State of Wei: Rulers: 403-225 BC
Each ruler is recorded under the following protocol: posthumous name (shì | 諡) || personal name (míng | 名), considered tabooed (huì | 諱) upon accession.
Ruling House: Wèi (魏) | |
Hóu (侯) | |
403 - 396 BC | Wén hóu (文侯) || || Wèi Dōu (魏都), Wèi Sī (魏斯) [1] |
396 - 370 BC | Wǔ hóu (武侯) || Wèi Jī (魏擊) [2] |
370 - 334 BC | Huìchéng wáng (惠成王) || Wèi Yīng (魏罃) [3] |
Wáng (王) | |
334 - 319 BC | Huìchéng wáng (惠成王) || Wèi Yīng (魏罃) |
319 - 296 BC | Xiāng'āi wáng (襄哀王) || Wèi Hè (魏赫), Wèi Sì (魏嗣) [4] |
296 - 277 BC | Zhāo wáng (昭王) || Wèi Chì (魏遫) |
277 - 243 BC | Ānlí wáng (安釐王), Ānxī wáng (安僖王) || Wèi Yǔ (魏圉) |
243 - 228 BC | Jǐngmǐn wáng (景湣王) || Wèi Zēng (魏增), Wèi Wǔ (魏午) |
228 - 225 BC | Wèi Jiǎ (魏假) |
- According to the Historical Records, ch. 15 and 44, Wèi Dōu (Wèi Sī) became the head of the Wèi clan in 425 BC and ruled 38 years to 387 BC. The Contemporary Bamboo Annals, with the same death date, records his accession, using Zhou regnal years, under the year 440 BC (first year of Kǎo wáng of Eastern Zhou). The Ancient Bamboo Annals, as cited by the Historical Records Commentary, ch. 13, retaining the Wei regnal years, however, records his death in his 50th year (equated with 396 BC), which makes 445 BC his first year. With the separation of the Wèi domain from the State of Jin (403 BC), he was elevated to the position of zhūhóu (諸侯), meaning the feudal nobility, assuming the title of hóu (侯).
- According to the Historical Records, ch. 15 and 44, and the Contemporary Bamboo Annals Wǔ hóu died in 371 BC after a reign of 16 years. The Ancient Bamboo Annals, as cited by the Historical Records Commentary, ch. 13, gives him a reign of 26 years. His death in 370 BC, rather than 371 BC, is anchored by a solar eclipse in 369 BC, recorded in the Ancient Bamboo Annals in the first year of his successor, but, indirectly, under the second year in the Historical Records (and omitted from the Contemporary Bamboo Annals).
- In the Historical Records, ch. 15 and 44, the restart of the regnal year count upon assumption of the title of wáng by Huìchéng in his 36th year (334 BC) is misinterpreted as a regular succession, thereby introducing a misalignment of this and the previous reign of one year. The 36th and subsequent first year were actually the same, which is reflected in the Contemporary Bamboo Annals. Despite the misinterpretation, the Historical Records, ch. 5, acknowledges the assumption of the title of wáng by the rulers of Qi and Wei under the fourth year of Huìwén wáng of Qin (334 BC).
- The Historical Records calls him Āi wáng, having interpreted the bisyllabic posthumous name (Xiāng'āi) as referring to two separate kings, Xiāng wáng (襄王) and Āi wáng (哀王), and applying the former to the phantom reign of the predecessor.