Wei: Map & History
Wei was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China.
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Wei was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han and Zhao. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included parts of modern-day Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong. After its capital was moved from Anyi to Daliang during the reign of King Hui, Wei was also called Liang.
Modern Countries Once Part of Wei
At its mapped extent, Wei covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Wei's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Wei in Depth
History
Surviving sources trace the ruling house of Wei to the Zhou royalty: Gao, Duke of Bi (畢公高), was a son of King Wen of Zhou. His descendants took their surname, Bi, from his fief. Bi Wan (畢萬), a descendant of the duke, served the Jin, where he became a courtier of Duke Xian's. After a successful military expedition, Bi Wan was granted the fief of Wei (in present-day Ruicheng County, Shanxi), from which his own descendants then founded the house of Wei.
Jin's political structure was drastically changed after the slaughter of its ruling dynasty during and after the Li Ji Unrest. Afterwards, "Jin ha no princely house" (晉無公卿) and its political power diffused into extended relations of the ruling family, including the Wei. They became largely independent by the middle of the fifth century.
Legacy
According to the Records of the Warring States, a king of Wei had a lover named Lord Longyang, with whom he enjoyed fishing. One day, Longyang began to weep. When questioned, Longyang said he saw his own future in how he had treated a fish. Happy to have the catch at first, Longyang had wanted to throw it back when he caught a better fish. He wept, "I am also a previously-caught fish! I will also be thrown back!" To show his fidelity to Longyang, the king declared that, "Anyone who dares to speak of other beauties will be executed along with his entire family".
In traditional Chinese astronomy, Wei is represented by one star in the "Twelve States" asterism of the "Girl" lunar mansion of the "Black Turtle" symbol and other star in the "Left Wall" of the "Heavenly Market" enclosure.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Wei (state) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wei: Key Facts
| Capital | Luoyang |
|---|---|
| Religion | Taoism |
| Currency | ancient Chinese coinage |
| Founded | 220 CE |
| Dissolved | 265 CE |
Preceded by
- Eastern Han
- Shu Han
Succeeded by
- Western Jin dynasty
Facts from Wikidata Q320930 (CC0).
Wei Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Wei appears, with the other states of the time.
Wei Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 97,232 km² in 258 BCE.
Wei: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Wei exist?
Wei is dated to 404 BCE – 204 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Wei?
The capital of Wei was Anyi (安邑), Daliang (大梁; from 361 BC).
How large was Wei at its peak?
At its peak in 258 BC Wei covered about 97,232 km².