Yan, Marquis of Tian

Tian Yan, commonly known as "Yan, Marquis of Qi" or "Yan, Marquis of Tian" , was from 383 BC to 375 BC the ruler of the Qi state. He succeeded his father, the founding monarch of the Tian Qi (田齊) dynasty, Duke Tai of Tian Qi. He was killed by his younger brother, Duke Huan of Tian Qi, who then took the throne.

Reign Yan's father was Duke Tai of Tian Qi, the first Qi ruler from the House of Tian. Although leaders of the Tian clan had been de facto rulers of Qi since 481 BC, it wasn't until 386 BC that Duke Tai was formally recognized as ruler of Qi by King An of Zhou, the nominal king of all China. Duke Tai ascended the throne and exiled Duke Kang of Qi, the last Qi ruler from the House of Jiang, to a seaside city. Duke Tai died two years later and was succeeded by Yan. Duke Kang died in 379 BC.

Historical records Because of the lack of reliable records during the Warring States period, the chapter on the House of Tian in Sima Qian's influential Shiji is unreliable and error-prone. Yan's reign was completely omitted from the Shiji, and he remained largely unknown until the discovery of the Bamboo Annals in 281 AD during the Jin dynasty. The area is called Two Kings' Cemetery (二王冢), and had been for 2,000 years thought to be the tombs of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Jing of Qi. However, archaeologists have concluded that they are in fact the tombs of Yan and his brother and murderer, Duke Huan of Tian Qi.

All seven known mausoleums of Tian Qi rulers are now protected as a National Historical and Cultural Site. Since 2008 they have been included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the ancient Qi capital and mausoleum complex.

Family Sons: Youngest son, Prince Xi (; d. 375 BC)

Ancestry