King Wu of Qin
| Dang (蕩) | |||||
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| King Wu of Qin (秦武王) | |||||
| Reign | 310–307 BC | ||||
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King Wu of Qin (Chinese: 秦武王), also known as King Daowulie of Qin (秦悼武烈王) or King Daowu of Qin (秦悼武王) or King Wulie of Qin (秦武烈王), was the ruler of the Qin state from 310 to 307 BC during the Warring States period of Chinese history.
Despite his short era, King Wu did assist in Qin's wars of unification, mainly for his war effort on the state of Han. He also invaded some of the other major powers of the Warring States, especially Wei. In his fourth year, his minister Gan Mao (甘茂), suggested an attack on the Han fortress of Yiyang to open up the a path to invade eastern powers, the campaign succeeded and Qin subsequently gained control of roads to the Zhou capital of Luoyang.
Upon visit to the Zhou capital, King Wu, a keen wrestler, decided to try powerlifting a heavy bronze cauldron in the Zhou palace as a show of his own physical strength, urged by a strongman he favored named Meng Yue (孟說). Though he successfully lifted the cauldron, the king broke his shin bones while trying to carry it. At night, blood came out of his eyes, and he died very soon afterwards. He had ascended the throne at the age of nineteen, and died at 23, having only ruled for four years.
After King Wu's death, Gan Mao left Qin to serve Wei. Since King Wu died young without issues, it threw Qin into a short period of succession crisis, with multiple brother-princes contending for the throne. Eventually, King Wu's younger half-brother Prince Ji, who was serving as a political hostage at the state of Yan at the time, returned to Qin under the joint support of his uncle Wei Ran (魏冉) and King Wuling of Zhao, and ascended to the throne as King Zhaoxiang.
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