Gongbo He

He, Earl of Gong, was an Earl of the State of Gong who held regency over Western Zhou after a rebellion occurred against King Li of Zhou. This period would be called the Gonghe Regency.

Name The status of He was not well-understood for a considerable amount of time, as the bo "earl" in his name was often omitted. This prompted traditional historiography to regard it as a literary allusion to Duke Mu of Shao and Duke Ding of Zhou, regarding it as a compound word roughly translating to "harmonious union," most notably in Records of the Grand Historian. However, with excavated texts such as Xinian confirming He's role, the interpretation from the Bamboo Annals, which notes He as an earl, is considered standard practice. Arguments have been made for his name being a synonym for Duke Wu of Wei, but this has been debunked due to chronological issues separating the two by around 70 years; the similarities appear to be coincidental. While some classical sources noted it as an usurpation, academia has regarded it more as a popular uprising.

After the regency, He returned to his home state of Gong. It is because of this that he is thought to have been a member of the Wey royal family.