Duke Wu of Jin

Duke Wu of Jin 晉武公
Ruler of the State of Jin
Reign	678–677 BC
Predecessor	Marquis Min of Jin
Successor	Duke Xian of Jin
Ruler of the State of Quwo
Reign	716–679 BC
Predecessor	Zhuang Bo of Quwo
Successor	Merged into Jin
Died	677 BC
Father	Zhuang Bo of Quwo

Duke Wu of Jin (simplified Chinese: 晋武公; traditional Chinese: 晉武公; pinyin: Jìn Wǔ Gōng, died 677 BC), ancestral name Ji (姬), given name Cheng (稱) and also known as Duke Wu of Quwo (Chinese: 曲沃武公; pinyin: Qūwò Wǔ Gōng), was the eighteenth ruler of the state of Jin. He was also the last ruler of the state of Quwo before he gained the title as the duke of Jin.

Reign of Quwo

In 716 BC, Zhuang Bo of Quwo died and his son Cheng ascended the throne of Quwo.

In 710 BC, the eighth year of the reign of Marquis Ai of Jin, Marquis Ai of Jin invades a small state south of Jin called Xingting (陘廷). Xingting then made an alliance with Duke Wu of Quwo. In the spring of 709 BC, they attacked Yi (翼), the capital of Jin. Then, he stayed in Xingting for a while. Then, he ordered his half uncle, Han Wan, to ride a chariot with Liang Hong (梁弘) by his right and chase Marquis Ai of Jin who escaped from Yi. They chased him around the bank of the Fen River (汾水) and at that night, they managed to capture Marquis Ai of Jin. The Jin people asked the son of Marquis Ai of Jin, to become the next ruler of Jin and he became Marquis Xiaozi of Jin. In 709 BC, the first year of the reign of Marquis Xiaozi of Jin, Duke Wu of Quwo ordered Han Wan to kill Marquis Ai of Jin.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in 706 BC, the fourth year of the reign of Marquis Xiaozi of Jin, Duke Wu of Quwo killed Marquis Xiaozi of Jin. King Huan of Zhou sent Guo Zhong (虢仲) to attack Duke Wu of Quwo so he went back to Quwo. Meanwhile, King Huan of Zhou put the uncle of Marquis Xiaozi of Jin, into the throne of Jin and he became Marquis Min of Jin.

According to the Zuo Zhuan, Duke Wu of Quwo killed Marquis Xiaozi of Jin on the winter of the seventh year of the reign of Duke Huan of Qi which was 705. The year after, King Huan of Zhou sent Guo Zhong (虢仲) to put Marquis Xiaozi of Jin into the throne and he became Marquis Min of Jin. Quwo failed to annex the state of Jin in this event.

In 678 BC, in the 28th year of the reign of Marquis Min of Jin, Duke Wu of Quwo attacked and conquered Jin. Duke Wu of Quwo offered gifts to King Xi of Zhou. In the seventh year of the reign of Duke Zhuang Lu which is 677 BC, King Xi of Zhou appointed Cheng the ruler of Jin and gave him the title of Duke.

Reign as Duke of Jin

Not long after Duke Wu of Jin received the title he invaded the state of Zhouwang (周王國) and killed Guizhu (詭諸), one of their court officials. The official who held the power in the state of Zhouwang, Zhou Gongjifu (周公忌父) escaped to the State of Guo (虢國).

Duke Wu of Jin died two years after he received the title of Duke of Jin.