King Zhou of Shang

King Zhou 商紂王
King Zhou of Shang
King of Shang dynasty
Reign	1075–1046 BC (29 years)
Predecessor	Di Yi
Born	1105 BC
Died	1046 BC (aged 59)
Spouse	Consort Daji
Issue	Wu Geng
Full name Family name: Zi (子) Given name: Shou (受) or Shoude (受德) Posthumous name Di Xin (帝辛)
Father	Di Yi

King Zhou (Chinese: 紂王; pinyin: Zhòu Wáng) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin (Chinese: 帝辛; pinyin: Dì Xīn), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (紂辛; Zhòu Xīn). He may also be referred to by adding "Shang" (商 Shāng) in front of any of his names. In Chinese, also refers to a horse crupper, the part of a saddle or harness that is most likely to be soiled by the horse.

In the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian wrote that Di Xin, in the early part of his reign, had abilities which surpassed those of the ordinary man, and was quick-witted and quick-tempered. According to legend, he was intelligent enough to win all of his arguments, and he was strong enough to hunt wild beasts with his bare hands. He was the younger brother of Zi Qi (子启) and Zi Yan (子衍) (later rulers of Zhou's client state Song) and father of Wu Geng. His father Di Yi had two brothers, Ji Zi and Bi Gan. Di Xin added to the territory of Shang by battling the tribes surrounding it, including the Dongyi to the east.

In his later years, Di Xin gave himself over to drinking, women and abandoned morals, preferring these to the proper governance of the country, and ignored almost all affairs of state. According to Sima Qian, he even hosted festive orgies where many people engaged in immoral things at the same time with his concubines and created songs with crude (erotic) lyrics and poor rhythm. In legends, he is depicted as having come under the influence of his wicked wife Daji, and committing all manner of evil and cruel deeds with her. In fictionalizations, including the novel Fengshen Yanyi, she was said to be possessed by a malevolent fox spirit.