-
| Jian {{lang|zh|囏}}
| [[King Yih of Zhou|King Yih]] {{lang|zh|周懿王}}
| {{ubc|899–892 BC|899/897–873 BC}}
|-
| Pifang {{lang|zh|辟方}}
| [[King Xiao of Zhou|King Xiao]] {{lang|zh|周孝王}}
| {{ubc|891–886 BC|872?–866 BC}}
|-
| Xie {{lang|zh|燮}}
| [[King Yi of Zhou (Xie)|King Yi]] {{lang|zh|周夷王}}
| {{ubc|885–878 BC|865–858 BC}}
|-
| Hu {{lang|zh|胡}}
| [[King Li of Zhou|King Li]] {{lang|zh|周厲王}}{{efn|Or {{lang|zh|周剌王}}}}
| {{ubc|877–841 BC|857/853–842/828 BC}}
|- style="background-color:#ccc"
| colspan="2"  | ''[[Gonghe Regency]]'' {{lang|zh|共和}}
| 841–828 BC
|-
| Jing {{lang|zh|靜}}
| [[King Xuan of Zhou|King Xuan]] {{lang|zh|周宣王}}
| 827–782 BC
|-
| Gongsheng {{lang|zh|宮湦}}
| [[King You of Zhou|King You]] {{lang|zh|周幽王}}
| 781–771 BC
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ List of Eastern Zhou kings
|-
! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" | Name
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Reign
|-
! scope="col" | Personal
! scope="col" | Posthumous
|-
| Yijiu {{lang|zh|宜臼}}
| [[King Ping of Zhou|King Ping]] {{lang|zh|周平王}}
| 770–720 BC
|-
| Lin {{lang|zh|林}}
| [[King Huan of Zhou|King Huan]] {{lang|zh|周桓王}}
| 719–697 BC
|-
| Tuo {{lang|zh|佗}}
| [[King Zhuang of Zhou|King Zhuang]] {{lang|zh|周莊王}}
| 696–682 BC
|-
| Huqi {{lang|zh|胡齊}}
| [[King Xi of Zhou|King Xi]] {{lang|zh|周僖王}}
| 681–677 BC
|-
| Lang {{lang|zh|閬}}
| [[King Hui of Zhou|King Hui]] {{lang|zh|周惠王}}
| 676–652 BC
|-
| Zheng {{lang|zh|鄭}}
| [[King Xiang of Zhou|King Xiang]] {{lang|zh|周襄王}}
| 651–619 BC
|-
| Renchen {{lang|zh|壬臣}}
| [[King Qing of Zhou|King Qing]] {{lang|zh|周頃王}}
| 618–613 BC
|-
| Ban {{lang|zh|班}}
| [[King Kuang of Zhou|King Kuang]] {{lang|zh|周匡王}}
| 612–607 BC
|-
| Yu {{lang|zh|瑜}}
| [[King Ding of Zhou|King Ding]] {{lang|zh|周定王}}
| 606–586 BC
|-
| Yi {{lang|zh|夷}}
| [[King Jian of Zhou|King Jian]] {{lang|zh|周簡王}}
| 585–572 BC
|-
| Xiexin {{lang|zh|洩心}}
| [[King Ling of Zhou|King Ling]] {{lang|zh|周靈王}}
| 571–545 BC
|-
| Gui {{lang|zh|貴}}
| [[King Jing of Zhou (Gui)|King Jing]] {{lang|zh|周景王}}
| 544–521 BC
|-
| Meng {{lang|zh|猛}}
| [[King Dao of Zhou|King Dao]] {{lang|zh|周悼王}}
| 520 BC
|-
| Gai {{lang|zh|丐}}
| [[King Jing of Zhou (Gai)|King Jing]] {{lang|zh|周敬王}}
| 519–476 BC
|-
| Ren {{lang|zh|仁}}
| [[King Yuan of Zhou|King Yuan]] {{lang|zh|周元王}}
| 475–469 BC
|-
| Jie {{lang|zh|介}}
| [[King Zhending of Zhou|King Zhending]] {{lang|zh|周貞定王}}
| 468–442 BC
|-
| Quji {{lang|zh|去疾}}
| [[King Ai of Zhou|King Ai]] {{lang|zh|周哀王}}
| 441 BC
|-
| Shu {{lang|zh|叔}}
| [[King Si of Zhou|King Si]] {{lang|zh|周思王}}
| 441 BC
|-
| Wei {{lang|zh|嵬}}
| [[King Kao of Zhou|King Kao]] {{lang|zh|周考王}}
| 440–426 BC
|-
| Wu {{lang|zh|午}}
| [[King Weilie of Zhou|King Weilie]] {{lang|zh|周威烈王}}
| 425–402 BC
|-
| Jiao {{lang|zh|驕}}
| [[King An of Zhou|King An]] {{lang|zh|周安王}}
| 401–376 BC
|-
| Xi {{lang|zh|喜}}
| [[King Lie of Zhou|King Lie]] {{lang|zh|周烈王}}
| 375–369 BC
|-
| Bian {{lang|zh|扁}}
| [[King Xian of Zhou|King Xian]] {{lang|zh|周顯王}}
| 368–321 BC
|-
| Ding {{lang|zh|定}}
| [[King Shenjing of Zhou|King Shenjing]] {{lang|zh|周慎靚王}}
| 320–315 BC
|-
| Yan {{lang|zh|延}}
| [[King Nan of Zhou|King Nan]] {{lang|zh|周赧王}}
| 314–256 BC
|}
Nobles of the Ji family proclaimed Duke Hui of Eastern Zhou as King Nan's successor after their capital, Chengzhou, fell to Qin forces in 256 BC. Ji Zhao, a son of King Nan, led a resistance against Qin for five years. The dukedom fell in 249 BC. The remaining Ji family ruled [[Yan (state)|Yan]] and [[Wei (Spring and Autumn period)|Wei]] until 209 BC.

During Confucius's lifetime in the Spring and Autumn period, Zhou kings had little power, and much administrative responsibility and [[de-facto]] political strength was wielded by rulers of smaller domains and local community leaders.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ivanhoe |first1=Philip J. |title=Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy |last2=Van Norden |first2=Bryan W. |publisher=Hackett |year=2005 |isbn=0-87220-781-1 |edition=2nd |location=Indianapolis |pages=2}}</ref>