Duke Jing of Qi

Duke Jing of Qi , personal name Lü Chujiu, was ruler of the Qi state from 547 BC to 490 BC. After years of unrest as two powerful ministers, Cui Zhu (崔杼) and Qing Feng (慶封), sought to control the Qi state, Duke Jing appointed Yan Ying as his prime minister, and Qi entered a period of relative peace and prosperity.

Accession to the throne Duke Jing was born to a concubine of Duke Ling of Qi. His mother was a daughter of Shusun Xuanbo, head of one of the Three Huan clans that dominated the control of power in the neighbouring State of Lu. When his father died in 554 BC, his older half-brother Duke Zhuang succeeded Duke Ling and killed Crown Prince Ya with the support of the powerful minister Cui Zhu (崔杼). However, Duke Zhuang had an adulterous relationship with Cui's wife, and was killed by Cui in 548 BC. who was from the minor state of Chunyu. In 1964, archaeologists made a striking discovery of a large site of sacrificial horses buried on the northern side of the tomb. 145 horse skeletons were found.

The pit for the sacrificial horses is long, wrapping around the tomb on three sides. In 1982, archaeologists excavated a further of the pit and unearthed 106 more horse skeletons. The tomb has not been completely excavated, but archaeologists estimate that more than 600 horses were buried in total, making it by far the largest horse sacrifice site discovered in China.

Family Wives: Yan Ji, of the Ji clan of Yan , possibly a daughter of Duke Hui of Yan; married in 536 BC; the mother of a son who died young

Concubines: Yu Si, of the Si clan of Chunyu , the mother of Crown Prince Tu Hu Ji, of the Ji clan (; d. 487 BC)

Sons: A son who died young Prince Jia , fled to Wey in 490 BC Prince Ju , fled to Wey in 490 BC Prince Qian , fled to Wey in 490 BC Prince Chu , fled to Lu in 490 BC Prince Yangsheng (; d. 485 BC), ruled as Duke Dao of Qi from 488 to 485 BC Youngest son, Crown Prince Tu (; d. 489 BC); ruled as the Duke of Qi in 489 BC Known as An Ruzi

Ancestry